--- title: "November 2023 core update: dates, what changed and what to do" url: https://seomadman.com/updates/november-2023-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"] --- # November 2023 core update: dates, what changed and what to do ## The short answer Google's November 2023 core update started on 2 November 2023 and finished on 28 November 2023, a rollout of 25 days and 21 hours. It arrived two weeks after the October 2023 core update ended, and Google said it improved a different core system. It overlapped the November 2023 reviews update for most of its run. ## Key takeaways - The Search Status Dashboard dates the rollout from 2 November 2023 to 28 November 2023, a run of 25 days and 21 hours. - Google said it improved a different core system than the October 2023 core update. - Google's guidance for this update was the same as for the October 2023 core update. - It overlapped the November 2023 reviews update, which started on 8 November 2023. - Google published no impact figures, so treat any percentage attributed to it as a third-party estimate. ## What Google changed Google released the November 2023 core update on 2 November 2023. The same day, it published a Q&A on Search updates that answered the obvious question of why a second core update came so soon. Google wrote that "this month's core update involves an improvement to a different core system than last month," and that its guidance was the same for both. Google did not describe the system involved. Its standing definition of core updates applies: broad changes that "don't target specific sites or individual web pages." ## When it rolled out The [Google Search Status Dashboard](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/WtY1CQgfqrr2cjxKbyUk) logged the release on 2 November 2023 at 12:09 PDT, noting the rollout could take up to two weeks. It took longer: Google posted that the rollout was complete as of 28 November 2023, a total of 25 days and 21 hours. The November 2023 reviews update started on 8 November and ran until 7 December 2023, overlapping most of this rollout. Google's Q&A acknowledged that separating notable updates is "not always possible." A ranking change in November 2023 may come from either update. ## What is known about its impact Google did not publish impact figures for this update. Its framing is that pages which move down after a core update "aren't necessarily bad"; other pages may simply serve the searcher better. Treat any percentage you see attributed to this update as a third-party estimate, and check its method. ## What site owners should do In its Q&A, Google said there is likely "nothing to do for most creators" already making helpful, reliable, people-first content. Its standing core update guidance adds the practical steps: - Wait until the rollout has finished, then at least one more full week. - Compare the week after with a week before the update began, not with the rollout window. - A small drop (position 2 to 4) needs no drastic action; a large, sustained drop warrants a site-wide self-assessment against Google's helpful content questions. - Avoid quick fixes. Improve content in ways that help readers; delete content only as a last resort. - Recovery can take months and may not show until a later core update. ## How to check whether it affected you In Search Console, set the Performance report to cover October to December 2023 and compare clicks for the week before 2 November with the week starting 5 December. Because the reviews update ran until 7 December, check review pages separately and repeat after that date. The [Google Algorithm Updates timeline](/updates) lists every confirmed update with its dates, so you can rule out overlapping rollouts before attributing a change to this one. ## Related updates - The [October 2023 core update](/updates/october-2023-core-update) was the core update before it. - The [March 2024 core update](/updates/march-2024-core-update) was the next one. - The [November 2023 reviews update](/updates/november-2023-reviews-update) overlapped this rollout. ## Frequently asked questions ### When did the November 2023 core update start and finish? The Google Search Status Dashboard records the release on 2 November 2023 at 12:09 PDT and a completion note on 28 November 2023, stating the rollout was complete as of that day. ### Why was there another core update so soon after October 2023? Google said the November 2023 core update involved an improvement to a different core system than the October update, while its guidance for both updates stayed the same. ### Did the November 2023 core update overlap another update? Yes. The November 2023 reviews update started on 8 November and finished on 7 December 2023, so the two rollouts ran together for about three weeks. ### What should I do if my site dropped during the November 2023 core update? Google's core update guidance is to wait at least a week after the rollout finishes, compare the week after with a week before it began, and only do a deeper content assessment for large, sustained drops. ## Sources 1. [Released the November 2023 core update (incident)](https://status.search.google.com/incidents/WtY1CQgfqrr2cjxKbyUk) - Google Search Status Dashboard (primary) 2. [A Q&A on Google Search updates](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/11/q-and-a-on-search-updates) - Google Search Central Blog (primary) 3. [Google Search's core updates and your website](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/core-updates) - Google Search Central (primary)