Did Google change its algorithm, and how can you tell?

16 October 2026 · By John Carlsson

Yes. Google changes its search systems regularly and lists notable ranking updates on the Google Search Status Dashboard. As of 16 October 2026, the latest is the September 2026 spam update, which ran from 24 September to 8 October 2026. The latest core update was the May 2026 core update, which began on 21 May 2026. Google also makes smaller changes it does not announce.

What has Google changed recently?

Google records its notable ranking updates on the Google Search Status Dashboard. These are the 2026 entries listed there as of 16 October 2026:

September 2026 spam update: started 24 September 2026 and finished rolling out on 8 October 2026. Google says it applied globally and to all languages.
August 2026 spam update: started 18 August 2026.
June 2026 spam update: started 24 June 2026.
May 2026 core update: started 21 May 2026.
March 2026 core update: started 27 March 2026.
March 2026 spam update: started 24 March 2026.
February 2026 Discover update: started 5 February 2026, affecting Discover rather than web search results.

Google also says it makes smaller changes between these that it does not announce, so not every movement in your traffic will match a dashboard entry.

How can you tell if an update affected your site?

Start by matching dates. Open the dashboard entry for the update you suspect and note when it started and when the rollout completed. Then open the Performance report in Google Search Console and look at whether clicks, impressions or both changed in that window.

For core updates, Google's core updates guidance asks you to wait at least a full week after the rollout completes, then compare that week with the week before the update began. During a rollout, rankings can move around before they settle, so early checks can mislead you.

When you compare, look at your top pages and queries separately. Google draws a distinction between a small drop in position, such as from 2 to 4, which it says does not call for drastic action, and a large drop, such as from 4 to 29, which deserves a deeper review. It also suggests checking web search, Google Images, Video and News separately, because a drop may only be in one of them.

What else could explain a drop in traffic?

An algorithm update is only one possible cause. Google's guide to debugging search traffic drops also lists:

Technical issues that stop Google from crawling, indexing or serving your pages. Check the Crawl stats and Page indexing reports.
Security issues such as malware or phishing, shown in the Security Issues report.
Manual actions for spam policy violations, shown in the Manual Actions report.
Seasonality and changes in what people search for. Google suggests checking your main queries in Google Trends to see whether the drop is across the web or only on your site.

The same guide suggests setting the Performance report date range to 16 months to spot yearly patterns, and using the Compare tab to set the drop against a similar earlier period.

What should you do after a core or spam update?

For core updates, Google says the changes are not aimed at specific sites, and a page that drops is not necessarily doing anything wrong. Other pages may simply serve searchers better now. If you see a large, lasting drop, Google recommends reviewing your content honestly against its guidance on helpful, people-first content and comparing your most affected pages with pages that now rank above them. It advises against quick fixes and says some improvements may take several months to be reflected, possibly not until the next core update.

For spam updates, Google's spam updates page says sites that see a change should review its spam policies and make sure they comply. Recovery is not instant: its automated systems may need a period of months to learn that a site now complies. After a link spam update, any benefit from links that have been discounted is lost and cannot be regained.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Where does Google announce algorithm updates?

Google lists its notable ranking updates, including core updates and spam updates, on the Google Search Status Dashboard. Each entry shows when the update started, when the rollout finished and any notes, such as whether it applies globally. Google says it also makes smaller updates that it does not announce, so the dashboard covers the significant changes rather than every adjustment to its systems.

How long does it take to recover from a core update?

Google gives no fixed time. Its core updates guidance says some changes can show an effect within days, but its systems may need several months to confirm that a site consistently produces helpful content. If nothing changes after a few months, Google says the next core update may be the next chance to see a difference. It also says that improvements do not guarantee a change in rankings.