what you see is what you get

The proverb "what you see is what you get" emphasizes transparency and authenticity, often used to indicate that there are no hidden surprises.

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Definition

(idiomatic, informal)There are no hidden features or surprises; everything is as it appears.

When buying from this store, what you see is what you get; there are no hidden fees.
His personality is straightforward—what you see is what you get.

(technical)The screen display closely matches the final printed or published output.

The software uses a what-you-see-is-what-you-get editor for easy web page design.
In this word processor, what you see is what you get, making document formatting straightforward.

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "what you see is what you get":