Audit rules

Content Depends on JavaScript

The served HTML has fewer than 50 visible words and shows signs of client-side rendering (an empty app root, a <noscript> asking to enable JavaScript, or at least 3 external scripts). The engine then reports no score, because the audited HTML is not what users see. A failure has warning severity and counts against the score.

01 — Definition

How This Rule Is Checked

The rule is a pure function of the fetched page: no extra requests, no account settings. The same input always gives the same result.

Rule Severity and Score

Rule id: javascript.dependent
Group: JavaScript
Severity of a failure: Warning
Counts in the score: Yes, whenever it applies to the page
Required for a score: No

Condition and Exceptions

Condition: The page appears to need JavaScript to render its content: fewer than 50 visible words and (an empty app root such as #root, #app, #__next, #__nuxt, [ng-app], [data-reactroot] or a <noscript> asking to enable JavaScript or at least 3 external scripts) → fail. The engine then sets the score to null (plan 5.4)
Exceptions: Non-HTML → not_applicable

Sources

Sources: Understand the JavaScript SEO basics (Google Search Central, S16)
Fix Search-related JavaScript problems (Google Search Central, Q32)