Google started rolling out the September 2026 spam update on September 24, 2026. Google said the rollout can take up to two weeks, it applies globally and to all languages, and it did not name any single new spam type as the target. This is the fourth spam update Google has announced in 2026, after the March, June and August updates.
If your traffic moved in the last few days, this guide explains what a spam update is, how to tell whether it affected you, and what to do next without panicking.
What Is a Google Spam Update?
Google runs automated systems (often referred to as SpamBrain) that look for pages and sites breaking its spam policies. A spam update is an improvement to those systems. When an update rolls out, pages that the improved systems now recognise as spam can lose visibility, sometimes sharply.
A spam update is different from a core update:
| Update type | What it targets | Typical effect |
|---|---|---|
| Spam update | Policy violations such as scaled low-value content, link schemes, cloaking, site reputation abuse | Demotion of violating pages or sites |
| Core update | Overall ranking systems and how quality is assessed | Rankings shift up and down across many sites |
| Manual action | A human reviewer found a specific violation | Message in Search Console, needs a reconsideration request |
Which Spam Policies Matter Most in 2026?
Google did not list a specific target for this update, so it is safest to review your site against all of the main spam policies. The ones that affect ordinary blogs and small business sites most often are:
- Scaled content abuse: publishing many pages mainly to manipulate rankings, whether written by people, AI or both, with little original value.
- Site reputation abuse: third-party pages hosted on a trusted site mainly to borrow its ranking signals.
- Expired domain abuse: buying an old domain and filling it with unrelated low-value content to exploit its history.
- Link spam: buying or selling links that pass ranking credit, excessive link exchanges, and automated link building.
- Thin affiliate pages: product pages copied from merchants with no added testing, comparison or opinion.
- Keyword stuffing and hidden text: text written for crawlers instead of readers.
If you are new to these topics, our technical SEO basics guide and our article on white hat vs black hat SEO explain the difference between safe and risky tactics.
How to Check Whether the Update Affected Your Site
Do not judge the impact from one bad day. Daily traffic naturally rises and falls. Use this simple process instead.
- Wait until Google confirms the rollout is complete, then compare two equal periods: for example, the 14 days after completion versus the 14 days before September 24.
- In Search Console, open Performance, set the date comparison and look at clicks and impressions by page.
- Sort pages by the biggest loss in clicks. Are the losses spread across the whole site, or limited to one section?
- Check Security and Manual actions to confirm you have no manual action.
- Look at the losing pages honestly: are they thin, duplicated, auto-generated or written mainly for keywords?
A sitewide drop that starts during the rollout window and matches pages with weak or scaled content is a strong sign the spam systems are involved. A drop in a single page or keyword is usually normal ranking movement.
What to Do If You Lost Traffic
Google’s general guidance after spam updates is that sites violating policies should fix the problem, and that improvements can take months to be recognised as the systems relearn the site. A practical recovery plan looks like this:
1. Audit and prune
List every page with very low clicks and low word count. For each one, decide to improve it, merge it into a stronger related page with a 301 redirect, or remove it if it has no value. Fewer, better pages beat many weak ones. Our ranking drop recovery guide and content refresh guide walk through this in detail.
2. Rewrite scaled or AI-heavy pages
AI-assisted content is not banned. The problem is content made at scale without original value. Add real examples, screenshots, your own testing, clear steps and an author who stands behind the work. Our guide on writing SEO-friendly blog posts covers a structure that works.
3. Clean up links
Remove paid links that pass PageRank, mark sponsored links with rel=”sponsored”, and stop any automated link building. If you bought links in the past and cannot get them removed, read our guide to toxic backlinks and the disavow tool before using it.
4. Strengthen trust signals
Make sure your About, Contact and Privacy Policy pages (see legal pages every blog needs) are complete and easy to find. Show who writes your content and why they are qualified. These pages also matter for AdSense approval.
What Not to Do During the Rollout
- Do not delete large parts of your site in the first few days; wait for the rollout to finish.
- Do not buy “recovery” backlink packages.
- Do not mass-change titles and URLs across the site at once.
- Do not switch to publishing dozens of quick AI posts to “make up” lost traffic.
A Simple Weekly Checklist for Spam-Safe Growth
| Task | How often | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Review new posts for originality and depth | Every post | Avoids scaled content signals |
| Check Search Console coverage and manual actions | Weekly | Catches problems early |
| Update one older post with fresh information | Weekly | Keeps the site helpful and current |
| Audit outbound and sponsored links | Monthly | Avoids link spam issues |
| Check page speed and mobile usability | Monthly | Improves user experience |
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Google September 2026 spam update start?
It began on September 24, 2026, and Google said the rollout could take up to two weeks.
Does the spam update target AI content?
Google did not name AI content as a target. Its policies focus on scaled, low-value content whatever the method used to produce it.
How long does recovery take?
There is no fixed timeline. After you fix issues, it can take months for automated systems to recognise the improvements.
Will I get a message in Search Console?
Not for algorithmic spam updates. Messages appear only for manual actions.
Conclusion
The September 2026 spam update is another reminder that sustainable SEO comes from useful, original pages and clean link practices. Measure carefully after the rollout ends, fix weak content instead of chasing shortcuts, and keep building pages that people actually want to read.
