--- title: "June 2026 spam update: dates, what changed and what to do" url: https://seomadman.com/updates/june-2026-spam-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 2026 spam update: dates, what changed and what to do ## The short answer Google's June 2026 spam update started on 24 June 2026 and finished on 26 June 2026, a rollout of about two days against the few days Google had allowed. It applied globally and to all languages. Google published no blog post or impact figures. It was the first spam update after Google added its back button hijacking policy. ## Key takeaways - The Search Status Dashboard dates the rollout from 24 June 2026 to 26 June 2026, about two days. - Google said the update applies globally and to all languages and may take a few days to complete. - Google published no Search Central blog post and no impact figures for this update. - Since the previous spam update, Google added a back button hijacking policy and extended its policies to AI responses. - Sites hit by a spam update should review Google's spam policies, as recovery can take months. ## 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](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/YUX1peHev5a4fkxLDiUQ) 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](/updates) lists every confirmed update with its dates. ## Related updates - The [March 2026 spam update](/updates/march-2026-spam-update) was the spam update before it. - The [August 2026 spam update](/updates/august-2026-spam-update) was the next one. - The [May 2026 core update](/updates/may-2026-core-update) finished three weeks before it began. ## Frequently asked questions ### When did the June 2026 spam update start and finish? The Google Search Status Dashboard records the release on 24 June 2026 at 09:03 PDT and completion on 26 June 2026, with the completion note posted at 10:58 PDT that day. ### What kind of spam did the June 2026 spam update target? Google did not say. The dashboard entry states only that the update applies globally and to all languages. Google's spam updates page describes these updates as notable improvements to its automated spam detection systems, such as SpamBrain. ### Which spam policies changed before the June 2026 spam update? Google's documentation changelog records a new back button hijacking policy on 13 April 2026, a clarification on 14 April that spam reports may be used for manual action, and a note on 15 May that spam policies apply to generative AI responses in Search. ### How does a site recover from a spam update? Google says sites that see a change should review its spam policies and comply with them. Changes may help once its automated systems learn, over a period of months, that the site complies. ## Sources 1. [June 2026 spam update (incident)](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/YUX1peHev5a4fkxLDiUQ) - Google Search Status Dashboard (primary) 2. [Google Search spam updates and your site](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/spam-updates) - Google Search Central (primary) 3. [Spam policies for Google web search](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies) - Google Search Central (primary) 4. [Latest Google Search documentation updates](https://developers.google.com/search/updates) - Google Search Central (primary)