Google Update Alert! Google Now Requires JavaScript to Use Search. Here’s Why:

On January 15^th, 2025 Google made a quiet but major update to the search engine. Now, users must have JavaScript running in their browser or Google will not serve search results. If you try, here’s what you’ll see:

Here’s the essential need-to-know breakdown of this change:

• Large Language Models (LLM / AI Bots) can’t run JavaScript. This effectively locks them out of using Google.
• A very small percentage of human Google users (~0.1%) use Google without JavaScript. They will need to change their browser or find a different search engine.
• SEO tools like SE Rank, Ahrefs, etc. that automatically scan Google will likely become more expensive soon. They will require more computation power to achieve the same result because their tools will now need to run JavaScript.

Let’s look at why Google made this search engine update, what it means for your SEO strategy, and potential issues in the future that could arise from Google requiring JavaScript.

Why Does Google Require JavaScript to Use Search?

Here is a quick stat for you: Google serves over 8.5 billion searches per day (that’s 99,000 per second). Many searches made on Google are done by bots. Some of these are AI LLMs, and many are simply scanning or data collection tools. Among these bot searches, however, are also malicious programs. Hackers or spammers construct bots that scan websites, pick contact information, and even commit cyberattacks without the hacker’s direct control. By requiring JavaScript to run search, many of these tools (good and bad) are now unable to use Google.

This helps Google in two ways. First, it reduces the total number of searches which are done by agents that aren’t likely to be paying customers. Second, it makes the experience of ranking on Google and using Google better for humans. It will be much harder for malicious actors to find websites to attack if their automatic tools can’t crawl Google SERPs.

The less altruistic reason for Google trying to cut off LLMs from using it is that LLMs have been steadily taking Google’s market share in internet search. Kevin Indig at Growth Memo did a study on AI referral traffic. While it is only at 0.3-0.9% of traffic when compared to organic, it is growing at an astonishing rate of ~25% per month. According to the data, AI referral traffic could be as high as 52% of all site traffic in 3 years. That trend is something Google wants to push down as much as possible.

Should My Website Require JavaScript?

In 2020 GitHub did a study on how many websites use JavaScript. Nearly 95% of websites at that time used the programming language to some degree. JavaScript can be used to make everything from interactive web pages to mobile apps and even desktop computer applications. So, chances are your website uses JavaScript at least a little. But does that mean you require it?

No, usually not. The vast majority of websites don’t require JavaScript to run them though some functionality might not work perfectly if JavaScript is turned off. The question then becomes: should you require JavaScript to use your website like Google does?

The key to answering this question centers around LLMs. Do you want AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc. to be able to find and use your website? You may have a gut reaction to say, “No! I don’t want robots on my site!”. Afterall, a robot usually isn’t a paying customer, right? The choice isn’t as simple as it seems, unfortunately.

Remember, in three years sites could be getting more AI referral traffic than organic search traffic. If you block those AI bots from accessing your site, you could be leaving half your potential traffic on the table. One of the major drivers for this increase is AI ‘agent’s like OpenAI’s new Operator. This tool can independently use a web browser to perform tasks for its user. It will do things like research travel destinations, provide the user with the best options, and then (on its own, by the way) book and pay for the user’s trip. If you shut out LLMs, you could be shutting out many real users who have an AI tool doing research for them.

How Will This Affect My SEO Strategy?

There are three major changes we expect to see through 2025 as a result of this change. Those are an increase in prices for SEO services, a short-term reduction in effectiveness of LLMs, and a future surge in complexity and utility of LLMs/AI agents.

How This Google Update Hurts SEOs and SEO Tools

Many bots use Google every day and many of those are helpful tools. Among these are systems like SE Rank, Semrush, and Ahrefs. SEOs use these keyword research tools everyday to help improve Google rankings for their websites. Google’s JavaScript update doesn’t just effect LLMs. It also stops helpful bots and crawlers like these from using the search engine.

So, expect SEO services to soon cost more. This includes SEO research tools, SEO and marketing positions, as well as SEO agencies. Google making finding information on rankings more difficult will create a trickle down affect through the industry.

With LLMs, Don’t Trust and Verify

You should never trust something an AI tells you without doing extra research. They are often wrong and speak as convincingly when telling the truth as they do when they are (usually inadvertently) lying. With Google blocking LLMs from accessing SERPs, they will be even more unreliable. Many AI tools use pages that rank on Google to verify information. Now they will not be able to do so.

So, make sure you verify any result an AI bot gives you. Trust them even less than you would normally. And expect outlook on the AI industry to be temporarily depressed. We say temporarily because you should expect…

A New AI Boom Coming Soon

Love it or hate it, AI is not going away. The people who believe AI is the future have fought too long and too hard to give up after one little roadblock like this Google ranking update. They will figure out a way, and soon, to have their AI tools run JavaScript. Think of this Google algorithm update like an evolutionary selection pressure. The AI tools that are able to adapt to the change and develop a new mechanism will be far more powerful and useful than the AI tools we see now.

Remember all the things JavaScript can be used for? It can make websites, run complex databases and APIs, create mobile applications, script repetitive tasks, construct desktop applications, and even be used to make video games. Right now AI agents and LLMs are not able to use JavaScript. This update from Google will force the creators of AI to make their tools run JavaScript. But, what worlds will that open up?

If the AI have to be able to run JavaScript anyway, why not make full use of the tool? Why not construct an AI that builds video games for you? Why not have an AI that makes new mobile apps? There will soon be a completely unprecedented world of possibility using AI tools.

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