AI search for shop owners · Lesson 4 of 6 · 3 min
If your page needs JavaScript, AI may see it empty
Most AI crawlers read the raw page your server sends and don't run JavaScript. Content that only appears after scripts run can be invisible to them.
What crawlers actually see
Your browser runs the scripts on a page and builds what you see. Most AI crawlers don't: Vercel's study of its network found that none of the major AI crawlers render JavaScript, while Google's crawler does.
So if your product names, prices and descriptions only appear after JavaScript runs, an AI crawler may get a page with almost nothing on it.
Who is affected
Shops on the big platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce) usually send the content in the page itself, so they are mostly fine. Custom-built shops and some app-style themes are the ones to check.
Do this
- The free check reads your home and product page without running JavaScript, exactly like the crawlers, and tells you if they look empty.