Hidden Text and Links

Hidden text and links are words or links placed on a page so that search engines can read them but visitors cannot easily see them, with the aim of manipulating rankings. Google lists this as spam. Not all hidden content is a problem, though: tabs, accordions and menus that improve usability are fine.

Written by Paul Hoda, SEO consultant since 2005. Last updated 8 November 2026.

Examples of hidden text and links

Google’s spam policies give examples of deceptive hiding, including:

  • White text on a white background, or any text coloured to match the background.
  • Text placed behind an image.
  • Text positioned off screen using CSS.
  • Font size or opacity set to zero.
  • Hiding a link by attaching it to one small character, such as a hyphen in the middle of a paragraph.

These tricks are usually used to add extra keywords, a form of keyword stuffing, or to sneak in links that pass ranking value to other sites.

Why it is spam

Hidden text tries to make a page look more relevant to search engines than it really is to users. Hidden links are often part of link schemes, such as paid links tucked into footers, or links inserted through hacked or pirated plugins and themes.

Google can ignore the hidden content, demote the page or apply a manual action. The technique is old and easy for modern systems to detect, so it rarely gives any benefit even before a penalty.

Hidden content that is fine

Many good designs hide content until a user asks for it. Google’s policy itself notes that not all hidden content is deceptive. Acceptable examples include:

  • Tabs and accordions, including expandable FAQ sections.
  • Drop-down navigation menus.
  • Image carousels and sliders.
  • Text for screen readers that improves accessibility.
  • Descriptive alt text on images.

Since the move to mobile-first indexing, Google has said content in tabs and accordions is treated normally, because these patterns save space on small screens. The key test is intent: is the content hidden to help users, or to fool search engines?

How to check your site

  1. Select all text on key pages (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A) to reveal any text that matches the background.
  2. Look for links you did not add in footers, sidebars and page templates.
  3. Use a site crawler or the URL Inspection tool to compare the HTML with what you see on screen.
  4. Check plugins and themes, especially free or pirated copies of paid ones, which sometimes inject hidden links.
  5. Review the Manual actions and Security issues reports in Search Console.

If you find hidden links

Remove them, find out how they got there, and close the gap. If they came from a hack, change all passwords, update software and request a review in Search Console if Google has flagged a problem.

Key Takeaways

  • Hidden text and links are content concealed from users to influence rankings.
  • Google’s spam policies list it as a deceptive practice.
  • Tabs, accordions, menus and accessibility text are not spam.
  • Hacked or pirated plugins and themes are a common source of hidden links.
  • Selecting all text on a page is a quick way to reveal hidden words.

Related Terms

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