Can search engines crawl text that is visually hidden with a "Show More" or "Read More" button in Webflow?

Search engines can crawl text that is hidden visually behind a "Show More" or "Read More" button in Webflow, as long as the text is present in the page's initial HTML and not loaded dynamically with JavaScript after the page loads.

1. Text Must Be in the Initial Page Load

• Search engines like Google will index content that is part of the initial HTML DOM, even if it is hidden using CSS (e.g., display:none, visibility:hidden, height 0 with overflow:hidden, etc.).
• In Webflow, if the hidden text is inside a div that is collapsed or hidden using interactions, but still present in the source code, it will be crawlable.

2. Content Loaded Dynamically May Not Be Indexed

• If the extended content is only injected into the DOM after a button is clicked (e.g., via custom JavaScript), Google may not index it unless it can fully render the JavaScript content.
• Webflow’s default "Show More" interactions typically reveal content already on the page, which is safe.

3. Use Semantic Markup Best Practices

• Place the hidden text in clearly structured HTML with headings, paragraphs, or lists to help search engines understand the content.
• Avoid hiding entire sections that contain important page metadata like primary headings or introductory text.

4. Avoid Overdoing Hidden SEO Text

• Search engines may penalize pages that appear to hide excessive keyword-rich content just for SEO.
• Use this technique to enhance user experience, not to manipulate rankings.

Summary

Yes, search engines can crawl text hidden behind a “Show More” or “Read More” button in Webflow as long as the content is present in the initial HTML output. Avoid loading the content dynamically with JavaScript and ensure it supports your page’s purpose without keyword stuffing.