A Google spam update is a notable improvement to the automated systems Google uses to detect content and behaviour that violates its spam policies. Google says it uses SpamBrain, "our AI-based spam-prevention system," and "from time-to-time, we improve that system to make it better at spotting spam." As of 4 October 2026, the September 2026 spam update began on 24 September and is still being discussed as a multi-phase rollout; Google has not named a specific tactic it targets.
Key Takeaways
- A spam update targets policy violations through automated detection. It is not a core update and does not rate overall page quality.
- Google's documentation says sites may improve if its systems "learn over a period of months" that they comply with the spam policies.
- Link spam updates are different: Google says removed link value is lost, so changes may not bring improvement.
- "Phase one" and "phase two" are community labels for waves of volatility, not Google terms. Treat them as observations.
- The September 2026 update began 24 September with a rollout of up to about two weeks, longer than recent spam updates that ran a few days.
- Google has not confirmed which spam tactic or industry this update targets, so any claim about that is speculation.
Spam update: the definition
A spam update is a change to Google's automated spam-detection systems that can lower or remove the visibility of pages and sites that violate its spam policies. In Google's own documentation, it says that when it makes "notable improvements to how they work" in detecting search spam, it refers to this as a spam update (Google Search Central). Sites that violate the policies "may rank lower in results or not appear in results at all," per the spam policies page.
Search Engine Land frames spam updates as enforcement-oriented and fast-acting compared with core updates, which it describes as broad and quality-focused (Search Engine Land). That is a useful mental model, though remember it is a secondary source's framing.
Glossary: spam update terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Spam update | An improvement to Google's automated spam detection, announced on the Search Status Dashboard. |
| SpamBrain | Google's AI-based spam-prevention system. |
| Spam policies | Google's published list of prohibited practices, such as cloaking, link spam, scaled content abuse and site reputation abuse. |
| Manual action | A penalty applied after human review, shown in Search Console. |
| Core update | A broad change to ranking systems, separate from spam enforcement. |
| Rollout phase | A community label for a distinct wave of ranking volatility during one update. |
| Link spam update | A spam update focused on links, where recovery by changing links may not restore value. |
Spam update vs core update vs manual action
| Spam update | Core update | Manual action | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who decides | Automated systems | Automated systems | A human reviewer |
| Aim | Detect policy violations | Reassess results broadly | Penalize a specific violation |
| Notice | Search Status Dashboard | Search Status Dashboard | Search Console message |
| Typical recovery | Months of compliance, per Google | Ongoing quality work | Fix and request reconsideration |
I cover the diagnostic side in spam update vs core update: which traffic drop is it, and the 16-policy checklist in Google's spam policies list.
What Google's spam policies cover
According to the spam policies page, the named categories are: cloaking, doorway abuse, expired domain abuse, hacked content, hidden text and link abuse, keyword stuffing, link spam, machine-generated traffic, malicious practices, misleading functionality, scaled content abuse, scraping, site reputation abuse, sneaky redirects, thin affiliation and user-generated spam. Google says it detects violations "through automated systems and, as needed, human review that can result in a manual action."
What "phases" mean in a spam update
Google's Search Status Dashboard lists a spam update with a start date and an end date once it completes. It does not publish phase boundaries. When people say "phase two," they mean a visible second wave of volatility in tracking tools and site reports. Search Engine Roundtable's recap says the September 2026 update was announced 24 September, with phase one reported on 25-27 September and phase two on 30 September to 1 October, based on reports from Glenn Gabe, WebmasterWorld threads and tracking tools (Search Engine Roundtable).
So the right way to say it is: "As reported by SERoundtable, volatility had two visible waves." Do not say "Google confirmed two phases." It did not, at least not in anything I found.
The September 2026 spam update: what is confirmed
- Start: 24 September 2026, listed on the Google Search Status Dashboard as the most recent ranking incident I could see. The page showed it as "Information" without a stated duration.
- Length: Search Engine Roundtable reported a rollout of up to roughly two weeks, unlike previous spam updates that ran a few days. The dashboard shows the August 2026 spam update as 18 August lasting 2 days and 16 hours, and the June update as 24 June lasting 2 days and 1 hour. ALM Corp's August write-up notes Google then listed no new policies and named no specific spam category (ALM Corp).
- Scope: Elsner reported it as global and for all languages, per its reading of the dashboard (Elsner).
- Targets: Not named. That article lists what Google has not confirmed: a specific tactic, an industry focus, AI-generated content as a standalone target, or the percentage of sites affected.
What is reported, not confirmed
Search Engine Roundtable relayed Glenn Gabe's observation that a specific change occurred on 30 September, with some site owners reporting traffic drops and volatility in Discover and Google News. Gabe also noted that Reddit's AI-translated pages were surging again in several countries. Those are one practitioner's observations and forum reports, not official findings. Roundtable's October webmaster report calls the update the dominant story of the month and says it "started off strong and is still rolling out" (Search Engine Roundtable).
Does a spam update target AI content?
Google's policy is about value, not the tool. The scaled content abuse section defines the violation as "many pages generated for the primary purpose of manipulating search rankings and not helping users," and lists using generative AI tools to generate many pages without adding value as an example. It also lists scraping and stitching together content without meaningful additions. So AI content is not banned; low-value pages at scale are the problem. I wrote a full 30-day content audit after a spam update for sites worried about this.
How to tell if you were affected
- Open Search Console and compare clicks and impressions before and after 24 September, by page group.
- Check whether the drop is sitewide, template-specific or limited to a content type.
- Look for a manual action notice. If none exists, an automated update is more likely.
- Compare against your own change log: migrations, new templates, mass publishing.
- Check the date against the Search Status Dashboard before concluding anything.
What to do, and what not to do
- Do audit against the published spam policies, page group by page group.
- Do remove or substantially improve pages that exist only to rank.
- Do not make sweeping changes in the first 48 hours; the update is still rolling out. See my 48-hour checklist.
- Do not expect quick recovery. Google's wording is "a period of months."
- Do not disavow or rewrite blindly because a tool shows a red arrow.
FAQ
What is a Google spam update?
It is an improvement to Google's automated systems that detect spam, announced on the Search Status Dashboard. Pages or sites violating the spam policies can rank lower or disappear from results.
How is a spam update different from a core update?
A spam update targets policy violations, while a core update is a broad reassessment of results. They can look similar in traffic charts, so confirm dates and policy fit before diagnosing.
What is SpamBrain?
Google describes SpamBrain as its AI-based spam-prevention system (PPC Land has a background explainer). Google improves it from time to time, and those improvements are announced as spam updates.
When did the September 2026 spam update start?
It started on 24 September 2026, according to the Google Search Status Dashboard. Reports said it could take up to about two weeks to roll out.
What does "phase two" mean?
It is a community label for a second visible wave of volatility, reported around 30 September to 1 October by Search Engine Roundtable. Google did not publish phase definitions that I found.
Which tactic did the September 2026 spam update target?
Google has not said. Industry commentary about targets is speculation until Google confirms.
Can I recover from a spam update?
Google says changes may help if its systems learn over months that your site complies. For link spam updates, it warns improvement may not occur because spammy link value is already neutralized.
Is AI-generated content penalized by spam updates?
Not by itself. Google's scaled content abuse policy is about generating many pages without adding value for users, regardless of whether a person or a tool produced them.
Should I file a reconsideration request?
Only if you have a manual action in Search Console. Spam updates are automated, so there is no request to file.
Work with me
I am Younus Fardeen, an organic growth and answer-engine marketer with 4+ years of marketing experience in edtech and startups. If a spam update has shaken your traffic and you want a calm, evidence-first audit, see my work and use the contact form at younusfardeen.in.
Verified as of 4 October 2026 against Google documentation, the Search Status Dashboard and Search Engine Roundtable. Not legal or financial advice. The update is still rolling out, so details may change.