Corrugated board is widely used in the packaging industry due to its low cost, light weight, easy processing, high strength and good printing adaptability. However, a big problem for the business is its low folding resistance, particularly its propensity to burst at the indentation during processing. The work aims to develop a localized treatment coating to improve the folding resistance of corrugated board through surface film formation and enhanced fiber bonding and by considering the effect of water content on folding resistance. In this research, three coatings of PVA/CMC-Na, PVA/Gly, and PVA/Gly/JFC were developed with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the base material and the performance at different ratios and concentrations was tested. Although the PVA/CMC-Na coating improved the tear strength, tensile strength, and breakage resistance of the boards, the improvement in folding resistance was constrained due to decreased water content. Conversely, the PVA/Gly coatings exhibited optimal enhancement in folding resistance at a glycerol (Gly) mass concentration of approximately 11%, but resulted in diminished board strength at higher concentrations. Notably, the PVA/Gly/JFC coatings significantly improved the bi-directional folding count of corrugated board at a juncao fiber (JFC) mass concentration ranging from 0.05% to 0.15%, without compromising the fundamental strength properties of the board. By treating the indentation on corrugated boards, the PVA/Gly/JFC coatings effectively improve the water content and water retention effect at the crease, enhance the surface film formation and strengthen the fiber bonding force, and significantly improve the folding resistance of corrugated boards while maintaining their normal utility. This provides the corrugated box industry with an effective solution to a persistent challenge.