Google just announced its fourth spam update of the year, and this one is going to be around for a while. The September 2026 spam update began rolling out on 24 September and applies globally to all languages. Unlike the earlier spam updates this year, Google says this one may take up to two weeks to complete.
Here’s everything you need to know and what you should do about it.
Why Is This Rollout Taking Longer?
Google’s earlier spam updates this year were quick. The March update finished in 19 hours and 30 minutes, the June update took 2 days and 1 hour, and the August update took 2 days and 16 hours. Each of them was announced with a rollout window of “a few days”.
September is different. Google has given a window of up to two weeks, and John Mueller confirmed to Search Engine Roundtable that it is likely to take longer than some of the previous ones. A longer window does not necessarily mean a bigger update, and it may not use the full two weeks.
What Does It Target?
It is worth remembering that in May 2026, Google clarified that its spam policies also cover attempts to manipulate generative AI responses in Search, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google has not confirmed whether this update is aimed at that behaviour, so treat it as something to keep an eye on rather than a fact.
The usual suspects still apply, such as mass-produced low-value content, scraped content, cloaking, hidden text and keyword stuffing.
What Should You Do?
- Do not make big changes while it is rolling out. Rankings can move around a lot during the rollout, so give it time to settle before reacting.
- Monitor Google Search Console. Check impressions and clicks against the previous weeks, and note the exact dates of any drops.
- Rule out other causes. Seasonality, technical issues and manual actions can look like an algorithm hit. Check the Manual Actions report in Search Console first.
- Audit your content. Look for thin, duplicated or auto-generated pages that exist only to rank.
- Keep doing the fundamentals. Helpful, original content written for people is what Google keeps rewarding. We covered this in our June 2026 spam update and March 2026 spam update posts.
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