Google has confirmed seven ranking updates in 2026 so far: one Discover update, two core updates and four spam updates. Below is the complete list from Google's Search Status Dashboard, with start dates and rollout lengths, plus what each type of update means for your site.
Use this as a reference when a traffic change shows up in Search Console: if the date doesn't line up with a confirmed update, look for another cause first.
All 2026 Google Ranking Updates
| Update | Started | Rollout length | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 spam update | Sep 24, 2026 | 13 days, 16 hours (done Oct 8) | Spam |
| August 2026 spam update | Aug 18, 2026 | 2 days, 16 hours | Spam |
| June 2026 spam update | Jun 24, 2026 | 2 days, 1 hour | Spam |
| May 2026 core update | May 21, 2026 | 11 days, 21 hours | Core |
| March 2026 core update | Mar 27, 2026 | 12 days, 4 hours | Core |
| March 2026 spam update | Mar 24, 2026 | 19 hours, 30 minutes | Spam |
| February 2026 Discover update | Feb 5, 2026 | 21 days, 17 hours | Discover |
Source: Google Search Status Dashboard, ranking incident history (times in US/Pacific). Checked October 25, 2026.
Core Updates: March and May
Core updates change how Google assesses content quality across the whole index. Two have been confirmed in 2026: the March 2026 core update (from March 27, about 12 days) and the May 2026 core update (May 21 to June 2), which was one of the most volatile in years. I covered the May update in detail in what changed and how to respond.
There is no quick fix for a core update. Rankings can move even if nothing on your site changed, because Google is re-judging every site at once. The answer is genuinely better, more helpful content than the pages outranking you.
Spam Updates: March, June, August and September
Spam updates improve the automated systems that catch sites breaking Google's spam policies, such as scaled content abuse, site reputation abuse and expired domain abuse. Three of 2026's spam updates were quick (under three days). The September 2026 spam update was the exception: it ran for almost two weeks, the longest ranking update of the year. Read what happened and how to check your site.
The Discover Update
The February 2026 Discover update affected Google Discover, the article feed in the Google app, rather than normal search results. If your Discover traffic changed in February while search clicks held steady, this is the likely reason.
What About "Unconfirmed" Updates?
Google has not confirmed a core update in July or any update starting in October 2026, although forums and rank trackers reported volatility at times. The dashboard only lists updates Google announces; Google also makes many smaller changes it doesn't announce. Treat unconfirmed volatility with caution and check your own data before reacting. My guide on telling an update apart from other traffic drops shows how.
How to Use This Timeline
1. Mark the dates above as annotations in Search Console or GA4.
2. Compare the same-length periods before and after each rollout, using dates after the rollout finished.
3. Look for patterns in which pages moved, then match the pattern to the update type: content quality for core updates, policy problems for spam updates, Discover-only changes for the Discover update.