--- title: "July 2021 core update: dates, what changed and what to do" url: https://seomadman.com/updates/july-2021-core-update section: updates language: en published: 2026-09-26T00:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-09-26T00:00:00.000Z author: Adam Hafez topics: ["Core updates"] --- # July 2021 core update: dates, what changed and what to do ## The short answer Google's July 2021 core update started on 1 July 2021 and, Google said, was effectively complete on 12 July. It was the second half of a two-part release that began with the June 2021 core update, carrying the improvements Google said were not ready in June. Google published no impact figures for either part. ## Key takeaways - Google SearchLiaison said on 1 July 2021 that the previously announced July update was rolling out. - Google said on 12 July 2021 that the rollout was now effectively complete. - It carried the planned improvements that Google said were not ready for the June 2021 core update. - Google warned in June that some content might see June changes reverse in July. - Google published no impact figures, and its core update guidance still applies today. ## What Google changed Google first named this update on 2 June 2021, when it announced the June 2021 core update and said "this will be followed by the July 2021 Core update." It explained that some planned improvements "aren't quite ready," so it released the rest in July. Google did not say which improvements were held back. On 1 July 2021 Google SearchLiaison posted on X: "The July 2021 Core Update, previously announced, is now rolling out." Like every core update, it was a broad change to ranking systems rather than a penalty aimed at particular sites. ## When it rolled out Google said on 1 July that core updates "typically take 1-2 weeks to finish." On 12 July 2021 it posted that "the July 2021 core update rollout is now effectively complete." The Search Status Dashboard did not exist yet, so these posts are the official record. The page experience update, which began on 15 June, was still rolling out throughout, and the July 2021 link spam update began on 26 July, two weeks after this one finished. ## What is known about its impact Google published no impact figures. When it announced the two-part release, it said most sites would not notice either update, and that "a very small slice of content might see changes in June that reverse in July." Treat any percentage you see attributed to this update as a third-party estimate. ## What site owners should do Google's core ranking systems are still in use, and its current [core update guidance](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/core-updates) says core updates "don't target specific sites or individual web pages." The practical steps: - Wait until the rollout has finished, then at least one more full week. - Compare a week after the update with a week before it began, not the rollout window. - Take no drastic action for small drops; for a large, sustained drop, assess the whole site against Google's helpful content questions. - Avoid quick fixes, and expect recovery, if it comes, to take months. ## How to check whether it affected you Search Console keeps 16 months of data, so its reports no longer cover July 2021. Use archived analytics exports and compare the week before 1 July 2021 with the week after 12 July, and read it alongside the June 2021 core update, since the two were one release. The [Google Algorithm Updates timeline](/updates) lists the overlapping updates of that summer. ## Related updates - The [June 2021 core update](/updates/june-2021-core-update) was the first half of this release. - The [November 2021 core update](/updates/november-2021-core-update) was the next core update. - The [July 2021 link spam update](/updates/july-2021-link-spam-update) began two weeks after it finished. ## Frequently asked questions ### When did the July 2021 core update start and finish? Google SearchLiaison said on 1 July 2021 that the update was rolling out, and posted on 12 July 2021 that the rollout was now effectively complete. ### How is the July 2021 core update related to the June 2021 core update? Google announced both on 2 June 2021. It said some planned improvements were not ready for June, so it released the rest in July, making the two updates one release in two parts. ### Did the July 2021 core update reverse June changes? Google said it was possible for a very small slice of content to see changes in June that reverse in July. It did not say how much content that was. ### What should I do if my site dropped during the July 2021 core update? Google's core update guidance is to wait until the rollout has finished, compare traffic before and after, and only do a deeper content assessment for large, sustained drops. ## Sources 1. [The July 2021 Core Update, previously announced, is now rolling out](https://x.com/searchliaison/status/1410629484911349761) - Google SearchLiaison on X (primary) 2. [The July 2021 core update rollout is now effectively complete](https://x.com/searchliaison/status/1414633935695323149) - Google SearchLiaison on X (primary) 3. [Some of our planned improvements for the June 2021 update aren't quite ready](https://x.com/searchliaison/status/1400135429769236482) - Google SearchLiaison on X (primary) 4. [Google July 2021 Core Update Is Live - Here Is What We Are Seeing](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-july-2021-core-update-live-31696.html) - Search Engine Roundtable 5. [Google Search's core updates and your website](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/core-updates) - Google Search Central (primary)