# Rendering

Category: [Rendering & JavaScript](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/rendering-javascript/) › [Rendering methods](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/rendering-javascript/rendering-methods/) · Also known as: page rendering, rendering SEO

In SEO and web development, **rendering** is the process in which a browser or crawler turns HTML, CSS, and JavaScript into the finished page a user sees. For search engines, what counts is which content and links are present in the document after rendering. This entry covers the web meaning. In 3D graphics and architecture, rendering means computing an image from a model.

## How does Google render a page?

Google processes JavaScript pages in three phases: crawling, rendering, and indexing. After a page is fetched with a 200 status code, it is queued for rendering. Google says a page may stay in this queue for a few seconds, but it can take longer. Rendering is done by a headless, evergreen version of Chromium, which Google keeps up to date.

Content that JavaScript loads only becomes visible to Google in the rendered HTML. Googlebot discovers links only when they are `<a>` elements with an `href` attribute. If the original HTML contains a `noindex` directive, Google may skip rendering altogether, so removing `noindex` with JavaScript doesn't work reliably.

## Types of rendering

The rendering approach determines where the page is assembled:

- **Client-side rendering (CSR):** The server sends a mostly empty HTML shell, and JavaScript in the browser builds the content.
- **Server-side rendering (SSR):** The server generates complete HTML for each request.
- **Static rendering:** The HTML is generated at build time and served as files.
- **Hydration:** Server-rendered HTML is made interactive in the browser with JavaScript.

Google still recommends server-side rendering or pre-rendering because it makes pages faster for users and crawlers and because not all bots can run JavaScript. **Dynamic rendering**, serving a separate pre-rendered version only to bots, is described by Google as "a workaround and not a long-term solution."

## Example

An online store builds its product listings with React in the browser. The delivered HTML contains only this:

```html
<body>
  <div id="root">
  <script src="/app.js"></script>
</body>
```

Product names, prices, and links to product pages exist only after rendering. If the script fails or robots.txt blocks `/app.js`, that content is missing for Google. The URL Inspection tool in Search Console shows the rendered HTML, which can be compared with the source code.

## Common mistakes

- JavaScript or CSS files blocked in robots.txt, so the crawler cannot build the page completely.
- Navigation built with `onclick` handlers instead of real links.
- Important content that only loads after scrolling or a click and is therefore missing at render time.

## FAQ

**What is rendering in simple words?**
Rendering turns a page's code into what you see on screen. The rendered page can look very different from the source code the server delivered.

**Do AI crawlers render JavaScript?**
It depends on the bot. Google notes that not all bots can run JavaScript. In our editorial assessment, many AI bot operators do not document whether they render. Content that is already in the delivered HTML is readable for every crawler.

## At a glance

- **Type:** processing step that builds the finished page from HTML, CSS and JavaScript
- **Affects:** indexing, link discovery
- **Google's renderer:** headless Chromium (evergreen)
- **Rendering approaches:** CSR, SSR, static rendering, hydration
- **Docs:** [Understand the JavaScript SEO basics](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/javascript/javascript-seo-basics)

Last checked: October 8, 2026

*Diagram: From URL to search result.* Schematic path of a URL through Google Search. Google describes three stages: crawling (including discovery and rendering), indexing and serving search results. Indexing is not guaranteed.

*Diagram: Where the HTML is created: CSR, SSR, SSG.* What matters for crawlers is whether the content is already in the first HTML response. Google recommends server-side rendering or prerendering and calls dynamic rendering a workaround, not a long-term solution.

*Diagram: Raw HTML vs. rendered HTML.* The raw HTML of a JavaScript page lacks the title, heading and links. Google indexes the rendered HTML and parses it for links again.

## Related terms

- [Client-side rendering](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/client-side-rendering/index.md)
- [Server-side rendering](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/server-side-rendering/index.md)
- [Dynamic rendering](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/dynamic-rendering/index.md)
- [Hydration](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/hydration/index.md)
- [JavaScript SEO](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/javascript-seo/index.md)
- [Web Rendering Service](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/web-rendering-service/index.md)

## More on the searchVIU blog

- [JavaScript Crawling Study: Rendered vs. Non-Rendered HTML](https://www.searchviu.com/en/javascript-crawling-study-rendered-html-vs-original-source-code/)

## Sources

- [Understand JavaScript SEO basics – Google Search Central (last updated 2026-03-04)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/javascript/javascript-seo-basics)
- [Rendering on the Web – web.dev](https://web.dev/articles/rendering-on-the-web)
- [Dynamic rendering as a workaround – Google Search Central (last updated 2025-12-10)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/javascript/dynamic-rendering)
- [Fix lazy-loaded content – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/javascript/lazy-loading)
- [Introduction to robots.txt (resource files) – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/robots/intro)

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