--- title: "The September 2026 spam update finished after 13 days" url: https://seomadman.com/news/september-2026-spam-update-completed section: news language: en published: 2026-10-08T00:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-10-08T00:00:00.000Z author: Adam Hafez topics: ["Core updates"] --- # The September 2026 spam update finished after 13 days ## The short answer Google's September 2026 spam update finished rolling out on 8 October 2026, after 13 days and 16 hours, according to the Search Status Dashboard. That is the longest of the four spam updates Google ran this year, against 19 hours 30 minutes to 2 days 16 hours for the other three. Google has not said what this one targeted. ## Key takeaways - The Search Status Dashboard shows the September 2026 spam update beginning on 24 September at 09:15 PDT and ending on 8 October at 01:00 PDT. - Its 13 days and 16 hours compare with 19 hours and 30 minutes in March, 2 days and 1 hour in June, and 2 days and 16 hours in August. - Google said at launch that the rollout might take up to two weeks, and it used nearly all of that time. - Neither the dashboard nor Google's spam updates page says what this update addressed or why it ran longer than the earlier ones. - With the rollout complete, 24 September to 8 October is a fixed window for comparing Search Console data, and a dip inside it is not proof the update caused it. Google's September 2026 spam update is done. The [Search Status Dashboard incident](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/XhUDXP7A67iHCD2kmbVu) 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](https://status.search.google.com/products/rGHU1u87FJnkP6W2GwMi/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](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/spam-updates) 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](/news/google-spam-updates-ai-scaled-content-deep-dive). ## 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](/topics/core-updates), 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](/news/google-september-2026-spam-update-weekend-impact) 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](/updates/google-september-2026-spam-update). For the previous update's shorter run, see [the August 2026 spam update](/news/august-2026-spam-update-completed). ## Frequently asked questions ### Has the September 2026 spam update finished? Yes. The Search Status Dashboard says the rollout was complete as of 8 October 2026 and lists it as ending at 01:00 PDT. It began on 24 September at 09:15 PDT and lasted 13 days and 16 hours. ### Why did it take so much longer than earlier spam updates? Google has not said. Its launch note warned the rollout might take up to two weeks. The March, June and August 2026 spam updates took between 19 hours and about 2 days 16 hours, per the dashboard history. ### How should I check whether it hit my site? Compare Search Console clicks and impressions for the window from 24 September to 8 October with an earlier period. A decline that holds for several days carries more weight than a one-day swing on a rank tracker. ## Sources 1. [Ranking incident details: September 2026 spam update](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/XhUDXP7A67iHCD2kmbVu) - Google Search Status Dashboard (primary) 2. [Google Search Status Dashboard: Ranking history](https://status.search.google.com/products/rGHU1u87FJnkP6W2GwMi/history) - Google Search Status Dashboard (primary) 3. [Google Search spam updates and your site](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/spam-updates) - Google Search Central (primary) 4. [Google September 2026 Spam Update Has Finished Rolling Out](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-september-2026-spam-update-done-42235.html) - Search Engine Roundtable 5. [Google Completes September 2026 Spam Update After Nearly 14 Days](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-september-2026-spam-update-complete/) - Search Engine Journal