Google: every confirmed algorithm change, tracked continuously

A living timeline of confirmed Google Search, AI Search, and Ads algorithm and policy changes, updated as soon as we confirm each one.

Last updated: 17 Aug 2026 · Confirmed updates tracked: 15 · Source: DOJO Platform Algorithm Monitor + Tier 1/2 publishers

Search Console Platform Properties: global rollout

AEO · High significance · Tier 1 confirmed · Global rollout July 29, 2026 (limited rollout first reported July 7, 2026)

Google rolled out a new Search Console property type globally on July 29, after a limited regional rollout on July 7. Platform Properties track how social and video content from Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube performs on Google Search, Discover, and Google News, including trending query groups, a 24-hour spike filter, cross-platform comparison, detection of older posts regaining traction, and format comparison across short-form, full-length video, and playlists. This is a measurement and attribution capability, not a ranking-mechanic change.

So what for your team: If you manage organic social content, set up a Platform Property now. It won't change how your content ranks, but it will show whether Google already surfaces it in Search, Discover, or News, and it builds a historical baseline before you need one.

Source: Google Search Central Blog, corroborated by Search Engine Land.

June 2026 Spam Update

SEO · High significance · Tier 1 confirmed · Rolled out June 24–26, 2026 (about 48 hours)

Google's second spam update of 2026 rolled out over roughly 48 hours. It targets sites violating Google's spam policies: scaled AI-generated content published without editorial input, scraped content, cloaking, keyword stuffing, and sneaky redirects. Google confirmed to Search Engine Roundtable that this cycle did not specifically target link spam or Site Reputation Abuse. The rollout was global, covering all languages and regions.

So what for your team: Check Search Console for manual action flags or unexplained ranking drops in the June 24–28 window. If your content operation syndicates or scales AI-assisted articles, audit for thin or templated patterns now, before the next spam update finds them for you.

Source: Google Search Status Dashboard, corroborated by Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Land.

"The update was global, affecting all languages and regions. Google has not disclosed the percentage of queries impacted but advises affected site owners to review their compliance with spam policies. Recovery from such updates can take several months." — Barry Schwartz, Search Engine Roundtable, June 26, 2026

Google I/O 2026: AI Search Architecture

AEO · High significance · Tier 1 confirmed · Announced May 19, 2026

At I/O 2026, Google announced a structural shift to Search: the search box now accepts text, images, files, video, and Chrome tabs as inputs. AI Overviews and AI Mode merged into a single unified AI Search experience, powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash. Google also previewed autonomous AI agents that monitor the web on a user's behalf, launching for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers first in summer 2026. On June 3, Google launched Search Console AI Performance Reports, tracking brand visibility inside AI Overviews and AI Mode as a metric distinct from standard organic click data. By June 2026, Semrush Sensor found AI Overviews appearing in 35.81% of tracked US desktop SERPs.

So what for your team: Track AI Impressions as their own KPI, not a subset of organic clicks. This is an architectural change to how Search works, not a ranking update, so the usual core-update playbook doesn't apply here.

Source: Google Search Central Blog: A new era for AI Search.

May 2026 Broad Core Update

SEO · High significance · Tier 1 confirmed · Launched May 21, 2026 · Completed June 2, 2026

Google's second broad core update of 2026, following the March 27 to April 8 update earlier in the year, launched May 21 and finished rolling out on June 2. It reweights existing quality signals across all content types worldwide, rather than introducing new ones. The update penalises scaled AI-generated content and directory or aggregator sites, and rewards genuine topical depth, coherent information architecture, and strong E-E-A-T. Search Engine Land tracked two distinct volatility waves, on May 23 and May 30, with rankings settling by June 8.

So what for your team: If your site lost ranking in this window, don't restructure content reactively. Meaningful recovery from a broad core update usually has to wait for the next one, so use this period to shore up E-E-A-T signals instead of chasing the algorithm.

Source: Google Search Status Dashboard, Search Engine Land: Google May 2026 core update rollout is now complete.

Back Button Hijacking Added to Spam Policy

SEO · Medium-High significance · Tier 1 confirmed · Announced April 13, 2026 · Enforcement began June 15, 2026

Google formally added "back button hijacking" to its spam policies: JavaScript or redirect techniques that trap a visitor on a page or manipulate browser history to prevent them leaving. Enforcement began June 15, two months after the policy was announced.

So what for your team: Audit any interstitial, exit-intent, or paywall script that intercepts the browser back button. What used to be a grey-area UX pattern is now an explicit, enforced spam violation.

Source: Google Search Central spam policies.

March 2026 Broad Core Update

SEO · High significance · Tier 1 confirmed · Rolled out March 27–April 8, 2026

Google's first broad core update of 2026, six weeks ahead of the May update above. Reweighted existing quality signals across all content types and languages worldwide, following the standard core-update pattern.

So what for your team: If you saw ranking volatility in late March or early April, this is the update responsible, not the May one. Treat the two as separate events when diagnosing traffic changes from this period.

Source: Google Search Status Dashboard.

March 2026 Spam Update

SEO · High significance · Tier 1 confirmed · Rolled out March 24–25, 2026

A spam update targeting scaled content abuse, cloaking, and site reputation abuse, rolling out immediately ahead of the March 27 core update above.

So what for your team: Sites hit by both this and the March 27 core update in quick succession should separate the two causes before deciding on a recovery plan. Spam-policy violations and core-update quality reweighting call for different fixes.

Source: Google Search Status Dashboard.

Search Console AI-Powered Configuration

AEO · Medium significance · Tier 1 confirmed · Experimental from December 2025 · General availability February 19, 2026

Search Console introduced an AI-assisted setup and configuration flow, moving from a limited experimental release in December 2025 to general availability in February. This is a tooling change to how sites configure Search Console, not a ranking mechanic.

So what for your team: Worth a look if you manage Search Console setup for multiple properties, but it doesn't change how content ranks or gets surfaced.

Source: Google Search Central product update notes.

February 2026 Discover Core Update

SEO · High significance · Tier 1 confirmed · Rolled out February 5–27, 2026

A core ranking update affecting Google Discover specifically, distinct from the broad Search core updates elsewhere on this page.

So what for your team: Discover volatility is harder to diagnose than Search volatility, since Discover has no query to anchor analysis to. Check Discover-specific traffic in Search Console for this window if your content relies on Discover distribution.

Source: Google Search Status Dashboard, corroborated by Search Engine Land.

December 2025 Core Update

SEO · High significance · Tier 1 confirmed · Rolled out December 11–29, 2025

A broad core ranking update, the first of the four core updates tracked on this page across the 12-month window (the others rolled out in March and twice in 2026's later half, see above).

So what for your team: If historical traffic data shows a shift over this period, this update is the most likely cause. Cross-check against the spam updates on this page too, since a site can be hit by both in close succession.

Source: Google Search Status Dashboard.

Search Console Branded Queries Filter

AEO · Medium significance · Tier 1 confirmed · November 2025

Search Console added a filter separating branded from non-branded query performance in Performance reports.

So what for your team: Use this to isolate genuine non-branded organic visibility from brand-search inflation when reporting on SEO performance.

Source: Google Search Console product update notes.

Search Quality Rater Guidelines Update

SEO · Medium significance · Tier 1 confirmed · September 11, 2025

Google updated its Search Quality Rater Guidelines, the reference document human raters use to evaluate result quality. This feeds into how future ranking systems get trained rather than acting as a live ranking signal itself.

So what for your team: Not an immediate ranking change, but a leading indicator of what future core updates will optimise for. Worth reading against your current E-E-A-T approach.

Source: Google Search Central Blog.

Structured Data Phase-Out

SEO · Medium significance · Tier 1 confirmed · Announced September 8, 2025 · Full removal by January 2026

Google removed Search Console support and rich-result eligibility for several structured data types, starting September 8, with full removal effects landing by January 2026.

So what for your team: Audit your schema markup for any of the deprecated types. Rich-result eligibility disappears silently rather than throwing an error, so you won't get a warning when it happens.

Source: Google Search Central Blog.

August 2025 Spam Update

SEO · High significance · Tier 1 confirmed · Rolled out August 26–September 22, 2025

The first spam update in this page's 12-month window, targeting scaled content abuse, cloaking, and site reputation abuse over roughly four weeks.

So what for your team: If a site saw an unexplained ranking drop in this window that's never been diagnosed, this update is worth checking against.

Source: Google Search Status Dashboard, corroborated by Search Engine Roundtable.

AI Mode Expands to 180 Countries

AEO · High significance · Tier 1 confirmed · August 21, 2025

AI Mode expanded from a US-only feature to 180 countries and 40 languages, alongside a preview of new agentic capabilities including in-chat purchasing and booking.

So what for your team: This is the expansion that set up the following May's I/O merger of AI Mode and AI Overviews into one AI Search experience. AEO visibility work has needed to account for near-global AI Mode reach since this date, not just since the I/O announcement.

Source: blog.google.

Other Algorithm Digest channels: LinkedIn · Facebook & Instagram · All channels

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