A safe zone, also called action safe or title safe area, is a defined region within a video frame that is guaranteed to be visible across different display devices and aspect ratios, accounting for overscan, edge cropping, and display variation that can cut off portions of the image on certain screens. Content within the safe zone is assured to display fully regardless of the playback environment.

The concept originated in broadcast television, where CRT monitors and early display technology often cropped the outer edges of the transmitted image due to overscan - a deliberate design that prevented viewers from seeing the raw, unstable edges of the broadcast signal. Two safe zones were established as standards: action safe, the outer boundary within which all important visual action should occur, and title safe, a smaller inner boundary within which text and graphic overlays should be kept to ensure readability. Modern digital displays have largely eliminated overscan, but safe zone conventions remain relevant for broadcast delivery specifications, subtitle placement, social media platforms that crop images for different aspect ratios, and any context where content will be displayed across varied screen formats.

For creators producing content intended for broadcast, streaming platforms with varying display environments, or social media where image cropping and aspect ratio reformatting are common, keeping critical content within established safe zones during both generation and post-production prevents important visual information or text elements from being inadvertently cropped out on some viewers' screens.