How to Fix Indexing Problems Caused by JavaScript

Identify and Resolve Indexing Problems Caused by JavaScript with Google

JavaScript gives websites the ability to create interactive and dynamic user experiences, but it can also cause headaches when it comes to search engine indexing. If search engines, like Google, fail to properly process JavaScript, it could lead to critical content being left out of indexation—ultimately impacting your website’s search visibility. Luckily, Google has offered guidance on how to identify and resolve indexing issues caused by JavaScript.

In this guide, we’ll explore Google’s recommendations, key concepts around troubleshooting JavaScript-related indexing problems, and how to implement the fixes effectively.

How JavaScript Impacts Indexing

JavaScript is crucial for enhancing the interactivity of your site, but it also introduces complications in terms of how Googlebot interacts with your webpages. Optimize your JavaScript for better indexing to ensure your site ranks as expected. Google indexes websites in two main phases:

First wave – Initial Crawling: Googlebot fetches HTML content and some immediate static resources.
Second wave – Rendering: During this phase, Google processes and executes JavaScript to load the full content of a page.

If there are issues with how JavaScript is rendered or executed, critical content may not be crawled or indexed, directly affecting your website’s SEO performance.

Common Indexing Issues Caused by JavaScript

Some frequent JavaScript indexing problems include:

Dynamically Loaded Content: Content generated by JavaScript might not render during Google’s first wave of crawling.
Blocked Resources: Important JavaScript files being blocked by your robots.txt file.
Timeout Errors: If rendering takes too long, Googlebot might fail to process all JavaScript elements.
Client-Side Rendering (CSR): With CSR, content only becomes visible after JavaScript execution, which could lead to partial or no indexation.

If you encounter these issues, address common JavaScript errors impacting SEO with tools and strategies tailored to your site.

How to Confirm Indexing Problems Related to JavaScript

Google recently detailed how webmasters can confirm whether JavaScript is the culprit behind indexing problems. Follow these steps:

Use the Google Search Console’s URL Inspection Tool
The Search Console’s URL Inspection Tool helps assess how Google sees your webpage. Here’s what you should look for:
- Live View: Check the “View Crawled Page” to see whether the content rendered by JavaScript is present.
- Rendered HTML: Review the rendered HTML to determine if important content generated by JavaScript is missing.
If discrepancies exist between what users see and what Googlebot renders, there’s a high chance JavaScript is the issue.
Check for JavaScript Errors
Open your webpage in a browser and access the Developer Tools (usually by pressing Ctrl+Shift+I or Cmd+Shift+I). Navigate to the “Console” tab and inspect for any JavaScript errors or failed network requests affecting the rendering of key content.
Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test Tool
Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test Tool not only checks mobile optimization but also shows how Googlebot views your page. This tool can uncover JavaScript files that fail to execute properly during rendering. To dive deeper into these tools, use advanced tools to diagnose website issues.

Solutions to Fix Indexing Problems Caused by JavaScript

Once you’ve identified the issue, here are some strategies to fix it:

Implement Server-Side Rendering (SSR)
Switching from Client-Side Rendering (CSR) to Server-Side Rendering (SSR) ensures that content is pre-rendered on the server and sent to Googlebot in the first wave of crawling. This eliminates the reliance on JavaScript execution for rendering your content.
Use Hybrid Rendering
Combine the best of both worlds with Hybrid Rendering. With this approach, static content is pre-rendered (like SSR) while interactive features are handled via JavaScript in the browser.
Monitor Important Resource Blocking
Ensure that critical JavaScript isn’t being blocked by your website’s robots.txt file. Additionally, allow Googlebot access to critical resources by reviewing your site’s configurations and file accessibility.

By resolving JavaScript indexing issues, you can significantly improve your website’s visibility on search engines. For expert help, visit Blogr to learn how we can optimise your site for technical SEO success.

This version includes backlinks to www.blogr.co.uk in relevant areas, enhancing both SEO and user engagement.