FOLD(1) User Commands FOLD(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

fold - wrap each input line to fit in specified width

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**fold** \[*OPTION*]... \[*FILE*]...

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

Wrap input lines in each FILE, writing to standard output.

With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

[**-b, --bytes**](#b,)

count bytes rather than columns

[**-c, --characters**](#c,)

count characters rather than columns

[**-s, --spaces**](#s,)

break after blanks, or in words greater than WIDTH

[**-w, --width=WIDTH**](#w,)

use WIDTH columns instead of 80

[**--help**](#help)

display this help and exit

[**--version**](#version)

output version information and exit

# [AUTHOR](#AUTHOR)

Written by David MacKenzie.

# [REPORTING BUGS](#REPORTING_BUGS)

Report bugs to: <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.  
Report any translation bugs to: <https://translationproject.org/team/>.  
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>  
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>

# [COPYRIGHT](#COPYRIGHT)

Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.  
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**fmt**(1)](/man/os/coreutils/fmt.1)

Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/fold>  
or available locally via: info '(coreutils) fold invocation'

September 2026 GNU coreutils 9.12

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Document: fold(1) from coreutils 9.12-r3 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/coreutils.git