Google's guidance targets JavaScript-based paywalls and warns against implementations that include full content in the server response then hide it via JavaScript. Serving full content and hiding it until subscription confirmation is unreliable for limiting access. Paywalls should only provide the full content once subscription status is confirmed. That implementation pattern makes it difficult for Google to automatically determine which content is paywalled and which is not. The guidance aligns with standard SEO JavaScript advice while applying it specifically to paywalled content. Publishers should revise paywall implementations to avoid exposing full content before subscription validation.
Some JavaScript paywall solutions include the full content in the server response, then use JavaScript to hide it until subscription status is confirmed. This isn't a reliable way to limit access to the content. Make sure your paywall only provides the full content once the subscription status is confirmed.
Google has added new guidance to the "Fix Search-related JavaScript problems" help document, specifically addressing JavaScript-based paywalls. Google explained this content was added to "help sites understand challenges with the JavaScript-based paywall design pattern, as it makes it difficult for Google to automatically determine which content is paywalled and which isn't."
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