Updated daily from Google
Google algorithm updates
Each ranking update Google has confirmed since 2024 appears here with the dates it ran. Pick the day your traffic changed to see what was rolling out and what Google said about it.
Rolling out now
November 2026 core update
Rankings can rise and fall until the rollout ends. Google recommends waiting at least a full week after it ends before comparing traffic.
Rollout calendar
What was Google rolling out on a given day?
- Core
- Spam
- Policy or Discover
- Two at once
2026
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2025
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2024
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
The basics
What is a Google algorithm update?
A Google algorithm update is a change to the systems Google uses to rank search results. Google changes these systems all the time and confirms the larger changes on its Search Status Dashboard. Several times a year it releases a core update, a broad change to how it ranks results. It also releases spam updates, which improve how it finds pages that break its spam policies.
- Google confirmed 10 core updates from January 2024 to today, about 3 a year.
- Those core updates took 6 to 45 days to finish, with half finishing in 16 days or less.
- Spam updates took under a day to 26 days to finish.
Update history
Every confirmed update since 2024
2026
November 2026 core update
Since Nov 10, 2026Day 5Core update
- It started on November 10, 2026 and has not finished rolling out.
Released the November 2026 core update, which applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take up to 2 weeks to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the November 2026 core update.
Where to read more
September 2026 spam update
Sep 24 to Oct 8, 202613 daysSpam update
- It ran from September 24 to October 8, 2026, over 13 days.
Released the September 2026 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take up to two weeks to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the September 2026 spam update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of October 8, 2026.
What people asked
Was the two-week estimate for this spam update a typo, since earlier 2026 spam updates took a few days?
Mueller confirmed the two-week estimate was not a typo. He said this one was likely to take longer than some of the previous spam updates.
Where to read more
Update to the Site Reputation Policy
Took effect Aug 30, 2026Policy or Discover change
Update to the Site Reputation Policy
- It took effect on August 30, 2026.
- It applies to searchers in the European Economic Area.
Beginning August 30, manual actions applied under our site reputation policy will have a different effect for those searching in the EEA than outside of it.
How it rolled out
Google said that after talks with the European Commission, site reputation manual actions would stop affecting results for searchers in the EEA. It said the affected section of a site may be separated in its systems so that, over time, it ranks on its own.
The new EEA enforcement approach took effect.
What people asked
Will site owners still hear about site reputation manual actions?
Yes. Google said it will keep notifying site owners in Search Console and that they can still file a reconsideration request.
Where to read more
August 2026 spam update
Aug 18 to Aug 21, 20262 daysSpam update
- It ran from August 18 to August 21, 2026, over 2 days.
Released the August 2026 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take a few days to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the August 2026 spam update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of August 21, 2026.
What people asked
Did the update start before Google announced it?
Mueller said Google doesn't roll spam updates out before announcing them and tries to post the announcement as close to launch as it can, which time zones sometimes make hard.
Where to read more
June 2026 spam update
Jun 24 to Jun 26, 20262 daysSpam update
- It ran from June 24 to June 26, 2026, over 2 days.
Released the June 2026 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take a few days to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the June 2026 spam update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of June 26, 2026.
Where to read more
May 2026 core update
May 21 to Jun 2, 202611 daysCore update
- It ran from May 21 to June 2, 2026, over 11 days.
Released the May 2026 core update. The rollout may take up to 2 weeks to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the May 2026 core update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of June 2, 2026.
Where to read more
March 2026 core update
Mar 27 to Apr 8, 202612 daysCore update
- It ran from March 27 to April 8, 2026, over 12 days.
Released the March 2026 core update. The rollout may take up to 2 weeks to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the March 2026 core update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of April 8, 2026.
What people asked
Do different parts of a core update go live at different times during the rollout?
Mueller said Google doesn't announce stages, but because core updates are broad changes they sometimes have to work step by step. He said that is also why they can take a while to be fully live.
Where to read more
March 2026 spam update
Mar 24 to Mar 25, 2026Under a daySpam update
- It ran from March 24 to March 25, 2026, in under a day.
Released the March 2026 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take a few days to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the March 2026 spam update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of March 25, 2026.
Where to read more
February 2026 Discover core update
Feb 5 to Feb 27, 202621 daysPolicy or Discover change
February 2026 Discover core update
- It ran from February 5 to February 27, 2026, over 21 days.
- It applies to English language users in the US.
This is a broad update to our systems that surface articles in Discover.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the February 2026 Discover core update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of February 27, 2026.
What people asked
What does the Discover update change?
Google said it shows more locally relevant content from sites based in the user's country, less sensational content and clickbait, and more in-depth, original, timely content from sites with expertise on a topic.
Where is it rolling out, and what guidance applies?
It started with English language users in the US, with other countries and languages to follow. Google said its general core update guidance and its Discover help page apply.
Where to read more
2025
December 2025 core update
Dec 11 to Dec 29, 202518 daysCore update
- It ran from December 11 to December 29, 2025, over 18 days.
Released the December 2025 core update. The rollout may take up to 3 weeks to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the December 2025 core update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of December 29, 2025.
Where to read more
August 2025 spam update
Aug 26 to Sep 22, 202526 daysSpam update
- It ran from August 26 to September 22, 2025, over 26 days.
Released the August 2025 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take a few weeks to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the August 2025 spam update.
Google posted on the evening of September 21 Pacific time that the rollout was complete as of September 22, 2025.
What people asked
When will the August 2025 spam update finish?
On September 21, Mueller said in a LinkedIn comment that Google would probably mark it complete the next day. It was marked complete as of September 22.
Where to read more
June 2025 core update
Jun 30 to Jul 17, 202516 daysCore update
- It ran from June 30 to July 17, 2025, over 16 days.
Released the June 2025 core update. The rollout may take up to 3 weeks to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the June 2025 core update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of July 17, 2025.
What people asked
Could recently gained links explain a site's change after a core update?
Replying to one site's case, Mueller said off-hand that he couldn't think how those links would play a role, though some interaction he wasn't aware of was possible. He added that core updates generally build on longer-term data.
Where to read more
March 2025 core update
Mar 13 to Mar 27, 202513 daysCore update
- It ran from March 13 to March 27, 2025, over 13 days.
Released the March 2025 core update. The rollout may take up to 2 weeks to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the March 2025 core update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of March 27, 2025.
What people asked
Does this update help content creators?
Google called it a regular update. It said work to surface more content from creators would continue through a series of improvements during 2025, some already made and others still to come.
Where to read more
2024
December 2024 spam update
Dec 19 to Dec 26, 20247 daysSpam update
- It ran from December 19 to December 26, 2024, over 7 days.
Released the December 2024 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take up to 1 week to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the December 2024 spam update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of December 26, 2024.
Where to read more
December 2024 core update
Dec 12 to Dec 18, 20246 daysCore update
- It ran from December 12 to December 18, 2024, over 6 days.
Released the December 2024 core update. The rollout may take up to 2 weeks to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the December 2024 core update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of December 18, 2024.
What people asked
Why is there another core update only a month after November's?
Google said it has different core systems it is always improving and pointed to its 2023 Q&A on updates. Sullivan said that older post still answers the same timing questions.
Where to read more
Site reputation abuse policy update
Took effect Nov 19, 2024Policy or Discover change
Site reputation abuse policy update
- It took effect on November 19, 2024.
Site reputation abuse is the practice of publishing third-party pages on a site in an attempt to abuse search rankings by taking advantage of the host site's ranking signals.
How it rolled out
Google changed the policy wording, effective the same day, so first-party involvement no longer excuses third-party content.
What people asked
Does freelance content violate the site reputation abuse policy?
Not by itself. Google said it violates the policy only when it is also an attempt to abuse rankings using the host site's signals.
If I noindex the content, is the manual action removed automatically?
No. Google said you still need to reply to the manual action in Search Console and explain that the content is noindexed.
Where to read more
November 2024 core update
Nov 11 to Dec 5, 202423 daysCore update
- It ran from November 11 to December 5, 2024, over 23 days.
Released the November 2024 core update. The rollout may take up to 2 weeks to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the November 2024 core update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of December 5, 2024.
Where to read more
August 2024 core update
Aug 15 to Sep 3, 202419 daysCore update
- It ran from August 15 to September 3, 2024, over 19 days.
This latest update takes into account the feedback we've heard from some creators and others over the past few months.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the August 2024 core update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of September 3, 2024.
What people asked
Was the ranking issue that began the same day part of the core update?
No. Google's dashboard said the August 15 ranking issue was unrelated to the core update rollout, and it was fixed on August 20.
How can site owners separate the core update's effect from the ranking bug?
Mueller said to wait until the core update finishes before judging its effect and not to try separating the two. He added that this is no reason to pause work on a site.
Do core updates affect AI Overviews?
Mueller said yes, because AI Overviews are part of Search and core updates affect Search.
Will sites hit by the September 2023 helpful content update recover to their old levels?
Sullivan said no one can predict that every site returns to exactly where it was, because the web and Google's ranking systems have changed. He said to keep serving your audience.
Where to read more
June 2024 spam update
Jun 20 to Jun 27, 20247 daysSpam update
- It ran from June 20 to June 27, 2024, over 7 days.
Released the June 2024 spam update. The rollout may take up to 1 week to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the June 2024 spam update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of June 27, 2024.
What people asked
Is this the algorithmic enforcement of the site reputation abuse policy?
Google said on LinkedIn it was a normal spam update and not the algorithmic part of site reputation abuse. It said it would tell people when that happens.
Where to read more
Site reputation abuse policy
Took effect May 5, 2024Policy or Discover change
- It took effect on May 5, 2024.
Site reputation abuse is when third-party pages are published with little or no first-party oversight or involvement, where the purpose is to manipulate Search rankings by taking advantage of the first-party site's ranking signals.
How it rolled out
Google announced the new policy and said it would take effect on May 5, 2024.
The policy took effect, and Google began issuing manual actions under it the next day.
What people asked
Is the site reputation abuse policy enforced algorithmically?
Sullivan said in May 2024 that Google was only issuing manual actions and that the algorithmic part was not live. He said he expected Google would be clear when it launched.
Does a manual action affect the whole site?
Sullivan said the actions currently only affect the content that was actioned.
Where to read more
March 2024 spam update
Mar 5 to Mar 20, 202414 daysSpam update
- It ran from March 5 to March 20, 2024, over 14 days.
Released the March 2024 spam update. The rollout may take up 2 weeks to complete.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the March 2024 spam update.
Google posted that the rollout was complete as of March 20, 2024.
What people asked
Does the new scaled content abuse policy change how Google treats AI content?
Google said the new policy is in the same spirit as the previous one. Automation, including generative AI, has long been spam when its main purpose is manipulating rankings, and the policy applies whether people, automation or both produce the content.
Where to read more
March 2024 core update
Mar 5 to Apr 19, 202445 daysCore update
- It ran from March 5 to April 19, 2024, over 45 days.
This is designed to improve the quality of Search by showing less content that feels like it was made to attract clicks, and more content that people find useful.
How it rolled out
Google posted on the Search Status Dashboard that it released the March 2024 core update.
Google posted on April 26 that the rollout was complete as of April 19, 2024.
What people asked
Is the helpful content system still a separate update?
Google said this update enhanced its core ranking systems to show more helpful results, and that no single signal or system now does that job.
Should I make changes while the update is still rolling out?
Sullivan said to let the update complete before deciding on fundamental changes, and that there might be none to make.
Can creators send Google examples of results they think are wrong?
Google opened a ranking feedback form when the update completed and said it would stay open through May 31, 2024.
How much low-quality content did the update remove?
Google said the March core update, together with its new spam policies, cut low-quality, unoriginal content in results by 45 percent, against the 40 percent it expected.
Where to read more
Common questions
How Google’s core updates work
How do I check whether a traffic drop is related to a core update?
Confirm on the Search Status Dashboard that the update has finished, wait at least a full week after it completes, then compare a week after with a week before the rollout started in Search Console.
What should I do about a small drop in position?
Google says a small drop, such as from position 2 to 4, needs no drastic action, and it recommends not changing content that is already performing well.
What should I do about a large drop?
For a sustained, large drop, Google suggests running its helpful content self-assessment across the whole site, objectively, and asking people you trust who aren't affiliated with the site. It also suggests looking closely at the pages that dropped most.
Should I delete content after a core update?
Google calls deleting content a last resort, for content that can't be salvaged. It advises against quick fixes and favors lasting improvements made for users.
How long does it take to recover after improving a site?
Some changes take effect in a few days, but it can take several months for Google's systems to confirm a site is producing helpful content over the long term. Google gives no guarantee of a recovery.
Do I have to wait for the next core update to recover?
Not necessarily. Google says it continually makes updates, including smaller core updates it doesn't announce, and those can also lift a site that has improved. If months pass with no effect, the next core update may be the point of change.
Do core updates target specific sites?
No. Google says core updates are broad changes that don't target specific sites or pages, and that pages moving down aren't necessarily bad.
Can a site recover from a spam update?
Google says changes may help if its systems learn over a period of months that the site complies with its spam policies. After a link spam update, ranking benefit from discounted links can't be regained.
If my traffic drops after an update, does that mean I'm spamming?
Google says a change after a non-spam update isn't a spam issue, though there may be other content issues. A change after a spam update may mean spam was detected or that spam links were discounted.
Why do some updates overlap or arrive close together?
Google says it runs several core systems and tries to separate notable updates, but that isn't always possible, and it won't hold back an approved improvement.
Does Google avoid updates during the holiday shopping season?
Google says it tries to avoid late November to mid December when possible, but releases updates developed over several months when they are ready.
Why doesn't Google announce core updates ahead of time?
Mueller said Google tries to launch quality improvements as soon as they're ready and evaluated. Having them ready for a fixed date is never a given, so a date can't be announced ahead of time.
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