Above the fold is what a shopper sees on your product page before they scroll. If that screen doesn't tell them what the product is, what it costs and how to buy it, many will leave without reading the rest. This guide covers what belongs in that space, what can move lower, and how to check it on a phone.
The job of the top screen
The top of the page has to answer three things at a glance: what is this, is it for me, and what do I do next. Everything else on the page supports those answers. If an element doesn't help with one of the three, it probably belongs further down.
What belongs above the fold
Keep the list short. Each item below earns its place because a shopper needs it to decide whether to keep going.
- Product title: Plain and specific, so the shopper knows they landed on the right page
- Main image: The product itself, clear and well lit, filling the frame
- Price: Including any sale price, shown next to the original
- Variant selectors: Size, color or other options, with unavailable ones marked
- Add to cart button: High contrast, visible without scrolling
- One line of benefit: What the product does for the buyer, in a sentence
- Review summary: Star rating and count, if you have reviews
- Shipping or returns note: One short line, such as your delivery window or return period
What can go lower
Detail matters, but it doesn't have to sit above the button. Shoppers who want more will scroll for it, as long as the top screen gave them a reason to.
| Above the fold | Below the fold |
|---|---|
| Title, price, main image | Full description |
| Options and add to cart | Specs, materials, dimensions |
| One-line benefit | Full reviews |
| Short shipping or returns note | Complete shipping and returns policy |
Check it on a phone
The fold on a phone is much higher than on a desktop. A layout that fits neatly on your laptop can push the button off the screen on mobile. Open your own product page on a phone and look before you scroll.
- ✅ The title is readable without zooming
- ✅ The image doesn't take up the whole screen
- ✅ The add to cart button is visible, or stays fixed on screen as the shopper scrolls
- ❌ An announcement bar, cookie banner and header don't use up half the screen
Common mistakes
Most above-the-fold problems come from adding things, not from leaving them out. Each extra badge, banner or paragraph pushes the button further down.
- Long titles: A title that wraps to four lines on mobile pushes everything else down
- A wall of text before the button: Move the description below
- Pop-ups on arrival: They cover the product before the shopper has seen it
For the rest of the page, see the product page checklist and the guide on writing product descriptions that sell.
Doing this at scale
ConvertLens scores every product page from 0 to 100 against a conversion rulebook covering title clarity, scannability, benefit versus feature balance, images and alt text, specs, trust and urgency. AI drafts before and after rewrites of weak sections from the page's own copy, you approve each change, and changes are logged and reversible. See ConvertLens.