Google Updates

Quick answer Between late 2021 and October 2026, Google confirmed 40 named ranking updates: core updates, spam updates, helpful content and reviews updates. This timeline lists each with its rollout dates and links to a full breakdown. Last updated: October 2026. Dates come from Google’s Search Status Dashboard; end dates may be off by a day. How to use this timeline If your traffic changed, match the date to the rollout window, then read the matching post for what the update targeted and what to do. Core updates re-assess overall quality, spam updates target policy-breaking tactics, and reviews and helpful content updates reward first-hand, people-first content. 2026 Google updates September 2026 Spam Update: 24 Sept 2026 to 7 Oct 2026 August 2026 Spam Update: 18 Aug 2026 to 20 Aug 2026 June 2026 Spam Update: 24 Jun 2026 to 26 Jun 2026 May 2026 Core Update: 21 May 2026 to 1 Jun 2026 March 2026 Core Update: 27 Mar 2026 to 8 Apr 2026 March 2026 Spam Update: 24 Mar 2026 to 25 Mar 2026 February 2026 Discover Update: 5 Feb 2026 to 26 Feb 2026 2025 Google updates December 2025 Core Update: 11 Dec 2025 to 29 Dec 2025 August 2025 Spam Update: 26 Aug 2025 to 21 Sept 2025 June 2025 Core Update: 30 Jun 2025 to 16 Jul 2025 March 2025 Core Update: 13 Mar 2025 to 26 Mar 2025 2024 Google updates December 2024 Spam Update: 19 Dec 2024 to 26 Dec 2024 December 2024 Core Update: 12 Dec 2024 to 18 Dec 2024 November 2024 Core Update: 11 Nov 2024 to 4 Dec 2024 August 2024 Core Update: 15 Aug 2024 to 3 Sept 2024 June 2024 Spam Update: 20 Jun 2024 to 27 Jun 2024 March 2024 Core Update: 5 Mar 2024 to 19 Apr 2024 March 2024 Spam Update: 5 Mar 2024 to 19 Mar 2024 2023 Google updates November 2023 Reviews Update: 8 Nov 2023 to 7 Dec 2023 November 2023 Core Update: 2 Nov 2023 to 27 Nov 2023 October 2023 Core Update: 5 Oct 2023 to 18 Oct 2023 October 2023 Spam Update: 4 Oct 2023 to 19 Oct 2023 September 2023 Helpful Content Update: 14 Sept 2023 to 27 Sept 2023 August 2023 Core Update: 22 Aug 2023 to 7 Sept 2023 April 2023 Reviews Update: 12 Apr 2023 to 25 Apr 2023 March 2023 Core Update: 15 Mar 2023 to 28 Mar 2023 February 2023 Product Reviews Update: 21 Feb 2023 to 7 Mar 2023 2022 Google updates December 2022 Link Spam Update: 14 Dec 2022 to 12 Jan 2023 December 2022 Helpful Content Update: 5 Dec 2022 to 12 Jan 2023 October 2022 Spam Update: 19 Oct 2022 to 21 Oct 2022 September 2022 Product Reviews Update: 20 Sept 2022 to 26 Sept 2022 September 2022 Core Update: 12 Sept 2022 to 26 Sept 2022 August 2022 Helpful Content Update: 25 Aug 2022 to 9 Sept 2022 July 2022 Product Reviews Update: 27 Jul 2022 to 2 Aug 2022 May 2022 Core Update: 25 May 2022 to 9 Jun 2022 March 2022 Product Reviews Update: 23 Mar 2022 to 6 Apr 2022 Page Experience Update for Desktop (2022): 22 Feb 2022 to 3 Mar 2022 2021 Google updates December 2021 Product Reviews Update: 1 Dec 2021 to 21 Dec 2021 November 2021 Core Update: 17 Nov 2021 to 30 Nov 2021 November 2021 Spam Update: 3 Nov 2021 to 11 Nov 2021 What to do when rankings change Confirm the timing in Google Search Console. Wait until the rollout finishes before judging results. Audit the pages that lost most against the top results. Improve quality, originality and trust signals, and fix technical or spam issues. Track results over several weeks. Frequently asked questions How often does Google update its algorithm? Google makes thousands of changes a year, but only confirms a handful of named updates. Core updates typically happen a few times a year, with spam updates more often. What is the difference between a core update and a spam update? A core update broadly re-assesses content quality. A spam update improves detection of tactics that break Google’s spam policies. Is a ranking drop after an update a penalty? Usually not. Core updates are not penalties. Manual actions are separate and reported in Search Console. How do I recover from an update? Confirm the timing in Search Console, audit your content and links against Google’s guidance, fix the weakest pages and give changes time to be reassessed. Hit by a ranking drop? Get an SEO audit to find the cause and a recovery plan. Book an SEO audit

Quick facts The September 2026 Spam Update began on 24 September 2026 and finished around 7 October 2026. It was a spam update, which improves how Google detects and neutralises spam that breaches its spam policies. What was the September 2026 Spam Update? The longest spam update of 2026. 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 September 2026 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: August 2026 Spam Update Full Google algorithm updates timeline (2021 to 2026) Get an SEO audit after a ranking change Frequently asked questions When did the September 2026 Spam Update roll out? According to Google’s Search Status Dashboard it rolled out from 24 September 2026 to about 7 October 2026. Was the September 2026 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. Book an SEO audit

Quick facts The August 2026 Spam Update began on 18 August 2026 and finished around 20 August 2026. It was a spam update, which improves how Google detects and neutralises spam that breaches its spam policies. What was the August 2026 Spam Update? A short global spam update. 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 August 2026 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: June 2026 Spam Update Next: September 2026 Spam Update Full Google algorithm updates timeline (2021 to 2026) Get an SEO audit after a ranking change Frequently asked questions When did the August 2026 Spam Update roll out? According to Google’s Search Status Dashboard it rolled out from 18 August 2026 to about 20 August 2026. Was the August 2026 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. Book an SEO audit

Quick facts The June 2026 Spam Update began on 24 June 2026 and finished around 26 June 2026. It was a spam update, which improves how Google detects and neutralises spam that breaches its spam policies. What was the June 2026 Spam Update? A short spam update. 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 June 2026 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: May 2026 Core Update Next: August 2026 Spam Update Full Google algorithm updates timeline (2021 to 2026) Get an SEO audit after a ranking change Frequently asked questions When did the June 2026 Spam Update roll out? According to Google’s Search Status Dashboard it rolled out from 24 June 2026 to about 26 June 2026. Was the June 2026 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. Book an SEO audit

Quick facts The May 2026 Core Update began on 21 May 2026 and finished around 1 June 2026. It was a core update, a broad improvement to Google’s overall ranking systems. What was the May 2026 Core Update? The second core update of 2026. Core updates are not penalties. They re-assess how well pages meet searchers’ needs, so some sites rise and others fall. 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 May 2026 Core Update Check Search Console to confirm whether your drop or gain lines up with the rollout dates. Compare your pages against the top results: are they more complete, original and clearly written by someone with experience? Improve the pages that lost most: add first-hand detail, current data, clear authorship and better structure. Wait until the rollout has finished before judging results, then compare against a similar period before it. Avoid knee-jerk changes; focus on durable quality, not tricks. Related updates Previous: March 2026 Core Update Next: June 2026 Spam Update Full Google algorithm updates timeline (2021 to 2026) Get an SEO audit after a ranking change Frequently asked questions When did the May 2026 Core Update roll out? According to Google’s Search Status Dashboard it rolled out from 21 May 2026 to about 1 June 2026. Was the May 2026 Core Update a penalty? No. It was a ranking system update, not a manual penalty, so there is no reconsideration request to file. 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. Book an SEO audit

Quick facts The March 2026 Core Update began on 27 March 2026 and finished around 8 April 2026. It was a core update, a broad improvement to Google’s overall ranking systems. What was the March 2026 Core Update? A broad re-assessment of content quality, widely reported as volatile. Core updates are not penalties. They re-assess how well pages meet searchers’ needs, so some sites rise and others fall. 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 March 2026 Core Update Check Search Console to confirm whether your drop or gain lines up with the rollout dates. Compare your pages against the top results: are they more complete, original and clearly written by someone with experience? Improve the pages that lost most: add first-hand detail, current data, clear authorship and better structure. Wait until the rollout has finished before judging results, then compare against a similar period before it. Avoid knee-jerk changes; focus on durable quality, not tricks. Related updates Previous: March 2026 Spam Update Next: May 2026 Core Update Full Google algorithm updates timeline (2021 to 2026) Get an SEO audit after a ranking change Frequently asked questions When did the March 2026 Core Update roll out? According to Google’s Search Status Dashboard it rolled out from 27 March 2026 to about 8 April 2026. Was the March 2026 Core Update a penalty? No. It was a ranking system update, not a manual penalty, so there is no reconsideration request to file. 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. Book an SEO audit

Quick facts The March 2026 Spam Update began on 24 March 2026 and finished around 25 March 2026. It was a spam update, which improves how Google detects and neutralises spam that breaches its spam policies. What was the March 2026 Spam Update? A short spam update completed in about a day. 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 March 2026 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: February 2026 Discover Update Next: March 2026 Core Update Full Google algorithm updates timeline (2021 to 2026) Get an SEO audit after a ranking change Frequently asked questions When did the March 2026 Spam Update roll out? According to Google’s Search Status Dashboard it rolled out from 24 March 2026 to about 25 March 2026. Was the March 2026 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. Book an SEO audit

Quick facts The February 2026 Discover Update began on 5 February 2026 and finished around 26 February 2026. It was a Google Discover core update, focused on the Discover feed rather than standard search. What was the February 2026 Discover Update? A core update focused specifically on Google Discover. Discover rewards timely, high-quality, original content from sites with relevant expertise. 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 February 2026 Discover Update Publish original, in-depth content on your core topics. Use compelling, accurate headlines and large, high-quality images. Avoid clickbait and sensational titles. Check the Discover report in Search Console for changes. Related updates Previous: December 2025 Core Update Next: March 2026 Spam Update Full Google algorithm updates timeline (2021 to 2026) Get an SEO audit after a ranking change Frequently asked questions When did the February 2026 Discover Update roll out? According to Google’s Search Status Dashboard it rolled out from 5 February 2026 to about 26 February 2026. Was the February 2026 Discover 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. Book an SEO audit

Quick facts The December 2025 Core Update began on 11 December 2025 and finished around 29 December 2025. It was a core update, a broad improvement to Google’s overall ranking systems. What was the December 2025 Core Update? Rolled out over the holiday period. Core updates are not penalties. They re-assess how well pages meet searchers’ needs, so some sites rise and others fall. 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 December 2025 Core Update Check Search Console to confirm whether your drop or gain lines up with the rollout dates. Compare your pages against the top results: are they more complete, original and clearly written by someone with experience? Improve the pages that lost most: add first-hand detail, current data, clear authorship and better structure. Wait until the rollout has finished before judging results, then compare against a similar period before it. Avoid knee-jerk changes; focus on durable quality, not tricks. Related updates Previous: August 2025 Spam Update Next: February 2026 Discover Update Full Google algorithm updates timeline (2021 to 2026) Get an SEO audit after a ranking change Frequently asked questions When did the December 2025 Core Update roll out? According to Google’s Search Status Dashboard it rolled out from 11 December 2025 to about 29 December 2025. Was the December 2025 Core Update a penalty? No. It was a ranking system update, not a manual penalty, so there is no reconsideration request to file. 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. Book an SEO audit

Quick facts The August 2025 Spam Update began on 26 August 2025 and finished around 21 September 2025. It was a spam update, which improves how Google detects and neutralises spam that breaches its spam policies. What was the August 2025 Spam Update? A global spam update that ran for about a month. 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 August 2025 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: June 2025 Core Update Next: December 2025 Core Update Full Google algorithm updates timeline (2021 to 2026) Get an SEO audit after a ranking change Frequently asked questions When did the August 2025 Spam Update roll out? According to Google’s Search Status Dashboard it rolled out from 26 August 2025 to about 21 September 2025. Was the August 2025 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. Book an SEO audit