--- title: "June 2021 core update: dates, what changed and what to do" url: https://seomadman.com/updates/june-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"] --- # June 2021 core update: dates, what changed and what to do ## The short answer Google's June 2021 core update started on 2 June 2021 and, Google said, was complete as of 12 June. It was the first half of a two-part release: some planned improvements were not ready, so Google shipped them in the July 2021 core update. Google warned a small slice of content might see June changes reverse in July. ## Key takeaways - Google SearchLiaison announced the June 2021 core update on 2 June 2021 on X. - Google said the rollout was complete as of 12 June 2021, confirming it on 15 June. - Some planned improvements were not ready, so Google held them for the July 2021 core update. - Google warned a very small slice of content might see June changes reverse in July. - Google said most sites would not notice either update, as is typical of core updates. ## What Google changed Google SearchLiaison announced the update on X on 2 June 2021: "Later today, we are releasing a broad core update, as we do several times per year. It is called the June 2021 Core Update." In the same thread Google said it would be followed by the July 2021 core update. Google explained why: "Some of our planned improvements for the June 2021 update aren't quite ready," so it moved ahead with the parts that were ready and held the rest for July. Google did not say which improvements were held back. Like every core update, it was a broad change to ranking systems, not a penalty aimed at particular sites. ## When it rolled out Google SearchLiaison posted later on 2 June 2021 that the update "is now rolling out live," and that it would take about one to two weeks. On 15 June Google posted that "the June 2021 Core Update rollout is complete as of June 12, 2021." The Search Status Dashboard did not exist yet, so these posts are the official record. Two other confirmed updates overlapped the weeks after it: the page experience update began on 15 June, and the first part of the June 2021 spam update ran on 23 June. ## What is known about its impact Google published no impact figures. It said "most sites won't notice either of these updates, as is typical with any core updates," but also warned 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 June 2021. Use archived analytics exports and compare the week before 2 June 2021 with the week after 12 June, then check the same pages after the July 2021 core update, since some June changes reversed. The [Google Algorithm Updates timeline](/updates) lists the overlapping updates of that summer. ## Related updates - The [December 2020 core update](/updates/december-2020-core-update) was the previous core update. - The [July 2021 core update](/updates/july-2021-core-update) completed this two-part release. - The [page experience update](/updates/page-experience-update-2021) began three days after it finished. ## Frequently asked questions ### When did the June 2021 core update start and finish? Google SearchLiaison said on 2 June 2021 that the update was rolling out live that day. On 15 June it posted that the rollout was complete as of 12 June 2021. ### Why were there two core updates in June and July 2021? Google said some of its planned improvements for June were not quite ready, so it released the parts that were ready in June and followed with the rest in the July 2021 core update. ### Could a ranking change in June 2021 reverse in July? Yes, for some content. Google said that because of the two-part release, a very small slice of content might see changes in June that reverse in July. ### What should I do if my site dropped during the June 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. [Later today, we are releasing a broad core update, as we do several times per year](https://x.com/searchliaison/status/1400135428909371398) - Google SearchLiaison on X (primary) 2. [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) 3. [The June 2021 Core Update is now rolling out live](https://x.com/searchliaison/status/1400220291922481152) - Google SearchLiaison on X (primary) 4. [The June 2021 Core Update rollout is complete as of June 12, 2021](https://x.com/searchliaison/status/1404828388141928451) - Google SearchLiaison on X (primary) 5. [Google June 2021 Core Update Finished Rolling Out On June 12th](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-june-2021-core-update-done-31601.html) - Search Engine Roundtable 6. [Google Search's core updates and your website](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/core-updates) - Google Search Central (primary)