Above the fold
What is above the fold?
Above the fold is the part of a web page that a visitor sees on load, before scrolling. The phrase comes from newspapers, where the top half of the front page was visible on the stand. Its size depends on the device and screen, so on a phone it is far smaller than on a desktop monitor.
For SEO and user experience, the area above the fold should make the page’s purpose obvious and show the main content quickly. Google has long penalised pages where ads crowd out content at the top, through its 2012 page layout algorithm, and intrusive interstitials that cover the content are a poor page experience. The largest element visible here is often what Largest Contentful Paint measures.
There is no single fold line. A phone in portrait might show a few hundred pixels of height, a laptop much more. Design for the smallest common screen first, since Google uses mobile-first indexing and most searches in many markets happen on phones.
Why above the fold matters for SEO
Visitors decide in seconds whether a page answers their search. If they see only a cookie banner, a pop-up and an ad, many leave.
Speed matters most above the fold: Core Web Vitals measure how fast that first view loads and whether it shifts around.
How to optimise above-the-fold content
- Show the H1 and the start of the main content on the first screen on mobile.
- Keep ads, banners and pop-ups from pushing content below the fold.
- Load the hero image fast: don’t lazy-load it, and consider fetchpriority="high".
- Reserve space for images and embeds to avoid layout shift.
Above the fold FAQ
Does content above the fold rank better?
Google indexes the whole page, so content lower down still counts. But a page that hides its main content behind ads or interstitials gives a poor experience, which Google’s systems discourage.
Should I lazy-load images above the fold?
No. Lazy-loading the first visible image delays it and usually worsens Largest Contentful Paint.
Related SEO terms
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) is a Core Web Vital that measures when the largest image or text block in the viewport appears. Good is 2.5 seconds or less.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) is a Core Web Vital that measures how much content moves unexpectedly while a page is used. Good is 0.1 or less.
Core Web Vitals are Google’s three metrics for real-world page experience: Largest Contentful Paint, Interaction to Next Paint and Cumulative Layout Shift.
Lazy loading delays loading images, iframes or other content until they are about to scroll into view, which speeds up the first load of a page.
Page speed is how quickly a page loads, shows its content and responds to input. Google measures it mainly through Core Web Vitals.