# Spam update

Category: [Google Updates & Algorithms](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/google-updates-algorithms/) › [Spam updates & policies](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/google-updates-algorithms/spam-updates-policies/) · Also known as: Google spam update

A **spam update** is a Google improvement to its automated spam detection, in the context of search rankings. Google lists them among its ranking updates and ties them to SpamBrain, its AI-based spam prevention system.

## What does a spam update mean for SEO?

Spam detection runs all the time. A spam update means Google improved the systems noticeably, for example to catch new kinds of spam. Sites that violate the spam policies may rank lower or no longer appear after one.

Google writes that changes can lead to improvement if its automated systems learn over a period of months that a site complies with the policies. Affected sites should review the spam policies. A link spam update is different, because the ranking benefit of devalued links is lost.

Google's Search Status Dashboard lists these updates with start dates, among them March 5, 2024, August 26, 2025 and March 24, 2026. According to the dashboard, the August 2026 update started on August 18 and took 2 days and 16 hours. Search Engine Journal and Search Engine Roundtable give August 21 as the end date. SEJ also reports that Google published no blog post for it. The latest dashboard entry, the September 2026 spam update, started on September 24, 2026, and Google reports it complete on October 8, 2026.

## Example

The March 2024 spam update ran alongside the March 2024 core update and new spam policies on expired domain abuse, scaled content abuse and site reputation abuse.

## At a glance

- **Started:** listed in the Search Status Dashboard since November 2021
- **Completed:** recurring, most recently completed October 8, 2026
- **Type:** improvement of automated spam detection
- **Confirmed by:** yes (Search Status Dashboard)
- **Docs:** [Google: Spam updates](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/spam-updates)

Last checked: October 8, 2026

## Core and spam updates from November 2021 to today

- **November 3 to November 11, 2021:** November 2021 spam update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/AFdXceQVsh1GEfKFvHyD))
- **November 17 to November 30, 2021:** November 2021 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/FncPfR7zRSZ3diemah4o))
- **May 25 to June 9, 2022:** May 2022 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/GHwLLtDS64a7nDng8xhD))
- **September 12 to September 26, 2022:** September 2022 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/Y2Cg5k2xLJvfNqR58kEt))
- **October 19 to October 21, 2022:** October 2022 spam update, global and for all languages. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/SAeYuxVSo39HHotQNXHr))
- **December 14, 2022 to January 12, 2023:** December 2022 link spam update, global and for all languages. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/CxXUEK28vCKqkNocPhKR))
- **March 15 to March 28, 2023:** March 2023 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/Cou8Tr74r7EXNthuEsaG))
- **August 22 to September 7, 2023:** August 2023 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/nBtYtBeex4GYBbdDS2LX))
- **October 4 to October 20, 2023:** October 2023 spam update, global, with improved coverage in languages including Turkish, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Hindi and Chinese. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/NzcEhGMDhbQEdXCS35xL))
- **October 5 to October 19, 2023:** October 2023 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/VKyoS53ULWzSp8BoDxqk))
- **November 2 to November 28, 2023:** November 2023 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/WtY1CQgfqrr2cjxKbyUk))
- **March 5 to March 20, 2024:** March 2024 spam update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/iXz2PJfodvyjaVUeqxZE))
- **March 5 to April 19, 2024:** March 2024 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/1jW2F89qC2NxJBWGiKxE))
- **June 20 to June 27, 2024:** June 2024 spam update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/QdUeCQx3LRVbzQ3E7FiD))
- **August 15 to September 3, 2024:** August 2024 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/gVx6b2o78zke7GrMidGy))
- **November 11 to December 5, 2024:** November 2024 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/G7rp11wqTaTGn6JjiPF3))
- **December 12 to December 18, 2024:** December 2024 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/V9nDKuo6nWKh2ThBALgA))
- **December 19 to December 26, 2024:** December 2024 spam update, global and for all languages. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/UUq2WSouY7PhSm8zvtD1))
- **March 13 to March 27, 2025:** March 2025 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/zpmwuSwifjDjfrVdaZUx))
- **June 30 to July 17, 2025:** June 2025 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/riq1AuqETW46NfBCe5NT))
- **August 26 to September 22, 2025:** August 2025 spam update, global and for all languages. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/a7Aainy6E9rZsmfq82xt))
- **December 11 to December 29, 2025:** December 2025 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/DsirqJ1gpPRgVQeccPRv))
- **March 24 to March 25, 2026:** March 2026 spam update, global and for all languages. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/VbnSXAH4SmEcxPtx4YSD))
- **March 27 to April 8, 2026:** March 2026 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/7eTbAa2jWdToLkraZj5y))
- **May 21 to June 2, 2026:** May 2026 core update. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/wdAXJk6LRRihEjpzEeWE))
- **June 24 to June 26, 2026:** June 2026 spam update, global and for all languages. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/YUX1peHev5a4fkxLDiUQ))
- **August 18 to August 21, 2026:** August 2026 spam update, global and for all languages. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/LEubPCm2octf2uMqCFKE))
- **September 24 to October 8, 2026:** September 2026 spam update, global and for all languages. ([Source](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/XhUDXP7A67iHCD2kmbVu))

## Related terms

- [Link spam update](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/link-spam-update/index.md)
- [Google algorithm update](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/google-algorithm-update/index.md)
- [Google core update](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/google-core-update/index.md)
- [SpamBrain](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/spambrain/index.md)
- [Spam policies](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/spam-policies/index.md)

## Sources

- [Google Search spam updates and your site – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/spam-updates)
- [Google Search Status Dashboard, Ranking](https://status.search.google.com/products/rGHU1u87FJnkP6W2GwMi/history)
- [Google August 2026 spam update – Search Engine Journal (secondary)](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-begins-rolling-out-the-august-2026-spam-update/586301/)
- [Google August 2026 spam update is done – Search Engine Roundtable (secondary)](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-august-2026-spam-update-done-41906.html)
- [Google completes rollout of October 2023 spam update – Search Engine Journal (secondary)](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-completes-rollout-of-october-2023-spam-update/498961/)

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Last updated: October 8, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/spam-update/