Checks / Content and readability
The page opens with source and date lines
The first lines a reader, a search snippet and an assistant see are sources, dates or a byline, and the first sentence that says anything comes after them. Assistants lift the opening of a page as its answer, so they quote the housekeeping.
lead_buried · Content and readability · Notice
What triggers it
A page's text opens with source, date or author lines, at least 40 words of them, before its first real sentence.
What to change
Open with the answer in one or two sentences, then put sources, dates and the reviewer below it or in a footnote.
How to confirm the fix
- Open the page: the first sentence you read says what the page is about, and the sources and dates come after it
- Press 'Re-check 1 page'
How common it is
We have not measured how common this is on a sample of sites. Counts appear here when a study covers it.
About this check
| Check ID | lead_buried |
|---|---|
| Report section | Content and readability |
| Severity | Notice |
| How it is decided | Measured: read directly from the page or the server's response. |
| Added | Version 10, 24 October 2026 |
| Status | Measured in every report |
| Report gives the code | No, the fix is described in words |
Related checks
See whether it applies to your site
Paste your address and we crawl up to 10 pages and show every issue we find, with its fix. No account, no card.
Every plan crawls up to its page limit and lists these checks with the fix: plans.
How an audit works: method