Since 24 September 2026, Google has been rolling out a new spam update, worldwide and in all languages. If your traffic drops in this period for no clear reason, this update may be why. The good news: you can check fairly quickly whether you've been hit, and in most cases you'll then know where to start.
What is a spam update?
A spam update is a change to the systems Google uses to detect pages that break its spam policies. That's different from a core update. In a core update, Google reassesses which content is most helpful; nothing is "wrong", others are simply better. In a spam update, pages or whole sites are pushed down because they do something that isn't allowed.
That difference matters, because it decides what you can do about it. After a core update, you improve your content. After a spam update, you first remove what breaks the rules.
What do we know about this update?
Google lists the update on its Search Status Dashboard, with 24 September 2026 as the start date. It's the fourth spam update this year. Google describes the rollout as global and for all languages, and expects it to take about two weeks. That's notably long: earlier spam updates this year finished within a few days.
Google doesn't say which policies weigh more heavily this time. That's normal. So you have to work it out from your own data and from the spam policies themselves.
Were you hit? Here's how to check
- Open Search Console and go to Performance. Set the period to the last four weeks and compare it with the four weeks before.
- Look at the date. Does the drop start around or after 24 September? Then the update is a logical suspect. If it started earlier, the cause is probably elsewhere.
- See which pages drop. Is your whole site falling, or only a group of pages? A group of similar pages (say, hundreds of city pages or quickly produced articles) is a strong signal.
- Check Manual actions in Search Console. If there's something there, a Google employee has reviewed your site. That's a separate process, with its own reconsideration request.
- Rule out the usual causes. A broken robots.txt, a deleted page or a seasonal dip look the same in a chart.
Wait for the rollout to finish before drawing conclusions. During a rollout, rankings often move up and down.
What Google considers spam
Google's spam policies are public. The ones we see most often in practice:
| What | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Scaled content | Large numbers of pages that mainly exist to rank, made with or without AI |
| Doorway pages | Near-identical pages per location or variant that all lead to the same place |
| Site reputation abuse | Third-party content on a strong domain, purely to ride on its authority |
| Bought or swapped links | Links meant to influence rankings |
| Expired domain abuse | Buying an old domain to put unrelated content on it |
| Hacked content | Pages placed on your site by attackers without your knowledge |
Note that AI itself isn't the problem. Google looks at a page's purpose and value, not at how it was made. A hundred pages that help nobody are the problem, whether you wrote them yourself or generated them.
Hit? Start here
- Clean up rather than polish. Pages that only exist to rank are better merged or removed than lightly rewritten.
- Look at your links. If you've bought or swapped links in the past, stop. Google usually ignores such links; disavowing is only needed with a manual action.
- Check for a hack. Search Google for
site:yourdomain.comand see whether there are pages you don't recognise. - Be patient. Recovery after a spam update doesn't happen in a week. The systems need to see that the problem has been gone for a while, and that can take months.
Not hit? Then this is a good moment to check
Even if you notice nothing, it's sensible to go through your site now. Are there old pages that were once made "for SEO"? Do you run a blog with guest posts from strangers? Those are exactly the things that may still count in a next round.
Want to know where your site stands, or want someone to take a look with you? Read more about what an SEO specialist does for you, or get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Google spam update of September 2026 start?
The update started on 24 September 2026, according to Google's Search Status Dashboard. Google expected a rollout of about two weeks, worldwide and in all languages.
What is the difference between a spam update and a core update?
A core update reassesses which content is most helpful. A spam update improves the systems that detect pages breaking Google's spam policies. After a core update you improve your content; after a spam update you first remove what isn't allowed.
How do I see whether my site was hit?
In Search Console, compare the last four weeks with the four weeks before and check whether the drop starts around 24 September. Also look at which pages drop and whether there's a notice under Manual actions.
Is AI content considered spam?
Not because it was made with AI. Google judges a page's purpose and value. Large numbers of pages that mainly exist to rank do fall under the spam policies, however they were made.
How long does recovery after a spam update take?
Usually months, not weeks. After you fix the problem, Google's systems need to see over a longer period that it's gone. There's no quick fix.
Should I disavow links after a spam update?
Usually not. Google generally ignores unnatural links by itself. Disavowing is mainly useful if you've received a manual action for links.
Sources: Google Search Status Dashboard and Google Search spam policies (consulted September 2026).
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