Google Search archive
Google Search update history
Browse confirmed Google Search updates and Search Central documentation changes, organized for historical reference.
Past Google Search updates
Confirmed ranking updates, spam updates, and Search incidents from the Google Search Status Dashboard. Records are grouped by year, newest first.
11 archived records found.
2026
- Sep 24, 2026
September 2026 spam update
The rollout was complete as of October 8, 2026.
- Aug 18, 2026
August 2026 spam update
The rollout was complete as of August 21, 2026.
Tech Help Canada interpretation
Google's August 2026 spam update for Search ranking is complete. The rollout started on August 18, 2026 at 16:27 and ended on August 21, 2026 at 08:49, with Google stating: "The rollout was complete as of August 21, 2026."
What this may mean
If your site saw ranking or traffic changes during this window, the update may be a possible factor, but the supplied source does not confirm affected site types, spam signals, industries, or causes. Small businesses should avoid quick, panic-driven changes and instead compare performance before, during, and after the rollout. Focus on whether losses are isolated to specific pages, queries, or content patterns rather than assuming the whole site was affected.
What to check next
- Check organic traffic from August 18-21.
- Compare rankings before and after August 21.
- Look for page-level drops, not just sitewide movement.
- Review thin, duplicated, or low-quality content.
- Document changes before making fixes.
Uncertainty noted: Google did not specify affected industries or site categories in the supplied data.; The source does not identify which spam systems or signals were involved.; The supplied data does not explain why any individual site may have gained or lost rankings.
- Jun 24, 2026
June 2026 spam update
The rollout was complete as of June 26, 2026.
Tech Help Canada interpretation
Google's June 2026 spam update for Search ranking is complete. The official status record says the rollout finished on June 26, 2026, after starting on June 24, 2026.
What this may mean
If your organic visibility changed around this window, the update may be one factor to review. Because this is identified as a spam update, sites should focus on whether their content, links, or SEO practices could be interpreted as manipulative or low-value. The source does not provide details on specific systems, industries, or types of spam affected.
What to check next
- Check organic traffic and ranking changes from June 24-26, 2026.
- Compare affected pages against pages that stayed stable.
- Review thin, duplicated, automatically generated, or overly SEO-driven content.
- Audit backlink patterns and remove any risky link-building tactics.
- Document changes before making fixes so you can track recovery signals.
Uncertainty noted: No specific spam tactics or ranking signals are named in the source.; No affected industries, regions, or site types are listed.; No recovery guidance is included in the status record.
- May 21, 2026
May 2026 core update
The rollout was complete as of June 2, 2026.
Tech Help Canada interpretation
Google's May 2026 core update for Search ranking is marked complete. The rollout started on May 21, 2026 and was complete as of June 2, 2026, according to the official Google Search Status record.
What this may mean
If your organic traffic or rankings changed during this window, the update may be one factor to review. The record confirms timing only; it does not explain what changed, which sites were affected, or why any specific ranking movement happened.
What to check next
- Compare organic traffic and keyword rankings before, during, and after the rollout window.
- Check whether changes affected specific pages, queries, locations, or devices.
- Review pages with ranking drops for usefulness, clarity, search intent match, and outdated content.
- Avoid making major SEO changes based on one data point; look for consistent patterns first.
Uncertainty noted: Google did not provide details on ranking factors changed in this status record.; No affected industries, site types, or query categories are identified.; Any site-specific impact needs confirmation from analytics and Search Console data.
- Mar 27, 2026
March 2026 core update
The rollout was complete as of April 8, 2026.
Tech Help Canada interpretation
Google's March 2026 core update is marked complete. The official status record says the rollout started on March 27, 2026 at 09:00 and was complete as of April 8, 2026 at 13:00.
What this may mean
If your organic traffic or rankings changed during this window, the update may be one factor to review. The record confirms timing and completion only; it does not explain what changed, which sites were affected, or why specific rankings moved.
What to check next
- Compare organic traffic before, during, and after the rollout window.
- Check ranking changes for priority pages and commercial keywords.
- Review affected pages for content quality, usefulness, and search intent match.
- Separate update-related patterns from site changes, tracking issues, or seasonality.
- Monitor performance for a few more days before making major SEO changes.
Uncertainty noted: No details were provided about ranking systems changed.; No affected site types, industries, or query categories were named.; No recovery guidance was included in the supplied status record.
- Mar 24, 2026
March 2026 spam update
The rollout was complete as of March 25, 2026.
Tech Help Canada interpretation
Google's March 2026 spam update for Search ranking is complete. The rollout started on March 24, 2026 at 19:00 and ended on March 25, 2026 at 14:30, with Google's latest official note stating: "The rollout was complete as of March 25, 2026."
What this may mean
If your organic traffic, rankings, or visibility changed around this window, the update may be one factor to review. The supplied record confirms completion only; it does not explain what specific spam systems changed, which sites were affected, or what types of tactics were targeted. Avoid making immediate assumptions from a single ranking swing. Compare performance before and after the rollout, then look for patterns across pages, queries, and content types.
What to check next
- Check organic traffic and ranking changes from March 24-25, 2026 onward.
- Compare affected pages against stable pages to spot quality or compliance patterns.
- Review pages for spam risks such as thin content, doorway pages, scaled low-value content, or manipulative links.
- Annotate the update in SEO reports so future performance reviews have context.
Uncertainty noted: Google did not provide details in this record about specific spam systems or targets.; The record does not identify affected industries, query types, or site categories.; Ranking changes during the same period may have other causes.
- Feb 24, 2026
Serving was experiencing an issue
We fixed the issue with serving search results. There will be no more updates.
Tech Help Canada interpretation
Google reported a Serving issue affecting search results on 2026-02-25 from 03:55 to 04:10. The incident is marked resolved, and Google's latest update says the issue was fixed with no further updates planned.
What this may mean
This was a short Google Search serving incident. If you saw unusual ranking visibility, traffic, impressions, or click changes during that window, the issue may have contributed. The official record does not state the cause, scope, affected regions, or query types, so avoid treating any related analytics movement as confirmed without checking your own data.
What to check next
- Check Search Console performance around 03:55-04:10 on 2026-02-25.
- Compare organic sessions and conversions before, during, and after the incident window.
- Look for short-lived drops or spikes rather than long-term ranking changes.
- Annotate the incident in SEO reporting if your data shows movement during that period.
Uncertainty noted: Google did not specify the cause of the serving issue.; Google did not specify regions, query types, or sites affected.; No impact level or affected percentage was provided.
- Feb 5, 2026
February 2026 Discover update
The rollout was complete as of February 27, 2026.
Tech Help Canada interpretation
Google's February 2026 Discover update is complete. The rollout started on February 5, 2026 at 17:00 and was marked complete on February 27, 2026 at 10:00. Google's latest official note says: "The rollout was complete as of February 27, 2026."
What this may mean
If your site receives traffic from Google Discover, performance changes during or shortly after this rollout may be related to the update, but the source does not explain what changed, which sites were affected, or why rankings shifted. Treat any Discover traffic movement as something to review carefully rather than proof of a specific issue.
What to check next
- Check Google Search Console for Discover traffic changes between February 5 and February 27, 2026.
- Compare Discover clicks, impressions, CTR, and top-performing pages before, during, and after the rollout.
- Look for page-level patterns instead of judging the whole site from one traffic spike or drop.
- Review affected content for quality, freshness, headline accuracy, and alignment with user interest.
- Avoid rushed sitewide changes unless you see a clear, repeated pattern.
Uncertainty noted: Google did not provide details about what changed in this Discover update.; The source does not identify affected industries, content types, or ranking factors.; The source does not confirm whether any specific traffic change was caused by this update.
2025
- Dec 11, 2025
December 2025 core update
The rollout was complete as of December 29, 2025.
Tech Help Canada interpretation
Google's December 2025 core update for Search ranking is marked complete. The official record says the rollout started on December 11, 2025, and was complete as of December 29, 2025.
What this may mean
If your organic traffic, rankings, or lead volume shifted during this window, the update may be one factor to review. The source does not explain what changed, which sites were affected, or why specific rankings moved, so avoid jumping to conclusions from ranking changes alone.
What to check next
- Compare organic traffic before, during, and after the rollout window.
- Check ranking changes for your most important service, product, and local pages.
- Review Search Console for drops in clicks, impressions, or query visibility.
- Look for page-level patterns before making sitewide SEO changes.
- Prioritize improving helpful, clear, trustworthy content over quick fixes.
Uncertainty noted: No details are provided on ranking factors adjusted.; No industries, regions, or query types are identified as affected.; No guidance is included beyond the completion notice.
- Oct 3, 2025
Serving is experiencing an ongoing issue
The issue with serving has resolved itself. There will be no more updates.
Tech Help Canada interpretation
Google Search reported a Serving issue that began on 2025-10-03 at 20:00:00 and ended on 2025-10-06 at 20:40:00. The latest official update says the issue resolved itself and there will be no more updates.
What this may mean
This was a serving-related Search incident, so sites may have seen unusual search visibility, traffic, or reporting patterns during the affected window. The official record does not explain the cause, scope, or types of queries/sites affected, so any business impact should be confirmed against your own analytics rather than assumed.
What to check next
- Check organic traffic from 2025-10-03 to 2025-10-06 against nearby normal days.
- Review Google Search Console clicks, impressions, and average position for unusual dips or spikes.
- Avoid making SEO changes based only on movement during the incident window.
- Annotate the incident in analytics reports so future comparisons have context.
- Monitor post-incident performance to confirm metrics returned to normal.
Uncertainty noted: Google did not provide a cause.; Google did not state the scale or affected regions.; Google did not specify which result types or queries were impacted.
- Aug 26, 2025
August 2025 spam update
The rollout was complete as of September 22, 2025.
Tech Help Canada interpretation
Google's August 2025 spam update for Search ranking is complete. The rollout started on August 26, 2025, and Google's official status record says it was complete as of September 22, 2025.
What this may mean
If your organic traffic or rankings changed during this window, the update may be part of the context, but the supplied Google record does not identify specific sites, industries, spam systems, or ranking factors affected. Treat the completion date as a point to start reviewing performance trends, not as proof of cause.
What to check next
- Compare organic traffic and ranking changes before, during, and after the rollout window.
- Check whether drops are isolated to specific pages, queries, countries, or device types.
- Review affected pages for spam-risk issues such as thin content, doorway-style pages, keyword stuffing, or manipulative linking.
- Separate Google Search changes from other causes like site edits, tracking changes, seasonality, or technical errors.
- Document findings before making large SEO changes.
Uncertainty noted: Google's record does not explain what specific spam signals were targeted.; No affected industries, regions, or site types are listed in the supplied source.; The source does not confirm whether any individual ranking change was caused by this update.
How to use this archive
Use the dates in this archive as context for traffic changes, but avoid assuming every movement came from one update. Compare your own data before, during, and after the record you are reviewing.
- Find the closest confirmed update before or during the traffic change you are investigating.
- Compare landing pages, query groups, and conversions across the update window and the prior period.
- Look for patterns across groups of pages instead of reacting to one keyword or one unusual day.
- Review Search Central documentation changes near the same date for guidance Google may have clarified.
- Run a Website Health Report if the drop could be connected to crawl, indexing, speed, or technical SEO issues.
Does this archive include every Google ranking change?
No. Google Search changes constantly, and many changes are not announced individually. This archive stores records we have captured from official Google sources.
Why keep documentation changes beside ranking updates?
Search Central documentation changes can clarify how Google wants site owners to handle content, structured data, crawling, indexing, or policy issues. They are useful context even when they are not ranking updates.
Can old updates still matter?
Yes. Older updates help explain long-term patterns, recurring ranking themes, and past volatility. They are especially useful when reviewing older analytics data or major traffic shifts.
Why might commentary be missing on some older records?
Commentary appears only when it is available for a record. Older records can still be useful without commentary because the official date, status, and source context remain preserved.
Should I make changes based only on an archived update?
No. Use archived updates as context, then confirm the impact in your own analytics, Search Console data, affected pages, query groups, and technical health checks.
Where should I check current status?
Use the main Google Search updates tracker for the current status and latest visible records. Use this page when you want the historical record.
Past Google Search Central changes
Past Search Central documentation changes, including updates to guidelines, best practices, and structured data references. Records are grouped by year, newest first.
44 archived records found.
2026
- May 26, 2026
Preferred sources is available in AI Mode and AI Overviews
What: Updated the feature availability section of the preferred sources documentation to include AI Overviews and AI Mode. Why: The preferred sources feature is starting to roll out to AI Overviews and AI Mode.
- May 19, 2026
Added hasAdultConsideration to product-related structured data types
What: Added the hasAdultConsideration property to the Merchant listing and Product variant documentation. Why: This property brings parity with the Merchant Center feed specification for the adult property.
- May 14, 2026
Adding a new guide on optimizing for generative AI features
What: Added a new guide on optimizing for generative AI features on Search. Notable new sections include guidance on the importance of providing non-commodity content, tips about providing local, shopping, image, and video content, mythbusting common "AEO/GEO"...
- May 14, 2026
Clarifying that spam policies apply to generative AI responses in Google Search
What: Clarified that our spam policies also apply to generative AI responses in Google Search. Why: To make it clear that the spam policies apply to all of Google Search, including generative AI responses.
- May 7, 2026
Deprecating the FAQ rich result feature
What: Added a deprecation notice to the FAQ rich result documentation. Why: This feature will no longer appear in Google Search starting May 7, 2026.
- Apr 29, 2026
Expanding preferred sources to all languages where Google Search is available
What: Added that the preferred sources feature is now available in all languages where Google Search is available, including new translated downloadable button assets. Why: The preferred sources feature is now available in all languages supported by Google Sea...
- Apr 22, 2026
Clarifying when and why we may take manual action based on spam reports
What: Further clarified when and why we may take manual action based on spam reports. Why: To address feedback we received about the change on using spam reports to take manual action.
- Apr 19, 2026
Added a section about "read more" deep links
What: Added a new section on "read more" deep links to the snippet documentation. Why: To explain how to increase the likelihood of your content appearing with a "read more" deeplink in Google Search results.
- Apr 13, 2026
Clarifying the use of spam reports
What: Clarified that Google may use spam report submissions to take manual action against violations. Why: Google may now use spam report submissions to take manual action.
- Apr 12, 2026
Introducing a new spam policy for "back button hijacking"
What: Added a new section to the malicious practices spam policy to address a deceptive practice known as "back button hijacking". Why: Learn more about this update in our blog post on back button hijacking.
- Mar 23, 2026
Added new supported properties for Discussion Forum and QA Page markup
What: Added more supported properties for Discussion Forum and QA Page markup. Why: For providing more clarity on comment thread structure to Google ingestion systems. This prevents misinterpretations in our handling of forum and Q&A content.
- Mar 23, 2026
Added a note on the robots meta tags documentation
What: Added a note to the robots meta tags documentation on the way Google Search processes robots meta tags outside the HTML head. Why: The behavior didn't change but was previously undocumented.
- Mar 3, 2026
Removed outdated information about JavaScript and accessibility
What: Removed a section on accessibility from the JavaScript SEO basics documentation. Why: The information was out of date and not as helpful as it used to be. Google Search has been rendering JavaScript for multiple years now, so using JavaScript to load con...
- Mar 1, 2026
Added preferred image best practices
What: Added a new section on specifying a preferred image with metadata to the image SEO best practices and Discover documentation. Why: Based on feedback, we're clarifying that Google uses both schema.org markup and the og:image meta tag as sources when deter...
- Feb 4, 2026
Added information to the Get on Discover page for site owners
What: Added more information on how sites can increase the likelihood of their content appearing in Discover. Why: We're rolling out the February 2026 Discover Core Update.
- Feb 2, 2026
Clarified information about the default file size limits for Googlebot
What: While moving over the information about the default file size limits of Google's crawlers and fetchers to the crawler documentation, we also updated the Googlebot documentation about its own file size limits. Why: The original location of the default fil...
- Jan 29, 2026
Adding preferred sources documentation
What: Added preferred sources documentation for website owners. Why: To help publishers understand how to help their audience find their site as a preferred source.
- Jan 20, 2026
Adding more supported query types to South African carousel documentation
What: Updated the structured data carousels (beta) documentation and the South African badges and refinement chips blog post to include additional query types. Why: The South African carousel, badges, and refinement chips now support queries related to food de...
- Jan 5, 2026
Removing documentation for the practice problem structured data type
What: Removed documentation for the practice problem structured data type. Why: The practice problem structured data type is no longer shown in Google Search results. Learn more about this change in our blog post and changelog entry announced in November 2025.
How this archive works
The archive uses the same stored records as the main tracker, then keeps older entries available for historical research.
We check official sources
The archive tracks records from the Google Search Status Dashboard and Google Search Central documentation feed.
Every record gets logged
Each update, incident, or documentation change is stored with dates, status, source link, and captured text.
Context stays attached
When Tech Help Canada interpretation is available, it stays with the record as it moves into the archive.
Reviewing an old traffic change?
Use the archive to find the closest confirmed Google record, then compare it against your own technical SEO, page speed, web vitals, and Search Console data.
Run a free Website Health Report
Tech Help Canada interpretation
Google's September 2026 spam update is complete. The official Search Status record says the rollout finished on October 8, 2026, after starting on September 24, 2026.
What this may mean
If your organic traffic or rankings shifted during this window, the update is a possible timing match, but the source does not confirm impact on any specific site, industry, query type, or tactic. Treat the completion date as the point where post-rollout analysis can begin with more confidence.
What to check next
Uncertainty noted: Google did not provide site-level impact details in the supplied record.; The source does not describe the specific spam systems or signals involved.; No affected industries, regions, or content types are identified.