Below-the-fold images not lazy loaded: what it is, why it matters, and how to fix it
Images that appear below the fold are loaded immediately with the page instead of being lazy loaded. This wastes bandwidth and delays the loading of above-the-fold content.
Where this fits: performance in SEO
Why below-the-fold images not lazy loaded hurts your rankings
Loading all images immediately increases initial page weight and competes with critical resources for bandwidth. Lazy loading defers off-screen images until the user scrolls near them, reducing initial load time and data usage. This improves LCP by freeing bandwidth for above-the-fold content.
This is a low-severity issue: a polish item. Fix it in batches during scheduled maintenance; the win is cumulative quality, not a step change.
How to fix it
Add loading="lazy" to below-the-fold images. Do not lazy-load above-the-fold images (especially the LCP image), as this would delay their display.
<!-- Above the fold: no lazy loading -->
<img src="hero.jpg" alt="Hero" width="1200" height="600" />
<!-- Below the fold: lazy loaded -->
<img src="photo.jpg" alt="Photo" width="400" height="300" loading="lazy" />Frequently asked questions
What does "Below-the-fold images not lazy loaded" mean?
Images that appear below the fold are loaded immediately with the page instead of being lazy loaded. This wastes bandwidth and delays the loading of above-the-fold content.
Why does below-the-fold images not lazy loaded matter for SEO?
Loading all images immediately increases initial page weight and competes with critical resources for bandwidth. Lazy loading defers off-screen images until the user scrolls near them, reducing initial load time and data usage. This improves LCP by freeing bandwidth for above-the-fold content.
How do I fix below-the-fold images not lazy loaded?
Add loading="lazy" to below-the-fold images. Do not lazy-load above-the-fold images (especially the LCP image), as this would delay their display.
How serious is this issue?
This is a low-severity issue: a polish item. Fix it in batches during scheduled maintenance; the win is cumulative quality, not a step change. It belongs to the performance family of checks.
How do I find every page affected by this on my site?
Run a free Dr Urls audit: it crawls your site, detects below-the-fold images not lazy loaded on every affected page, shows example URLs, and generates a ready-to-use fix task. Re-scan after fixing to verify the issue is gone.
Does your site have this issue?
A free Dr Urls audit crawls your site, finds every page affected by below-the-fold images not lazy loaded, and hands you a ready-made fix task.
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