June 2026 spam update: dates, what changed and what to do

What Google changed#

Google’s only announcement was the Search Status Dashboard entry: “Released the June 2026 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages.” It published no Search Central blog post and did not say which type of spam the update addressed.

Google’s spam updates page explains the general mechanism. Its automated spam detection runs constantly, and a spam update is a notable improvement to how those systems work. It names SpamBrain, its AI-based spam-prevention system, as one system it improves “to help ensure it catches new types of spam.”

The policies themselves had changed since the March 2026 spam update. Google’s documentation changelog records a new section on “back button hijacking” under malicious practices on 13 April 2026, and a clarification on 15 May 2026 that its spam policies also apply to generative AI responses in Google Search. Google did not say whether this update enforced either change.

When it rolled out#

The Google Search Status Dashboard logged the release on 24 June 2026 at 09:03 PDT with the note that “the rollout may take a few days to complete.” Google posted on 26 June 2026 at 10:58 PDT that “the rollout was complete as of June 26, 2026,” about two days after release. No other confirmed update overlapped it; the May 2026 core update had finished on 2 June.

What is known about its impact#

Google did not publish any impact figures for this update. Its spam policies state that “sites that violate our policies may rank lower in results or not appear in results at all,” but Google gave no count of affected sites or queries. Treat any percentage you see attributed to this update as a third-party estimate, and check its method.

What site owners should do#

Google’s guidance for spam updates is short:

• Review your site against Google’s spam policies, including the back button hijacking section added in April 2026, which covers interfering with browser navigation.
• Remove or fix anything that breaks them. Google detects violations through automated systems and, where needed, human review that can lead to a manual action.
• Check the Manual actions report in Search Console, since a manual action is separate from an automated spam update.
• Expect a slow recovery. Google says changes may help once its systems learn, over a period of months, that the site complies.

How to check whether it affected you#

In Search Console, open the Performance report with a daily view spanning mid June to mid July 2026. A spam update effect should begin between 24 and 26 June. Compare clicks for the week before 24 June with the week starting 27 June, and check whether the change is site-wide or limited to particular sections. The Google Algorithm Updates timeline lists every confirmed update with its dates.

Related updates#

• The March 2026 spam update was the spam update before it.
• The August 2026 spam update was the next one.
• The May 2026 core update finished three weeks before it began.