Serve the same content, links and markup on mobile as on desktop
| Impact | Evidence | Applies to | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | Official guidance | Oct 30, 2026 |
Why it matters
Google completed mobile-first indexing in October 2023, so it indexes the mobile version of your pages. Content, links or structured data missing on mobile are effectively missing from Google. Google's page experience self-check asks whether content displays well on mobile devices.
How to do it
- Use responsive design so one HTML serves all devices
- Don't hide body content or internal links behind mobile-only removals
- Test key pages with the URL Inspection tool, which uses the smartphone crawler
Sources
- Mobile-first indexing has landed - thanks for all your support · Google Search Central, Oct 31, 2023
- Understanding page experience in Google Search results · Google Search Central, Sep 22, 2026
Change history
| Date | Change | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 2026 | Added | Added to the rulebook. |
Checked against its sources every Monday. Only content changes are listed.