Client-Side vs Server-Side Rendering: Why it matters for SEO
If your site uses client-side rendering (like Base44 and Lovable), Google probably can't see your content. Here's why.
What is Client-Side Rendering (CSR)?
With client-side rendering, the server sends an almost-empty HTML page to the browser. It contains a single <div> tag and a reference to a large JavaScript file. The browser downloads that JavaScript, executes it, and only then does the page content appear on screen.
Users with fast connections and modern browsers see the page fine — eventually. But search engine crawlers are a different story. When Google requests your page, it gets that empty HTML. Google can attempt to execute JavaScript, but it's unreliable, slow, and often fails for single-page apps. The result: your content is invisible to search engines.
Browser → Server → Empty HTML + JS bundle
Browser → Downloads JS → Executes JS → Page appears
What Google sees on the first request: <div id="root"></div>
This is how React apps built with Vite work by default — and it's exactly what Base44 and Lovable produce.
What is Server-Side Rendering (SSR)?
With server-side rendering, the server builds the full HTML page before sending it to the browser. When Google or any crawler requests the page, they receive complete content on the first request — headings, paragraphs, meta tags, links, everything.
This is how WordPress works. It's how traditional websites have always worked. The server does the work, and the browser simply displays the finished page.
Browser / Crawler → Server → Server builds HTML → Full HTML page sent
What Google sees on the first request: Complete page content
SSR requires a Node.js server (or similar) running at all times. Frameworks like Next.js handle this, but it adds hosting complexity and cost compared to static files.
What about Static Site Generation (SSG)?
Static site generation takes a different approach. Instead of building pages on-the-fly when someone requests them (SSR), all pages are pre-built as HTML files at build time. The result is a folder of .html files that can be served from anywhere.
SSG gives you the same SEO benefits as SSR — crawlers get full HTML content on the first request — but without the complexity of running a server. There's no Node.js process to manage, no server to scale, and no runtime to maintain. You just upload the files.
This is how we deliver your converted site. Your Base44 or Lovable project becomes a set of static HTML files with the same design, full SEO visibility, and zero server dependencies.
CSR vs SSR vs SSG: Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | CSR (Client-Side) | SSR (Server-Side) | SSG (Static Generation) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google crawlability | Poor — requires JS execution | Excellent — full HTML on first request | Excellent — full HTML on first request |
| Page speed | Slow — JS must download and execute | Fast — server renders, then sends | Fastest — pre-built files, no processing |
| Hosting complexity | Low — just static files + JS | High — requires running Node.js server | Lowest — any static host works |
| JavaScript dependency | Total — page is blank without JS | Minimal — content loads without JS | None — content is in the HTML |
| Meta tag reliability | Broken — same tags for every page | Reliable — set per page on the server | Reliable — set per page at build time |
| Social preview support | Broken — crawlers don't run JS | Working — OG tags in initial HTML | Working — OG tags in static HTML |
| Best for | Internal apps, dashboards, tools behind login | Dynamic, personalised pages at scale | Marketing sites, landing pages, directories, blogs |
Where Base44 and Lovable Fit
Both Base44 and Lovable generate React single-page applications bundled with Vite. This is client-side rendering. The server delivers an empty HTML shell and a JavaScript bundle. All page content is built in the browser after the JavaScript executes.
That's why SEO doesn't work on Base44 and Lovable sites. Google requests the page, receives an empty <div id="root"></div>, and has nothing to index. Meta tags are generic, URLs use query parameters, and social previews are blank.
These platforms are excellent for building functional apps quickly. But if your site needs to be found through search engines — if you need organic traffic — client-side rendering is the wrong architecture.
The Simplest Fix
You don't need to learn SSR. You don't need to set up a Node.js server. You don't need to migrate to Next.js or rewrite your app from scratch.
Static HTML (SSG) gives you the same SEO benefits as server-side rendering — full crawlability, unique meta tags per page, clean URLs, working social previews — with zero server complexity. The output is a folder of .html files you can host anywhere for free.
That's what we do. We convert your Base44 or Lovable site from client-side rendered React into clean, static HTML files. Same design. Same content. Fully crawlable by every search engine.
No ongoing subscription. No server to maintain. No dependency on the original platform. You own the files outright.
Get your CSR site converted to crawlable static HTML
We take your Base44 or Lovable project and convert it to static HTML files that Google can actually read. Same design, full SEO visibility, zero server complexity.
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