On Tuesday, March 24, 2026, around 20:00 French time, Google launched a new spam update. This is the second major update of the year following the Discover Core Update in February 2026. Don't panic, we will share the details!

March 25, 2026 Update: The rollout of the update announced on March 24 was completed within a few hours, on March 25. There has never been such a fast major algorithm update before!

Google is Fighting Spam Again

In February 2026, by rolling out the Google Discover Core Update, the aim was to prioritize local content, combat clickbait, and better evaluate topic expertise. A month later, the Spam Update is back.

As stated in Google's communication: "This is a classic anti-spam update that will be rolled out across all languages and regions. The rollout may take several days."

You can find all the latest Google updates on our special page.

Spam Update: Difference from Code Update

Anti-spam updates target spam practices on websites, including automatically generated content, low-quality or copied content, misleading redirects, and other abuses aimed at manipulating rankings. Their goal is to provide search results free of misleading or abused content by improving Google's automated anti-spam systems.

  • The last anti-spam update is based on August 2025.

Core updates are broader and deeper. They allow for a reassessment of the quality, relevance, and satisfaction of the displayed content. Unlike spam updates, these updates do not specifically target spam.

What Should You Do with the Impact of the Spam Update?

During the update: nothing. Wait for the update to finish before analyzing and identifying affected pages or sections. You can also conduct an SEO audit to help you fix issues.

If you have been affected by a Spam Update, check Google's spam-related rules and ensure you comply with them. Making changes can help your site recover when Google does not detect spam on your site. However, in the case of a link spam-specific update, making changes may not lead to recovery:

When our systems remove the effects that spam links may have, the ranking advantage those links previously created for your site is lost. Potential ranking advantages created by these links cannot be regained.

If this concept of updates is new or concerning for you, we recommend the following articles:

  • "Don't Panic!": How should we understand Google's announcements?
  • Google Updates: Understanding Google updates
  • Google Algorithms: Definitions, History, and Functioning [2025 Guide]
  • FAQ: Understanding and resolving a manual action related to spam

Let's meet again in a few weeks to evaluate the results of this Spam Update!

The Importance of Tracking Core Updates

Being aware of the latest developments in the Google algorithm is essential for all website owners. Core updates can significantly affect traffic, and predicting these changes in advance provides a competitive advantage. We explain which tools you can use to track Google algorithm updates!