Skip to content
  • Reels cover: People don't read. They scan. Eye-tracking marks showing an F pattern over Google search results.

Visuals in Turkish · the full text is on this page

Solution Desk · Web

People Don't Read, They Scan: F and Z Patterns for Your Website and Ads

Most people don't read a page from top to bottom; they scan it in an F or Z shape. Your site and your ads should both be understood at a glance.

Short answer

People don't read web pages, ads and images from start to finish; they scan them. Research shows that most people follow an F- or Z-shaped scanning pattern. That's why important information should go at the top and on the left of the page, and content should be short, clear and supported by visuals. This is why big brands design their sites and ads to be understood at a glance.

3 steps · 1 min read · · Turan Yasin Salcı

Step by step · 3 steps

0/3 checked · saved in this browser only

  1. Put important information at the top and on the left.

    A scanning eye stops first at the top of the page and along the left edge. What you sell, who you sell to, and your booking or message button should be in this area.

  2. Write short and clear.

    Long paragraphs don't get scanned. Use headings, short sentences and bullet points; each section should say one thing.

  3. Support it with visuals.

    An image, icon or product photo that illustrates the text gives the eye something to hold on to. This is why big brands design their sites and ads to be easy to scan.

How to measure it

Show your site or ad to someone for a few seconds, then ask them what you sell and what the next step is. If they can't answer, the important information isn't in the area people scan; simplify the top and left area.

Sources

  • D
    DijiKoçum guide to scannable websites and adsOur own data · checked: October 4, 2026

[A] primary source · [B] industry research · [C] practitioner · [D] our own data

Frequently asked questions

What are the F and Z scanning patterns?

In the F pattern, the eye first scans the top line horizontally, makes a shorter horizontal pass a little further down, and then moves down the left edge. In the Z pattern, the eye goes from the top left to the top right, then diagonally to the bottom left and on to the bottom right; it's common on pages and visuals with little text.

What should I do first to make my site scannable?

Put what you sell, who you sell to and the next step (call, book an appointment, send a message) at the top of the page. Break long paragraphs into short sentences and bullet points.

Next step

Let’s look at your site together.

Free Digital Checkup: a health score for your website, your ads and your visibility in AI search, plus what to fix first. 3 minutes.

Free Digital Checkup Our Web service

More guides