The September 2026 spam update finished after 13 days

Google’s September 2026 spam update is done. The Search Status Dashboard incident shows it beginning on 24 September at 09:15 and ending on 8 October at 01:00, US Pacific time, with an entry at 01:37 saying “The rollout was complete as of October 8, 2026.” The launch note said the update “applies globally and to all languages” and that the rollout “may take up to two weeks to complete.” It used nearly all of that.

How long did it run?#

Google’s ranking update history lists the September update at 13 days and 16 hours. The three earlier 2026 spam updates on the same page ran much shorter:

• March 2026: 19 hours and 30 minutes.
• June 2026: 2 days and 1 hour.
• August 2026: 2 days and 16 hours.

So it is the longest of the four spam updates this year, not the longest on record: the same history lists the August 2025 spam update at 26 days and 15 hours. Search Engine Roundtable called the length a difference from the previous few spam updates, and noted that Google said on LinkedIn “This is a normal spam update.” It added that it was not sure why a normal update took two weeks instead of two days. That is its comment, not Google’s.

What did Google say it targeted?#

Nothing beyond the dashboard notes. Search Engine Journal points out that neither Google’s spam updates page nor the update’s two dashboard entries say what the rollout addressed or why it ran longer. That page describes a spam update as a notable improvement to Google’s automated spam detection, such as SpamBrain. For the policies in play, see our explainer on AI scaled content and spam updates.

What did third-party tools show?#

Search Engine Roundtable says it documented impact on 25 to 27 September, 30 September and 4 to 6 October, from its own tracking, and assuming Google ran no other update in that period, which it cannot confirm. It also reports that some people call the impact closer to a core update, which it is not sure about.

Search Engine Journal cites SEOmonitor saying many rank trackers showed sudden changes from 26 September that searchers did not see, which SEOmonitor attributes to incomplete results Google returned to automated queries. These are third-party readings, not Google data. Our weekend volatility report covers the first days.

How do you judge the impact now?#

Use the fixed window. With the dashboard showing completion, 24 September to 8 October is the window to compare in Search Console against the weeks before it. Search Engine Journal adds that a dip inside it does not by itself mean the update caused it.

Trust clicks and impressions over trackers. Search Engine Journal says a decline that lasts several days and shows in Search Console carries more weight than a quick swing on a third-party chart.

Read Google’s guidance on what follows. Google says sites that see a change should review its spam policies, and that making changes may help if its automated systems learn over a period of months that the site complies. For a link spam update specifically, it says changes might not bring an improvement.

The status, dates and sources are kept on the September 2026 spam update page. For the previous update’s shorter run, see the August 2026 spam update.