How Google handles JavaScript
Google crawls, then renders, then indexes — and rendering can lag. If critical content, links, or metadata only exist after client-side JS executes, they may be delayed or missed.
Frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular are fine for SEO, but only when rendering is handled deliberately.
- Content injected purely client-side risks delayed or incomplete indexing
- Internal links must be real <a href> elements, not click handlers, to be followed
- Titles, meta, and canonical tags should be present in the rendered HTML
- Test with URL Inspection's rendered HTML, not just 'view source'
- Blocking JS/CSS in robots.txt prevents proper rendering
Rendering strategies that index reliably
The most durable fix is to serve HTML that already contains the important content — via server-side rendering (SSR), static generation (SSG), or hydration.
Where a full rewrite isn't practical, prerendering key routes can bridge the gap.
- Use server-side rendering (SSR) or static generation (SSG) for content-critical pages
- Prerender routes that must be indexable when SSR isn't feasible
- Ensure lazy-loaded content and infinite scroll have crawlable, linkable URLs
- Don't rely on user interaction (clicks, hovers) to load indexable content
- Return proper HTTP status codes — JS 'soft 404s' confuse crawlers
More on technical seo
Frequently asked questions
Can Google index my React, Next.js, or Vue site?
Yes, when it's built with SEO in mind. The framework isn't the problem — client-only rendering of important content is. Server-side rendering or static generation of key pages makes indexing dependable.
How do I know if JavaScript is hurting my SEO?
Compare the raw HTML to the rendered HTML in Search Console's URL Inspection. If content, links, or metadata are missing before render, or pages show up thin in the index, JS rendering is likely the cause.
Is dynamic rendering still okay?
It can work as a bridge, but Google now treats it as a workaround rather than a long-term recommendation. Where feasible, SSR or static generation is more future-proof, and we'll advise based on your stack.