Cloaking

Cloaking is an unfair promotion method where different content is shown to visitors and search engine bots on a website. This way, site owners try to manipulate search algorithms, for example, when the content changes depending on how the site is accessed.

What is considered cloaking

• The site does not open via a direct link but opens when accessed:

  • from search results;
  • via a link from any other source.

• When accessing the site, the user or search bot is shown content that significantly differs from the description in the search results. Significant differences include:

  • The site and the search results display completely different content.
  • The site behaves differently when accessed from search results versus a direct link. For example, accessing the site via a direct link returns a 404 error, while accessing it from search results displays the site content.
  • One of the page versions contains blocks for manipulating search algorithms. For example, a search bot sees a page with text optimized for search queries, but such a block is not shown to the user.

What is not considered cloaking

• The site is temporarily unavailable.
• The site's functionality is temporarily unavailable.
• The page layout differs depending on how its content is retrieved, with the content remaining the same. For example, with responsive design, different page layout designs are displayed for the desktop and mobile versions of the site.
• The site content differs depending on the user's region.
• A/B testing is being conducted — users and search engines see the same content in different design or interface solutions.

How to eliminate or prevent the violation

Check that:

• the content on your site matches the description in the search results;
• the site displays the same content whether accessed via a direct link or from search results;
• there are no blocks on the site pages that are used to manipulate search algorithms.