Update tracker
Google Algorithm and AI Search Update Tracker
A running timeline of Google ranking updates, policy changes and AI search changes since 2025. Every entry has a source link, and anything unconfirmed is labelled as unconfirmed.
Traffic moved? Start here.
When an update lands, the worst thing to do is panic. Google recommends waiting at least a full week after a core update completes before analysing Search Console, then comparing the week after with the week before the update started. Use this page to check the dates, then read the guide for your situation.
Latest Google update
September 2026 spam update
A spam update that applies globally and to all languages. Google said the rollout may take up to two weeks.
See it in the update tracker →Latest AI search change
Search Console generative AI performance reports
New Search Console reports show impressions in AI Overviews and AI Mode. Available to all websites from 31 August 2026.
See it in the update tracker →The timeline
Newest first. Dates for confirmed updates are as shown on Google's Search Status Dashboard. Durations are rounded to whole days.
Showing all 22 entries
-
Spam updateConfirmed
September 2026 spam update
Google released the September 2026 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. It said the rollout may take up to two weeks, and the dashboard marked it complete on 8 October 2026.
Who seemed affected: Sites that break Google's spam policies. Google's advice if you see a change after a spam update is to review its spam policies and make changes so your site complies.
-
Policy changeConfirmed
Site reputation policy update
On 28 August 2026 Google said that, following discussion with the European Commission, it is adjusting its enforcement approach in the European Economic Area (EEA). From 30 August, a manual action under the site reputation policy affects search results for people outside the EEA, while for people inside the EEA the affected section of a site may be separated in Google's systems so that it ranks independently over time. Site owners are still notified in Search Console.
Who seemed affected: Sites with third-party content published to exploit a host site's reputation, and searchers in the EEA. Google did not publish impact data.
-
Spam updateConfirmed
August 2026 spam update
Google released the August 2026 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. It said the rollout may take a few days, and the dashboard marked it complete on 21 August 2026.
Who seemed affected: Sites that break Google's spam policies. Google's advice if you see a change after a spam update is to review its spam policies and make changes so your site complies.
-
UnconfirmedUnconfirmed
Early August 2026 ranking volatility
Search Engine Roundtable reported ranking volatility from Saturday 1 August 2026, with third-party tracking tools showing spikes and a jump in SEO community chatter around 5 and 6 August. Google had not confirmed an update at the time and, as Roundtable noted, may never do so. Google's own dashboard listed no ranking update starting in this period.
Who seemed affected: Unknown. No update was confirmed, so there is no official statement about who was affected.
-
UnconfirmedUnconfirmed
Mid to late July 2026 ranking volatility
Search Engine Roundtable reported signs of ranking movement around 18 and 19 July 2026, and again from 23 and 24 July, based on third-party tracking tools and SEO community chatter. Google did not confirm an update for either burst.
Who seemed affected: Unknown. No update was confirmed, so there is no official statement about who was affected.
-
Spam updateConfirmed
June 2026 spam update
Google released the June 2026 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. It said the rollout may take a few days, and the dashboard marked it complete on 26 June 2026.
Who seemed affected: Sites that break Google's spam policies. Google's advice if you see a change after a spam update is to review its spam policies and make changes so your site complies.
-
AI searchConfirmed
Search Console generative AI performance reports
On 3 June 2026 Google launched Search Generative AI performance reports in Search Console, with dedicated reports for Search and Discover. They show impressions, pages, countries, devices and dates for appearances in generative AI features such as AI Overviews and AI Mode. The data is also included in the overall performance report. Google started with a subset of websites and said that as of 31 August 2026 the reports have rolled out to all websites worldwide. Clicks are not among the metrics listed in the announcement.
Who seemed affected: Any site that appears in AI Overviews or AI Mode and wants to see how often.
-
Core updateConfirmed
May 2026 core update
Google released the May 2026 core update, a broad change to its ranking systems. It said the rollout could take up to 2 weeks, and the dashboard marked it complete on 2 June 2026.
Who seemed affected: Google does not say who is affected. It describes core updates as broad changes that "don't target specific sites or individual web pages".
-
AI searchConfirmed
Google I/O 2026 Search announcements
At Google I/O on 19 May 2026 Google announced new AI features for Search. Google's May 2026 AI roundup describes information agents in Search that monitor information in the background and send updates with links, Universal Cart for shopping across Search, Gemini and other Google services, and agentic coding in Search.
Who seemed affected: Not measured. Google's roundup does not describe any impact on site traffic.
-
AI searchConfirmed
Google publishes a guide to optimising for generative AI features
On 15 May 2026 Google published a guide to optimising a website for generative AI features in Google Search. Google said it covers the importance of valuable, unique, non-commodity content, tips for local, shopping, image and video content, mythbusting of common "AEO/GEO" misconceptions, initial guidance on AI agents, and why SEO best practices remain relevant and foundational.
Who seemed affected: Anyone trying to appear in Google's AI features. This is guidance, not a ranking change.
-
Policy changeConfirmed
Back button hijacking spam policy
On 13 April 2026 Google announced that back button hijacking, where a site interferes with the browser's back button so users can't return to the page they came from, becomes an explicit violation of its malicious practices spam policy. It published the policy two months ahead of enforcement on 15 June 2026, and said affected pages may be subject to manual spam actions or automated demotions. Google noted that some instances may come from a site's included libraries or advertising platform.
Who seemed affected: Sites that interfere with browser navigation, including through third-party scripts or ad code.
-
Core updateConfirmed
March 2026 core update
Google released the March 2026 core update, a broad change to its ranking systems. It said the rollout could take up to 2 weeks, and the dashboard marked it complete on 8 April 2026.
Who seemed affected: Google does not say who is affected. It describes core updates as broad changes that "don't target specific sites or individual web pages".
-
Spam updateConfirmed
March 2026 spam update
Google released the March 2026 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. It said the rollout may take a few days, and the dashboard marked it complete on 25 March 2026.
Who seemed affected: Sites that break Google's spam policies. Google's advice if you see a change after a spam update is to review its spam policies and make changes so your site complies.
-
Discover updateConfirmed
February 2026 Discover update
Google released the February 2026 Discover core update for English-language users in the US, and said it would expand it to all countries and languages in the months ahead. Google said it would show more locally relevant content from websites based in the user's country, reduce sensational content and clickbait, and show more in-depth, original and timely content from sites with expertise in a topic. The dashboard marked the rollout complete on 27 February 2026.
Who seemed affected: Sites that get traffic from Discover. Google said some sites might see increases or decreases and many may see no change at all, and that its general core update guidance applies.
-
Core updateConfirmed
December 2025 core update
Google released the December 2025 core update, a broad change to its ranking systems. It said the rollout could take up to 3 weeks, and the dashboard marked it complete on 29 December 2025.
Who seemed affected: Google does not say who is affected. It describes core updates as broad changes that "don't target specific sites or individual web pages".
-
AI searchConfirmed
AI Mode adds five languages
On 8 September 2025 Google announced that AI Mode, which it calls its most powerful AI search experience, was available in five new languages: Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Brazilian Portuguese.
Who seemed affected: Not measured. Google's announcement does not describe any impact on site traffic.
Source -
Spam updateConfirmed
August 2025 spam update
Google released the August 2025 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. It said the rollout may take a few weeks, and the dashboard marked it complete on 22 September 2025.
Who seemed affected: Sites that break Google's spam policies. Google's advice if you see a change after a spam update is to review its spam policies and make changes so your site complies.
-
AI searchConfirmed
AI Mode expands to 180 countries in English
On 21 August 2025 Google announced that AI Mode was coming to 180 countries and territories in English, following launches in the US, India and the UK, according to 9to5Google's report. More languages and regions were said to be coming soon. [[VERIFY]] against Google's own announcement before relying on the country list.
Who seemed affected: Not measured. The coverage does not describe any impact on site traffic.
Source -
Core updateConfirmed
June 2025 core update
Google released the June 2025 core update, a broad change to its ranking systems. It said the rollout could take up to 3 weeks, and the dashboard marked it complete on 17 July 2025.
Who seemed affected: Google does not say who is affected. It describes core updates as broad changes that "don't target specific sites or individual web pages".
-
AI searchConfirmed
Google's guidance on succeeding in AI search
On 21 May 2025 Google's Search Central blog said the underpinnings of its long-standing advice carry across to AI experiences such as AI Overviews and AI Mode. It advised focusing on unique, non-commodity content, providing a great page experience, making sure Google can access your content, and managing visibility with preview controls such as nosnippet, max-snippet and noindex.
Who seemed affected: Anyone trying to appear in Google's AI features. This is guidance, not a ranking change.
-
AI searchConfirmed
AI Mode rolls out in the US
On 20 May 2025 Google said it was rolling out AI Mode in the US, with no Labs sign-up required. It described AI Mode as its most powerful AI search, using a query fan-out technique that breaks a question into subtopics and issues many searches at once. Google also said it was bringing a custom version of Gemini 2.5 into Search for both AI Mode and AI Overviews in the US.
Who seemed affected: Not measured. Google's announcement does not describe any impact on site traffic.
Source -
Core updateConfirmed
March 2025 core update
Google released the March 2025 core update, a broad change to its ranking systems. It said the rollout could take up to 2 weeks, and the dashboard marked it complete on 27 March 2025.
Who seemed affected: Google does not say who is affected. It describes core updates as broad changes that "don't target specific sites or individual web pages".
Frequently asked questions
How often does Google update its algorithm?
Google says it makes significant, broad changes to its search algorithms and systems several times a year, which it calls core updates, and that smaller core updates happen between the announced ones. It also releases spam updates, Discover updates and policy changes. Its Search Status Dashboard lists the confirmed ranking updates with start dates and rollout durations.
What is the difference between a core update and a spam update?
A core update is a broad change to Google's ranking systems that, in Google's words, doesn't target specific sites or individual web pages. A spam update improves Google's automated spam detection, so it affects sites that break Google's spam policies. A Discover update changes how articles are surfaced in Google Discover.
How do I know if an update affected my traffic?
Wait until the rollout has finished, then wait at least a full week, which is Google's own advice for core updates. After that, compare a week after the update with a week before it in Search Console, and rule out seasonality, tracking errors and technical problems. Our Google update recovery page walks through the checks.
Why do some entries say unconfirmed?
Sometimes tracking tools and the SEO community see a burst of ranking movement and Google does not announce an update. We list these as unconfirmed, with the source, so you can see the dates without treating them as official. Google may not confirm them.
Where does the information in this tracker come from?
Confirmed updates come from Google's Search Status Dashboard, with start and end dates as the dashboard shows them. Policy changes and AI search announcements link to Google's Search Central blog or Google's own blog where possible. Unconfirmed entries link to the reporting they are based on. Every entry has a source link.
Do you update this page?
Yes. When Google confirms an update or announces an AI search change, we add an entry and change the last updated date at the top. If something looks wrong or out of date, tell us and we will check it against the source.
Not sure what an update did to you?
I can look at your Search Console and analytics, match the changes to the dates above, and tell you plainly what happened and what is worth fixing. No promises about recovery, just a clear diagnosis.