This translation has not been editorially reviewed yet. The German version is authoritative. Deutsche Fassung →
Indexing
Why must a website's content be in the initial HTML?
Because search engines initially only read this first HTML document: text that only exists once JavaScript runs might get evaluated late, or not at all. Your carefully written content should therefore already be in the document the server delivers. The "Indexing" audit area measures how much visible text is in the initial HTML, and assesses the result against fixed thresholds.
The initial HTML is what Google reliably reads
On every visit, the server sends an HTML document — the initial HTML. Everything in it, a search engine can read immediately. Many modern websites, though, only deliver a near-empty shell and assemble the visible content afterward in the browser, via JavaScript. Visitors barely notice, since their browser runs the script. A search engine, on the other hand, initially faces a nearly empty page. Whether and when it runs the JavaScript and sees the finished content isn't guaranteed — indexing then depends on this second, uncertain step.
How the check measures the text share
The check takes the initial HTML, strips out scripts, style declarations, and every technical markup, and counts what visible text remains. From 500 characters onward, the rule counts as met, with 10 out of 10 points. Between 150 and 499 characters, you get half marks — something's there, but not much. Below 150 characters, the check treats it as a serious finding: the content evidently only comes into being in the browser, and indexing is at risk. In addition, the report records the ratio of visible text to the document's total size — making visible how much of the delivered document is actually content.
The simple self-test in the source code
You don't need a tool to check the principle. Open a page on your website, remember a whole sentence from the visible text, and then open the source code (right-click, "View page source"). Search for the sentence there using the browser's search function. If you find it word for word, your content is in the initial HTML. If you don't find it, it loads afterward — in that case, you should talk to your agency about server-side delivery. The technical terms for this are "server-side rendering" or "pre-rendering"; both make sure the finished text arrives in the document.
- Search for a sentence from your website word for word in the source code — it should be there.
- Ask your agency to deliver content server-side, instead of assembling it in the browser afterward.
- Check pages from website builders and web apps especially closely — lazily loaded content is most common there.
- Watch, at every relaunch, that the amount of visible text in the source code doesn't drop off.
FAQ
Can Google run JavaScript?
Yes, in principle Google can process pages with JavaScript too. This so-called rendering is a separate, downstream step, though — whether and when it happens isn't guaranteed. Anyone who wants to be certain delivers the important content in the initial HTML. Then indexing doesn't depend on a second step.
How can I tell whether my content is in the HTML?
Open the page's source code and search for a sentence from the visible text. If it's there word for word, the content is delivered directly. If it's missing, it only comes into being in the browser. Our check measures the same thing automatically and counts the visible characters in the initial HTML.
What does server-side rendering mean?
Server-side rendering means the server assembles and delivers the finished page, content included, instead of just sending the browser a shell and the assembly instructions. Search engines then read the content immediately. Modern website technologies support both approaches — it's a decision made during implementation, not a question of design.