Cloaking is a search engine optimisation (SEO) tactic in which different content or websites are delivered to search engine crawlers and human users. The aim of this method is to "fool" the search engine algorithms in order to achieve better rankings in search results. Although cloaking is considered a legitimate strategy in some cases, such as protecting copyrighted content, most search engines, especially Google, consider it a violation of their guidelines. Websites caught cloaking can be penalised or even removed from the search engine index altogether.

The way cloaking works is technically complex and usually involves the use of server-side scripts that recognise the "user agent" or IP address of the visitor. In this way, the server can decide which version of the website is delivered. Search engine crawlers are presented with an optimised, keyword-rich version, while human visitors are shown a more visually appealing, but possibly less SEO-optimised version.

There are various forms of cloaking, including IP cloaking, user agent cloaking and JavaScript cloaking. Each of these methods has its own technical requirements and risks. It is important to emphasise that cloaking is generally considered an unethical practice and those who use it risk being penalised by search engines.

Cloaking is often associated with black-hat SEO techniques that violate search engine guidelines. Therefore, companies looking for long-term success and ethical business practices should avoid this method. There are numerous "white-hat" alternatives for search engine ranking optimisation that require more time and effort but deliver sustainable and ethical results.