Google Algorithm Updates Timeline 2023-2026

Quick answer: Between October 2023 and October 2026 Google ran core updates, spam updates and one reviews update that the Google Search Status Dashboard recorded with start and end dates. Core updates change how ranking systems judge usefulness, while spam updates improve enforcement of spam policies. The table below lists each one, and the response plan is the same every time: confirm the rollout has finished, check your data, and improve what actually helps searchers.

Why a timeline is useful

If your Oregon business saw traffic or leads move in the past three years, there is a good chance the date lines up with one of the updates below. A timeline helps you answer a simple question before you change anything: did something happen to Google, or did something happen to my site? Those are very different problems, and they get very different fixes.

Google changes its search systems constantly, and most changes are small. The updates below are the ones Google chose to list on its status dashboard. Google does not publish a full list of ranking factors or a detailed explanation of what each update changed, so anything beyond what Google has said is interpretation. Where we describe an update’s purpose, we stick to what Google stated publicly.

The master timeline: core and spam updates, 2023 to 2026

The dates below are the rollout windows shown on the Google Search Status Dashboard. Each update name links to our individual write-up. Dates are listed by the day the rollout started, and the end date is when Google marked it complete.

Dates (rollout)	Update	Type	What it was for
4-19 Oct 2023	October 2023 spam update	Spam	Improved spam detection, including coverage in many languages; aimed at cloaking, hacked, auto-generated and scraped spam.
5-18 Oct 2023	October 2023 core update	Core	A broad change to core ranking systems, run alongside the spam update.
2-27 Nov 2023	November 2023 core update	Core	Another core update, which Google said improved a different core system than October’s.
8 Nov-7 Dec 2023	November 2023 reviews update	Reviews	The last reviews update Google announced; the system moved to ongoing, unannounced improvements.
5-19 Mar 2024	March 2024 spam update	Spam	Launched with new spam policies on scaled content, expired domains and site reputation abuse.
5 Mar-19 Apr 2024	March 2024 core update	Core	A major core update that also folded helpful content signals into core ranking.
20-27 Jun 2024	June 2024 spam update	Spam	A spam update, separate from the algorithmic part of the site reputation abuse policy.
15 Aug-3 Sep 2024	August 2024 core update	Core	A core update Google tied to feedback on helpful content and small, independent sites.
11 Nov-4 Dec 2024	November 2024 core update	Core	A broad core ranking update.
12-18 Dec 2024	December 2024 core update	Core	A second, shorter core update in the same season.
19-26 Dec 2024	December 2024 spam update	Spam	A spam update immediately after the December core update.
13-26 Mar 2025	March 2025 core update	Core	A broad core ranking update.
30 Jun-16 Jul 2025	June 2025 core update	Core	A broad core ranking update.
26 Aug-21 Sep 2025	August 2025 spam update	Spam	A spam update that ran for roughly three and a half weeks.
11-29 Dec 2025	December 2025 core update	Core	A broad core ranking update.
5-26 Feb 2026	February 2026 Discover core update	Core (Discover)	A core update for Google Discover, listed for US English.
24-25 Mar 2026	March 2026 spam update	Spam	A very short spam update, immediately before the March core update.
27 Mar-8 Apr 2026	March 2026 core update	Core	A broad core ranking update.
21 May-1 Jun 2026	May 2026 core update	Core	A broad core ranking update.
24-26 Jun 2026	June 2026 spam update	Spam	A short spam update.
18-20 Aug 2026	August 2026 spam update	Spam	A second short spam update in the summer.
24 Sep-7 Oct 2026	September 2026 spam update	Spam	The most recent spam update on this list.

Notice the overlaps. In October 2023 and March 2024 a spam update and a core update ran at the same time, which makes it hard to tell which one moved a given site. In December 2024 and March 2026 a spam update came right before or after a core update. When windows overlap, treat the combined period as one event and look at the pages affected rather than guessing at a single cause.

Core updates versus spam updates

Core updates

Google’s core updates guidance describes core updates as broad changes to its search systems that improve results overall. Google says they do not target specific sites or pages. A drop after a core update does not mean a site was penalized; it can simply mean other content now fits the searcher better. The practical response is improving the quality and usefulness of the site over time.

Spam updates

Spam updates are different. They improve how Google’s systems detect content and behavior that break Google’s spam policies, such as cloaking, hacked content, scaled low-value pages, and expired domain abuse. If your site follows the policies, a spam update usually has little to do with you. If it does not, the fix is to stop the violating practice, not to polish the content.

The reviews update

The November 2023 reviews update is the only update of its kind on this list because Google said it would stop announcing reviews system improvements and instead make them at an ongoing pace. Our post on the November 2023 core and reviews updates covers that change.

The helpful content system and March 2024

Before 2024, Google ran a separate helpful content system. According to Google’s guide to its ranking systems, that system became part of the core ranking systems in March 2024 and is listed there as a retired system. That is why you will see helpful content discussed in older posts as its own update, and in newer ones simply as part of core updates. Our write-up of the March 2024 core and spam update explains what changed.

How to check the Search Status Dashboard

Open the Google Search Status Dashboard and look at the history view. Each ranking incident shows a start date, an end date and a duration.
Find an update whose window covers the date your traffic changed. Note whether it was a core update, a spam update, or something else.
Wait until the rollout is marked complete. Google’s core updates guidance recommends waiting at least a week after completion before analyzing Search Console data, then comparing that week with the week before the update began.
Check for overlap. If two entries cover the same days, you cannot attribute a change to just one.
Ignore “ongoing issue” entries unless the problem matches what you saw. Some entries on the dashboard are general ranking incidents, not named updates.

How to respond to any update

Step 1: Do nothing for a few days

Rankings move during a rollout and then settle. Making edits mid-rollout muddies your data. Wait for the completion date.

Step 2: Compare like with like

In Google Search Console, compare the period after the update to the same length of time before it, and look at queries and pages separately. A single page dropping is a page problem. A whole section dropping points to a content or structure problem. A sitewide drop across unrelated queries deserves a deeper audit.

Step 3: Rule out technical causes

Before blaming Google, make sure nothing broke on your side: a plugin update that added noindex, a migration with missing redirects, slow templates, or blocked resources. A technical SEO review is usually the quickest way to eliminate these.

Step 4: Review content honestly

Read the affected pages as a customer would. Is it original? Does it show real experience? Does it answer the question better than the other results? Google’s guidance on creating helpful, people-first content lists self-assessment questions worth working through. Our content SEO and on-page SEO work usually starts with exactly this kind of review.

Step 5: Make meaningful changes, then wait

Google says improvements can show effects within days for some changes, but confirmation can take months, and sometimes you only see the full effect at the next core update. For a step-by-step version of this process, read our guide on how to recover from a Google core update.

What not to do after an update

Do not mass-delete content because you assume it is “thin.” Google describes deleting content as a last resort and says to focus on improving it.
Do not rewrite every page at once. Start with the pages and queries that lost the most.
Do not buy links or publish AI-generated pages in bulk to “catch up.” That is the kind of behavior spam updates are designed to catch.
Do not chase unconfirmed theories from social media. Rely on what Google has documented.
Do not assume a drop is permanent. Positions fluctuate, and some losses reverse when the next update ships.

Read the individual update breakdowns

Each of these posts covers what happened, what Google said and what to do:

What this means for Oregon small businesses

For a local business in Salem, Eugene, Bend, Medford or Beaverton, most of these updates will not change much if your site is accurate, original and useful. The sites that feel updates most are usually the ones that publish thin pages at scale, rely on a handful of weak backlinks, or let technical problems pile up. Solid local SEO, a clean WordPress build and honest content protect you better than any reaction to a single update. If you want a broader overview of how we work, see our SEO services or our Oregon SEO page.

Frequently asked questions

How often does Google run core updates?

Google has said it makes broad changes to its search systems several times a year and announces them on the Search Status Dashboard. The timeline above shows core updates landing roughly two to four times a year, with some years bunching them together.

Where can I see the official list of Google updates?

The Google Search Status Dashboard lists ranking updates with start dates, end dates and durations. It is the primary source for the dates in this article.

Is a ranking drop after an update a penalty?

Not for core updates. Google says core updates do not target specific sites or pages, and that a drop does not necessarily mean content is bad. Spam-related drops are different: they can follow violations of Google’s spam policies, and manual actions appear in Search Console.

How long should I wait before judging an update’s effect?

Wait until the dashboard shows the rollout as complete, then at least a week before analyzing Search Console data, as Google recommends.

Can I recover from a core update?

Many sites improve over time by making real quality and usefulness improvements, but Google does not guarantee any outcome and does not publish a recovery formula. Our recovery guide gives a practical process.

Not sure whether an update affected your site? Request a free SEO audit and we will look at your Search Console data with you and tell you plainly what we find. You can also see our fixed pricing before you decide anything.

Google Algorithm Updates 2023-2026: Core and Spam Timeline