This term originated from the newspaper industry, where the most important headlines and articles are placed above the physical fold of a newspaper, which is the point where the paper is folded in half.
In web design, the placement of important content above or below the fold can have a significant impact on user engagement and conversion rates. Users are more likely to engage with content that is immediately visible, while content below the fold may require scrolling or additional effort to discover.
However, with the rise of mobile devices and varying screen sizes, the concept of the page fold has become more complex. It is now common practice for web designers to create designs that are optimized for all screen sizes, so it is important to consider how the page fold affects both mobile and desktop devices.