---
title: "SEO content decay report | SEO Skill"
description: "Compare matched Search Console periods to find pages and queries losing clicks, impressions, position or CTR before planning a content refresh."
canonical: "https://seoskill.dev/docs/reports/decaying-pages"
language: "en"
---

# SEO content decay report

Find pages or queries with a supported decline across two matched periods. The report shows what moved, then leaves the cause open for investigation.

## Install and run the report

Install the CLI once, then run `seo start` to connect your site and Google data. After setup you can run this report yourself or ask your agent to run it.

Install the SEO CLI globally.

```
npm i -g seo
```

Run setup after installation.

```
seo start
```

Compare matched windows for returned click declines.

```
seo decaying --project example
```

## What you get from this report

Compare matched Search Console periods to find pages and queries losing clicks, impressions, position or CTR before planning a content refresh.

Best for

You need a repeatable refresh or investigation queue based on observed losses.

Needs

Two matched finalised Search Console windows

You get

Compare matched Search Console periods to find pages and queries losing clicks, impressions, position or CTR before planning a content refresh.

Use next

Audit one page

Every report follows the same rules for missing data and outside estimates.[See how report data works](https://seoskill.dev/docs/reports#how-report-data-works).

## What you need before you run it

The report uses the information below. Optional sources are only used when you ask for them.

### Two matched finalised Search Console windows

Provides comparable page and query rows with clicks, impressions, CTR, and average position.

### Optional live-page verification

Adds current technical and content observations for a limited set of declining pages.

## Use a different report for these jobs

These jobs need a different report or a manual review.

[

### Search performance changed but you do not yet know whether the movement is a decline, which segment moved, or where to start.

Run the search performance overview. It checks broader movement and breaks it down by page, query, country, and device before recommending a focused follow-up.

SEO performance report

](https://seoskill.dev/docs/reports/search-performance-overview)

### You need a definitive explanation for why a page lost clicks.

No automated report can isolate the cause from Search Console rows. Review the live page, competing results, demand, release history, tracking, links, and known Google updates. This report can still identify the affected pages, dates, and whether position, CTR, or impressions moved with the loss.

Needs more evidence

## Use the report with an agent or in code

The command above is enough for most work. These options let an agent, script or application run the same report with explicit input and structured output.

### CLI

Use the report catalog when an agent, script or CI job needs predictable JSON instead of the normal terminal output. Check the current input first, then run the report with the validated parameters.

Check the current input before the agent or script runs the report.

```
seo reports describe decaying-pages --json
```

Once the input is valid, run the report through the report catalog.

```
seo reports run decaying-pages --params '{"site":"sc-domain:example.com","days":28,"comparison":"previous-period","limit":20,"minDropPct":20,"minPreviousClicks":10,"minClickLoss":5}' --json
```

### MCP

An MCP agent follows the same two-step flow. It inspects the current schema, fills the required fields and only then runs the report.

Ask the MCP server for the current report input.

```
{
  "id": "decaying-pages"
}
```

Run the report after the agent has checked and filled the input.

```
{
  "id": "decaying-pages",
  "params": {
    "site": "sc-domain:example.com",
    "days": 28,
    "comparison": "previous-period",
    "limit": 20,
    "minDropPct": 20,
    "minPreviousClicks": 10,
    "minClickLoss": 5
  }
}
```

### TypeScript

Install the package in a Node 22 project when your application needs to run the report directly. The result includes the same evidence, warnings and limits returned through the CLI and MCP server.

Add the SEO package to your project.

```
npm install seo
```

Run the report from your TypeScript application.

```
import { executeReport } from 'seo/mcp'

const result = await executeReport(
  'decaying-pages',
  {
  "site": "sc-domain:example.com",
  "days": 28,
  "comparison": "previous-period",
  "limit": 20,
  "minDropPct": 20,
  "minPreviousClicks": 10,
  "minClickLoss": 5
},
)

console.log(result)
```

## What to do next

Confirm that the decline survives a matched date and segment comparison before refreshing the page. Use the page opportunity report to choose a supported update, then measure the change against the same demand.

1.  01Audit affected pages and inspect their query mix before refreshing content.
2.  02Use update correlation or segment impact when the decline is broad.

## Related reports

[

Audit one URL for technical SEO, metadata, canonicals, schema, links and Search Console queries. See the live evidence before changing the page.

SEO page audit

](https://seoskill.dev/docs/reports/audit-page)[

Compare Search Console movement by page, query, country or device to find which segment explains a wider gain or loss across the selected dates.

SEO segment impact report

](https://seoskill.dev/docs/reports/segment-impact)[

Compare unusual Search Console traffic dates with confirmed Google ranking updates without treating a matching date as proof of what caused the change.

Google algorithm update checker

](https://seoskill.dev/docs/reports/update-correlation)

## Sources used by this report

These primary sources define the provider data or search controls used by the result.

-   [Search Console Search Analytics API guidance](https://developers.google.com/webmaster-tools/v1/how-tos/search_analytics)