Quick facts
The October 2023 Spam Update began on 4 October 2023 and finished around 19 October 2023. It was a spam update, which improves how Google detects and neutralises spam that breaches its spam policies.
What was the October 2023 Spam Update?
Targeted spam in several languages and regions. Spam updates mainly affect sites using tactics that break Google’s spam policies, such as scaled low-value content, cloaking or link schemes.
Dates are taken from Google’s Search Status Dashboard and may be off by a day because end dates are calculated from the stated rollout length.
Who was affected?
Visibility changes can show up in rankings, clicks and impressions. Check the rollout window in Google Search Console and compare it with the previous period. Seasonality and tracking changes can also cause movement, so look at several weeks of data.
What to do after the October 2023 Spam Update
- Review Google’s spam policies and audit your site and backlink profile against them.
- Remove or fix thin, auto-generated or scraped content.
- Disavow or remove manipulative links you control or cannot otherwise clean up.
- Check for hacked pages, injected links and spammy user-generated content.
- If you were affected, fix the cause; recovery usually comes with later spam system updates.
Related updates
- Previous: September 2023 Helpful Content Update
- Next: October 2023 Core Update
- Full Google algorithm updates timeline (2021 to 2026)
- Get an SEO audit after a ranking change
Frequently asked questions
When did the October 2023 Spam Update roll out?
According to Google’s Search Status Dashboard it rolled out from 4 October 2023 to about 19 October 2023.
Was the October 2023 Spam Update a penalty?
Spam updates can reduce the visibility of pages that breach Google’s spam policies, but they are automated and not the same as a manual action.
How do I check if my site was affected?
Compare clicks and impressions in Google Search Console before, during and after the rollout, and look at which pages and queries changed.
Lost rankings after an update?
We review what changed, find the cause and build a recovery plan.
