Definition
Above the fold content is the portion of the page visible without scrolling. Optimizing this area is crucial for Core Web Vitals, particularly LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), which measures the display time of the largest visible element. Techniques include: inlining critical CSS for the first screen, preloading hero images, avoiding lazy loading for ATF images, reducing the number of requests for initial content, properly sizing images and reserving space (to avoid CLS), and deferring non-essential scripts. Google has historically penalized sites with too many ads above the fold (Google Page Layout Algorithm). The goal is for the main content and LCP element to be visible in under 2.5 seconds.
Key Points
- The LCP element must be visible in under 2.5s
- Never lazy-load above the fold images
- Preload critical first-screen resources (hero image, fonts)
Practical Examples
Optimized hero image
An e-commerce site preloads its hero image with <link rel='preload'> and uses WebP format with responsive srcset. LCP drops from 3.5s to 1.8s.
Ad-heavy above the fold
A news site with 3 ads above the fold and editorial content below receives a penalty. After reorganization (content first, maximum 1 ad ATF), organic traffic recovers by 25%.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ATF zone varies by device. Use Chrome DevTools in responsive mode to visualize what is visible without scrolling on different screen sizes. The coverage tool and Performance panel help identify resources loaded for this zone.
Yes, since the Page Layout Algorithm (2012). Google penalizes pages where the main content is pushed below the fold by ads. The rule is: useful content must be immediately visible without scrolling.
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Last updated: 2026-02-07