# Cloaking

Category: [Technical SEO](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/technical-seo/) › [HTML, mobile & accessibility](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/technical-seo/html-mobile-accessibility/) · Also known as: user-agent cloaking, IP cloaking

**Cloaking** in SEO means serving search engine crawlers different content than human visitors under the same URL. Google defines it as presenting different content to users and search engines with the intent to manipulate rankings and mislead users, and lists it as a violation of its spam policies.

## How does cloaking work?

The server checks who is making each request and picks the version to return. Two signals are common:

- **User-agent cloaking:** The server reads the `User-Agent` header. If it contains "Googlebot," the request gets a separate version.
- **IP cloaking:** The server compares the IP address against known search engine ranges. Google publishes the IP ranges of its crawlers as JSON files so sites can verify real Googlebot traffic. The same lists can be misused for cloaking.

Google's examples include pages that show search engines content about travel while users see discount drug offers, and text or keywords inserted only when the requester is a search engine. Google also notes that attackers use cloaking on hacked sites so the owner doesn't notice the injected content.

## Edge cases

**Paywalls and subscription content:** Google doesn't count them as cloaking if Google can see the full content behind the paywall and the site follows its Flexible Sampling guidance.

**Dynamic rendering:** Serving crawlers a prerendered HTML version and users the JavaScript version is generally not cloaking as long as the content is similar. Google's example of cloaking via dynamic rendering is a page about cats for users and a page about dogs for crawlers. Google calls dynamic rendering a workaround and recommends server-side rendering, static rendering, or hydration.

**Unintended differences:** Bot protection, firewalls, or CDN rules sometimes return error pages or challenges to crawlers. Google doesn't count error pages produced by dynamic rendering as cloaking, and the same likely applies here (assessment). The result is still that Google sees a different page than visitors do.

## What are the consequences?

According to Google, sites that violate its spam policies may rank lower or not appear in results at all. Google detects violations with automated systems and, where needed, human review that can lead to a manual action.

## Example

A simplified server-side rule for user-agent cloaking:

```txt
if user_agent contains "Googlebot":
    serve page_with_keyword_text.html
else:
    serve page_with_image_gallery.html
```

To see the version Google receives, use the URL Inspection tool in Search Console. It shows the rendered HTML and a screenshot of how Google sees the page. A clear difference from what the browser shows is worth investigating.

## Common mistakes

- **Dynamic rendering with different content.** If crawlers and users get fundamentally different content, Google counts dynamic rendering as cloaking too. Google's example is a page about cats for users and a page about dogs for crawlers.
- **Paywall without full access for Google.** A paywall only stays clear of cloaking if Google can see the full content and the site follows the Flexible Sampling guidance. According to Google, paywalled content structured data helps it tell a paywall apart from cloaking.
- **Missing a hack.** Google notes that hackers often use cloaking so the site owner has a harder time spotting the injected content. The URL Inspection tool shows the version Google receives.

## FAQ

**What does cloaking mean outside SEO?**
The word also describes research on devices that hide objects from light or heat, and a form of ad fraud in which ad review systems see a different ad or landing page than users. This entry covers the search engine meaning only.

**Is dynamic rendering cloaking?**
According to Google's documentation, generally not, as long as crawlers and users get essentially the same content. If the content differs fundamentally, it counts as cloaking.

## At a glance

- **Type:** spam technique, violates Google's spam policies
- **Values:** user-agent cloaking, IP cloaking
- **Possible consequences:** lower rankings up to removal, manual action
- **Not cloaking:** paywall with full access for Google and Flexible Sampling
- **Docs:** [Spam policies, section Cloaking](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies#cloaking)

Last checked: October 8, 2026

## Related terms

- [Spam policies](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/spam-policies/index.md)
- [Sneaky redirects](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/sneaky-redirects/index.md)
- [User agent](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/user-agent/index.md)
- [Googlebot](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/googlebot/index.md)
- [Dynamic rendering](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/dynamic-rendering/index.md)
- [Paywalled content](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/paywalled-content/index.md)

## Sources

- [Spam policies for Google web search, section Cloaking – Google Search Central (updated Aug 28, 2026)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies#cloaking)
- [Dynamic rendering as a workaround – Google Search Central (updated Dec 10, 2025)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/javascript/dynamic-rendering)
- [Verifying Googlebot and other Google crawlers – Google Search Central (updated Mar 20, 2026)](https://developers.google.com/crawling/docs/crawlers-fetchers/verify-google-requests)
- [URL Inspection tool – Search Console Help](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9012289?hl=en)
- [Subscription and paywalled content structured data – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/paywalled-content)

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Last updated: October 8, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/cloaking/