Frequently Asked Questions
General
Is WatchThis free?
Yes, WatchThis is completely free. No signup, no credit card, no limits. We built this tool to help developers and SEO professionals ensure their sites are indexable.
Do I need to sign up?
No. Just visit the JavaScript SEO Checker, enter a URL, and get results.
How long does a check take?
Most checks complete in 20-30 seconds. Complex pages with heavy JavaScript may take up to 45 seconds.
Can I check password-protected pages?
No. WatchThis can only check publicly accessible URLs. We don't support authentication.
Technical
How accurate is WatchThis compared to Googlebot?
WatchThis uses a real browser environment to render pages, similar to how Googlebot renders JavaScript. While no tool can perfectly replicate Googlebot's exact behavior, WatchThis provides a highly accurate simulation. The raw HTML fetch is identical to what a basic crawler sees.
Does WatchThis execute all JavaScript?
Yes. We run all scripts, wait for the DOM to stabilize, and capture the final state. However, we don't interact with the page (no clicks, no scrolling), so content behind user interactions won't be detected.
What about lazy-loaded images?
We detect images in the raw HTML and the rendered DOM. If images are lazy-loaded with proper <img> tags (using loading="lazy"), they'll appear in both snapshots. If images are injected via JavaScript after scroll, they may only appear in the rendered snapshot.
Do you respect robots.txt?
Yes. If a URL is disallowed by robots.txt, we won't check it.
What about AJAX-loaded content?
We wait for network activity to settle. If your content loads via AJAX within ~30 seconds, it will be captured in the rendered snapshot. Content that loads very slowly or requires interaction won't be detected.
Results
What does "Risk: HIGH" mean?
A HIGH risk level means critical SEO elements (like title, canonical, or primary content) are missing or broken in the raw HTML. Search engines that don't execute JavaScript may fail to index your page correctly.
I got a LOW risk score, but I still have findings. Is that okay?
Yes. A LOW risk score (80-100) means any findings are minor and unlikely to hurt your rankings. Review them, but they're not urgent.
Why does my H1 count differ between raw and rendered?
If your H1 is added by JavaScript (e.g., in a React component), it won't be in the raw HTML. This is a common issue with client-rendered SPAs. Use SSR or SSG to fix it.
What are "Blocked Resources"?
These are files (CSS, JS, images, fonts) that failed to load during rendering. Common causes include CORS errors, 404s, or mixed content (HTTP resources on HTTPS pages). Blocked resources can prevent content from rendering.
Fixing Issues
How do I fix "Title missing in raw HTML"?
Ensure your <title> tag is in the server-rendered HTML, not added by JavaScript. Use SSR, SSG, or a meta framework like Next.js or Nuxt.
My SPA shows HIGH risk. What should I do?
Single-page apps (SPAs) are often client-rendered, which causes SEO issues. Solutions:
- Migrate to a meta-framework with SSR/SSG (Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit)
- Implement server-side rendering with your existing framework
- Use static pre-rendering for public pages
- Consider dynamic rendering (serve pre-rendered HTML to bots, SPA to users)
Can I ignore INFO-level findings?
Usually, yes. INFO findings are minor differences that rarely affect SEO. Monitor them, but they're low priority.
Privacy & Data
Do you store checked URLs?
We store anonymized check results (URL, risk level, timestamp) for the "Recent Checks" feature and platform stats. We don't track users or associate checks with individuals.
Can I delete my check results?
Check results are public and anonymized. We don't offer individual deletion. Don't check URLs with sensitive or private data.
Still Have Questions?
Read our full documentation or explore blog articles for in-depth guides.