searchDecoded Labs · Living reference
Google Search update timeline
Explore Google Search updates and the changes that shaped Search, from early ranking systems to today’s AI-powered search experiences.
2026 so far
Google-confirmed updates- Confirmed updates
- 5
- Breakdown
- 3 spam · 2 core
- Current status
- No confirmed update rolling out
Purpose and limits
A chronology, not a diagnosis
This timeline brings together the history of Google updates, combining Google-confirmed ranking updates with carefully sourced systems and milestones that changed how Search works. Confirmed rollout windows come from Google’s Search Status Dashboard. searchDecoded researchers maintain older entries using cited primary sources.
Use it to place a traffic change in historical context. An overlap is a useful line of inquiry, but it doesn’t show on its own that an update caused a change on a particular website.
Explore and investigate
Updates, systems and Search milestones
Use this Google algorithm update timeline to explore Google’s core update history alongside spam and reviews rollouts, ranking systems and major Search milestones. Filter the chronology or check which confirmed rollout windows overlapped a traffic change, then open any event to see the evidence and understand why it mattered.
Showing all 72 events
- 2026
18 Aug 2026 – 21 Aug 2026August 2026 spam updateGoogle confirmed this spam update rolled out from 2026-08-18 to 2026-08-21.SpamConfirmed by Google3-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the August 2026 spam update from 18 August 2026 to 21 August 2026, a period of about 3 days. Google said it applied globally and across all languages. Google did not identify particular spam practices, page types, industries or components of its spam-detection systems targeted by this rollout.
Why it mattered
This was a confirmed change to the automated systems Google uses to detect violations of its spam policies. As Google did not name a specific spam category for this rollout, it should be treated as a broad spam-system update rather than evidence that one particular tactic was targeted.
What Google confirmed
Released the August 2026 spam update , which applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take a few days to complete.
- Maintained through
- Google dashboard feed
- First added
- 19 Aug 2026
- Official record verified
- 21 Aug 2026
24 Jun 2026 – 26 Jun 2026June 2026 spam updateGoogle confirmed this spam update rolled out from 2026-06-24 to 2026-06-26.SpamConfirmed by Google2-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the June 2026 spam update from 24 June 2026 to 26 June 2026, a period of about 2 days. Google said it applied globally and across all languages. Google did not identify particular spam practices, page types, industries or components of its spam-detection systems targeted by this rollout.
Why it mattered
This was a confirmed change to the automated systems Google uses to detect violations of its spam policies. As Google did not name a specific spam category for this rollout, it should be treated as a broad spam-system update rather than evidence that one particular tactic was targeted.
What Google confirmed
Released the June 2026 spam update , which applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take a few days to complete.
- Maintained through
- Google dashboard feed
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Official record verified
- 26 Jun 2026
21 May 2026 – 2 Jun 2026May 2026 core updateGoogle confirmed this core update rolled out from 2026-05-21 to 2026-06-02.CoreConfirmed by Google12-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the May 2026 core update from 21 May 2026 to 2 June 2026, a period of about 12 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Released the May 2026 core update . The rollout may take up to 2 weeks to complete.
- Maintained through
- Google dashboard feed
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Official record verified
- 2 Jun 2026
27 Mar 2026 – 8 Apr 2026March 2026 core updateGoogle confirmed this core update rolled out from 2026-03-27 to 2026-04-08.CoreConfirmed by Google12-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the March 2026 core update from 27 March 2026 to 8 April 2026, a period of about 12 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Released the March 2026 core update . The rollout may take up to 2 weeks to complete.
- Maintained through
- Google dashboard feed
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Official record verified
- 8 Apr 2026
24 Mar 2026 – 25 Mar 2026March 2026 spam updateGoogle confirmed this spam update rolled out from 2026-03-24 to 2026-03-25.SpamConfirmed by Google1-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the March 2026 spam update from 24 March 2026 to 25 March 2026, a period of approximately 19½ hours. Google said it applied globally and across all languages. Google did not identify particular spam practices, page types, industries or components of its spam-detection systems targeted by this rollout.
Why it mattered
This was a confirmed change to the automated systems Google uses to detect violations of its spam policies. As Google did not name a specific spam category for this rollout, it should be treated as a broad spam-system update rather than evidence that one particular tactic was targeted.
What Google confirmed
Released the March 2026 spam update , which applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take a few days to complete.
- Maintained through
- Google dashboard feed
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Official record verified
- 25 Mar 2026
- 2025
11 Dec 2025 – 29 Dec 2025December 2025 core updateGoogle confirmed this core update rolled out from 2025-12-11 to 2025-12-29.CoreConfirmed by Google18-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the December 2025 core update from 11 December 2025 to 29 December 2025, a period of about 18 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Released the December 2025 core update . The rollout may take up to 3 weeks to complete.
- Maintained through
- Google dashboard feed
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Official record verified
- 29 Dec 2025
26 Aug 2025 – 22 Sept 2025August 2025 spam updateGoogle confirmed this spam update rolled out from 2025-08-26 to 2025-09-22.SpamConfirmed by Google27-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the August 2025 spam update from 26 August 2025 to 22 September 2025, a period of about 27 days. Google said it applied globally and across all languages. Google did not identify particular spam practices, page types, industries or components of its spam-detection systems targeted by this rollout.
Why it mattered
This was a confirmed change to the automated systems Google uses to detect violations of its spam policies. As Google did not name a specific spam category for this rollout, it should be treated as a broad spam-system update rather than evidence that one particular tactic was targeted.
What Google confirmed
Released the August 2025 spam update , which applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take a few weeks to complete.
- Maintained through
- Google dashboard feed
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Official record verified
- 22 Sept 2025
30 Jun 2025 – 17 Jul 2025June 2025 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the June 2025 core update from 2025-06-30 to 2025-07-17.CoreConfirmed by Google17-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the June 2025 core update from 30 June 2025 to 17 July 2025, a period of about 17 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the June 2025 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
13 Mar 2025 – 27 Mar 2025March 2025 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the March 2025 core update from 2025-03-13 to 2025-03-27.CoreConfirmed by Google14-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the March 2025 core update from 13 March 2025 to 27 March 2025, a period of about 14 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the March 2025 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
5 Mar 2025AI Mode introducedGoogle introduced an experimental AI Mode for more complex, conversational and multi-part searches.AI SearchConfirmed by Google
What happened
AI Mode uses a custom Gemini model and a query fan-out technique to explore related searches before composing a response with links.
Why it mattered
It extended Search from a conventional results page towards a conversational research experience. People could ask multi-part questions, continue with follow-ups and inspect linked sources within one exploratory search flow.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2024
19 Dec 2024 – 26 Dec 2024December 2024 spam updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the December 2024 spam update from 2024-12-19 to 2024-12-26.SpamConfirmed by Google7-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the December 2024 spam update from 19 December 2024 to 26 December 2024, a period of about 7 days. Google did not identify particular spam practices, page types, industries or components of its spam-detection systems targeted by this rollout.
Why it mattered
This was a confirmed change to the automated systems Google uses to detect violations of its spam policies. As Google did not name a specific spam category for this rollout, it should be treated as a broad spam-system update rather than evidence that one particular tactic was targeted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the December 2024 spam update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
12 Dec 2024 – 18 Dec 2024December 2024 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the December 2024 core update from 2024-12-12 to 2024-12-18.CoreConfirmed by Google6-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the December 2024 core update from 12 December 2024 to 18 December 2024, a period of about 6 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the December 2024 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
11 Nov 2024 – 5 Dec 2024November 2024 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the November 2024 core update from 2024-11-11 to 2024-12-05.CoreConfirmed by Google24-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the November 2024 core update from 11 November 2024 to 5 December 2024, a period of about 24 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the November 2024 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
15 Aug 2024 – 3 Sept 2024August 2024 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the August 2024 core update from 2024-08-15 to 2024-09-03.CoreConfirmed by Google19-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the August 2024 core update from 15 August 2024 to 3 September 2024, a period of about 19 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the August 2024 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
20 Jun 2024 – 27 Jun 2024June 2024 spam updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the June 2024 spam update from 2024-06-20 to 2024-06-27.SpamConfirmed by Google7-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the June 2024 spam update from 20 June 2024 to 27 June 2024, a period of about 7 days. Google did not identify particular spam practices, page types, industries or components of its spam-detection systems targeted by this rollout.
Why it mattered
This was a confirmed change to the automated systems Google uses to detect violations of its spam policies. As Google did not name a specific spam category for this rollout, it should be treated as a broad spam-system update rather than evidence that one particular tactic was targeted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the June 2024 spam update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
14 May 2024AI Overviews launch in the USGoogle launched AI Overviews in US Search results after testing the experience in Search Labs.AI SearchConfirmed by Google
What happened
AI Overviews generate a summary for some queries and provide links for exploring information from the web.
Why it mattered
It changed the shape of the results page and how people could encounter publishers, sources and answers.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
5 Mar 2024 – 20 Mar 2024March 2024 spam updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the March 2024 spam update from 2024-03-05 to 2024-03-20.SpamConfirmed by Google15-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the March 2024 spam update from 5 March 2024 to 20 March 2024, a period of about 15 days. Google did not identify particular spam practices, page types, industries or components of its spam-detection systems targeted by this rollout.
Why it mattered
This was a confirmed change to the automated systems Google uses to detect violations of its spam policies. As Google did not name a specific spam category for this rollout, it should be treated as a broad spam-system update rather than evidence that one particular tactic was targeted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the March 2024 spam update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
5 Mar 2024 – 19 Apr 2024March 2024 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the March 2024 core update from 2024-03-05 to 2024-04-19.CoreConfirmed by Google45-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the March 2024 core update from 5 March 2024 to 19 April 2024, a period of about 45 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the March 2024 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2023
8 Nov 2023 – 7 Dec 2023November 2023 reviews updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the November 2023 reviews update from 2023-11-08 to 2023-12-07.ReviewsConfirmed by Google29-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the November 2023 reviews update from 8 November 2023 to 7 December 2023, a period of about 29 days. Google identified the affected area as its reviews systems, which are intended to reward original, useful reviews that demonstrate knowledge and first-hand experience. It did not identify individual sites or industries.
Why it mattered
The update was most relevant to sites publishing review content because it changed how Google’s systems evaluated that material. It was not presented as a general reassessment of every kind of page.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the November 2023 reviews update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
2 Nov 2023 – 28 Nov 2023November 2023 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the November 2023 core update from 2023-11-02 to 2023-11-28.CoreConfirmed by Google26-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the November 2023 core update from 2 November 2023 to 28 November 2023, a period of about 26 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the November 2023 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
5 Oct 2023 – 19 Oct 2023October 2023 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the October 2023 core update from 2023-10-05 to 2023-10-19.CoreConfirmed by Google14-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the October 2023 core update from 5 October 2023 to 19 October 2023, a period of about 14 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the October 2023 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
4 Oct 2023 – 20 Oct 2023October 2023 spam updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the October 2023 spam update from 2023-10-04 to 2023-10-20.SpamConfirmed by Google16-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the October 2023 spam update from 4 October 2023 to 20 October 2023, a period of about 16 days. Google did not identify particular spam practices, page types, industries or components of its spam-detection systems targeted by this rollout.
Why it mattered
This was a confirmed change to the automated systems Google uses to detect violations of its spam policies. As Google did not name a specific spam category for this rollout, it should be treated as a broad spam-system update rather than evidence that one particular tactic was targeted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the October 2023 spam update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
14 Sept 2023 – 28 Sept 2023September 2023 helpful content updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the September 2023 helpful content update from 2023-09-14 to 2023-09-28.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google14-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the September 2023 helpful content update from 14 September 2023 to 28 September 2023, a period of about 14 days. Google identified the affected system as its helpful content system, designed to give more visibility to content made for people and less to content produced primarily to attract search traffic.
Why it mattered
The named focus made this more specific than a general core update: it concerned whether a site’s content demonstrated a useful, people-first purpose. Google later incorporated this system into its core ranking systems.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the September 2023 helpful content update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
22 Aug 2023 – 7 Sept 2023August 2023 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the August 2023 core update from 2023-08-22 to 2023-09-07.CoreConfirmed by Google16-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the August 2023 core update from 22 August 2023 to 7 September 2023, a period of about 16 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the August 2023 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
25 May 2023Search Generative Experience opens in Search LabsGoogle opened access to an experimental generative AI experience inside Search Labs.AI SearchConfirmed by Google
Date note: SGE was an opt-in US experiment at launch, not a general ranking update or a universal Search rollout.
What happened
Search Generative Experience, or SGE, produced AI-generated snapshots, supporting links and conversational follow-up options for some searches.
Why it mattered
It was the direct experimental precursor to AI Overviews and marked Google’s first public integration of generative answers into Search.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
12 Apr 2023 – 25 Apr 2023April 2023 reviews updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the April 2023 reviews update from 2023-04-12 to 2023-04-25.ReviewsConfirmed by Google13-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the April 2023 reviews update from 12 April 2023 to 25 April 2023, a period of about 13 days. Google identified the affected area as its reviews systems, which are intended to reward original, useful reviews that demonstrate knowledge and first-hand experience. It did not identify individual sites or industries.
Why it mattered
The update was most relevant to sites publishing review content because it changed how Google’s systems evaluated that material. It was not presented as a general reassessment of every kind of page.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the April 2023 reviews update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
15 Mar 2023 – 28 Mar 2023March 2023 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the March 2023 core update from 2023-03-15 to 2023-03-28.CoreConfirmed by Google13-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the March 2023 core update from 15 March 2023 to 28 March 2023, a period of about 13 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the March 2023 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
21 Feb 2023 – 7 Mar 2023February 2023 product reviews updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the February 2023 product reviews update from 2023-02-21 to 2023-03-07.ReviewsConfirmed by Google14-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the February 2023 product reviews update from 21 February 2023 to 7 March 2023, a period of about 14 days. Google identified the affected area as its reviews systems, which are intended to reward original, useful reviews that demonstrate knowledge and first-hand experience. It did not identify individual sites or industries.
Why it mattered
The update was most relevant to sites publishing review content because it changed how Google’s systems evaluated that material. It was not presented as a general reassessment of every kind of page.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the February 2023 product reviews update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2022
14 Dec 2022 – 12 Jan 2023December 2022 link spam updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the December 2022 link spam update from 2022-12-14 to 2023-01-12.SpamConfirmed by Google29-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the December 2022 link spam update from 14 December 2022 to 12 January 2023, a period of about 29 days. Google identified this specifically as a link spam update, concerning links created or used to manipulate search rankings. It did not identify individual sites, page types or industries.
Why it mattered
Unlike a general spam update, the stated focus was the effect of manipulative links. When Google neutralises those links, any ranking benefit they previously passed can be lost rather than restored through a later reconsideration of the same links.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the December 2022 link spam update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
5 Dec 2022 – 12 Jan 2023December 2022 helpful content updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the December 2022 helpful content update from 2022-12-05 to 2023-01-12.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google38-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the December 2022 helpful content update from 5 December 2022 to 12 January 2023, a period of about 38 days. Google identified the affected system as its helpful content system, designed to give more visibility to content made for people and less to content produced primarily to attract search traffic.
Why it mattered
The named focus made this more specific than a general core update: it concerned whether a site’s content demonstrated a useful, people-first purpose. Google later incorporated this system into its core ranking systems.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the December 2022 helpful content update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
19 Oct 2022 – 21 Oct 2022October 2022 spam updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the October 2022 spam update from 2022-10-19 to 2022-10-21.SpamConfirmed by Google2-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the October 2022 spam update from 19 October 2022 to 21 October 2022, a period of about 2 days. Google did not identify particular spam practices, page types, industries or components of its spam-detection systems targeted by this rollout.
Why it mattered
This was a confirmed change to the automated systems Google uses to detect violations of its spam policies. As Google did not name a specific spam category for this rollout, it should be treated as a broad spam-system update rather than evidence that one particular tactic was targeted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the October 2022 spam update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
20 Sept 2022 – 26 Sept 2022September 2022 product reviews updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the September 2022 product reviews update from 2022-09-20 to 2022-09-26.ReviewsConfirmed by Google6-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the September 2022 product reviews update from 20 September 2022 to 26 September 2022, a period of about 6 days. Google identified the affected area as its reviews systems, which are intended to reward original, useful reviews that demonstrate knowledge and first-hand experience. It did not identify individual sites or industries.
Why it mattered
The update was most relevant to sites publishing review content because it changed how Google’s systems evaluated that material. It was not presented as a general reassessment of every kind of page.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the September 2022 product reviews update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
12 Sept 2022 – 26 Sept 2022September 2022 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the September 2022 core update from 2022-09-12 to 2022-09-26.CoreConfirmed by Google14-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the September 2022 core update from 12 September 2022 to 26 September 2022, a period of about 14 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the September 2022 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
25 Aug 2022 – 9 Sept 2022Helpful content systemGoogle introduced a site-wide signal intended to better reward content made primarily to help people.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google15-day rollout
Date note: Google incorporated this system into its core ranking systems in March 2024, so it is no longer announced as a separate periodic update.
What happened
The system aimed to reduce the visibility of content produced mainly to attract search visits without satisfying the visitor.
Why it mattered
It made people-first purpose, first-hand usefulness and audience fit central themes in Google’s public guidance.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
27 Jul 2022 – 2 Aug 2022July 2022 product reviews updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the July 2022 product reviews update from 2022-07-27 to 2022-08-02.ReviewsConfirmed by Google6-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the July 2022 product reviews update from 27 July 2022 to 2 August 2022, a period of about 6 days. Google identified the affected area as its reviews systems, which are intended to reward original, useful reviews that demonstrate knowledge and first-hand experience. It did not identify individual sites or industries.
Why it mattered
The update was most relevant to sites publishing review content because it changed how Google’s systems evaluated that material. It was not presented as a general reassessment of every kind of page.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the July 2022 product reviews update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
25 May 2022 – 9 Jun 2022May 2022 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the May 2022 core update from 2022-05-25 to 2022-06-09.CoreConfirmed by Google15-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the May 2022 core update from 25 May 2022 to 9 June 2022, a period of about 15 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the May 2022 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
23 Mar 2022 – 6 Apr 2022March 2022 product reviews updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the March 2022 product reviews update from 2022-03-23 to 2022-04-06.ReviewsConfirmed by Google14-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the March 2022 product reviews update from 23 March 2022 to 6 April 2022, a period of about 14 days. Google identified the affected area as its reviews systems, which are intended to reward original, useful reviews that demonstrate knowledge and first-hand experience. It did not identify individual sites or industries.
Why it mattered
The update was most relevant to sites publishing review content because it changed how Google’s systems evaluated that material. It was not presented as a general reassessment of every kind of page.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the March 2022 product reviews update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
22 Feb 2022 – 3 Mar 2022Page experience update for desktopGoogle recorded the rollout of the Page experience update for desktop from 2022-02-22 to 2022-03-03.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google9-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the Page experience update for desktop from 22 February 2022 to 3 March 2022, a period of about 9 days. Google identified this as the desktop rollout of page experience signals, extending considerations already used in mobile Search to desktop results.
Why it mattered
The rollout made desktop page experience part of Google’s ranking considerations while leaving relevance as the stronger concern. It did not mean that technical performance alone could make an irrelevant page rank.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the Page experience update for desktop in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2021
1 Dec 2021 – 21 Dec 2021December 2021 product reviews updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the December 2021 product reviews update from 2021-12-01 to 2021-12-21.ReviewsConfirmed by Google20-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the December 2021 product reviews update from 1 December 2021 to 21 December 2021, a period of about 20 days. Google identified the affected area as its reviews systems, which are intended to reward original, useful reviews that demonstrate knowledge and first-hand experience. It did not identify individual sites or industries.
Why it mattered
The update was most relevant to sites publishing review content because it changed how Google’s systems evaluated that material. It was not presented as a general reassessment of every kind of page.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the December 2021 product reviews update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
17 Nov 2021 – 30 Nov 2021November 2021 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the November 2021 core update from 2021-11-17 to 2021-11-30.CoreConfirmed by Google13-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the November 2021 core update from 17 November 2021 to 30 November 2021, a period of about 13 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the November 2021 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
3 Nov 2021 – 11 Nov 2021November 2021 spam updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the November 2021 spam update from 2021-11-03 to 2021-11-11.SpamConfirmed by Google8-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the November 2021 spam update from 3 November 2021 to 11 November 2021, a period of about 8 days. Google did not identify particular spam practices, page types, industries or components of its spam-detection systems targeted by this rollout.
Why it mattered
This was a confirmed change to the automated systems Google uses to detect violations of its spam policies. As Google did not name a specific spam category for this rollout, it should be treated as a broad spam-system update rather than evidence that one particular tactic was targeted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the November 2021 spam update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
26 Jul 2021 – 24 Aug 2021July 2021 link spam updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the July 2021 link spam update from 2021-07-26 to 2021-08-24.SpamConfirmed by Google29-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the July 2021 link spam update from 26 July 2021 to 24 August 2021, a period of about 29 days. Google identified this specifically as a link spam update, concerning links created or used to manipulate search rankings. It did not identify individual sites, page types or industries.
Why it mattered
Unlike a general spam update, the stated focus was the effect of manipulative links. When Google neutralises those links, any ranking benefit they previously passed can be lost rather than restored through a later reconsideration of the same links.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the July 2021 link spam update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
1 Jul 2021 – 12 Jul 2021July 2021 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the July 2021 core update from 2021-07-01 to 2021-07-12.CoreConfirmed by Google11-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the July 2021 core update from 1 July 2021 to 12 July 2021, a period of about 11 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the July 2021 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
28 Jun 2021 – 29 Jun 2021June 2021 spam update (second rollout)Google recorded the rollout of the June 2021 spam update (second rollout) from 2021-06-28 to 2021-06-29.SpamConfirmed by Google1-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the June 2021 spam update (second rollout) from 28 June 2021 to 29 June 2021, a period of about 1 day. Google did not identify particular spam practices, page types, industries or components of its spam-detection systems targeted by this rollout.
Why it mattered
This was a confirmed change to the automated systems Google uses to detect violations of its spam policies. As Google did not name a specific spam category for this rollout, it should be treated as a broad spam-system update rather than evidence that one particular tactic was targeted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the June 2021 spam update (second rollout) in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
23 Jun 2021 – 24 Jun 2021June 2021 spam update (first rollout)Google recorded the rollout of the June 2021 spam update (first rollout) from 2021-06-23 to 2021-06-24.SpamConfirmed by Google1-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the June 2021 spam update (first rollout) from 23 June 2021 to 24 June 2021, a period of about 1 day. Google did not identify particular spam practices, page types, industries or components of its spam-detection systems targeted by this rollout.
Why it mattered
This was a confirmed change to the automated systems Google uses to detect violations of its spam policies. As Google did not name a specific spam category for this rollout, it should be treated as a broad spam-system update rather than evidence that one particular tactic was targeted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the June 2021 spam update (first rollout) in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
15 Jun 2021 – 2 Sept 2021Page experience update for mobileGoogle rolled page experience signals, including Core Web Vitals, into its mobile ranking systems.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google79-day rollout
What happened
The update brought loading performance, responsiveness and visual stability into a wider set of page experience considerations.
Why it mattered
It connected measurable user-experience signals with ranking, while Google stressed that relevance remained more important.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
2 Jun 2021 – 12 Jun 2021June 2021 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the June 2021 core update from 2021-06-02 to 2021-06-12.CoreConfirmed by Google10-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the June 2021 core update from 2 June 2021 to 12 June 2021, a period of about 10 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the June 2021 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
18 May 2021MUM announcedGoogle announced the Multitask Unified Model, or MUM, for understanding complex information across language and media.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
Date note: A technology milestone rather than one dated algorithm update affecting every result at once.
What happened
MUM was presented as a technology for handling complex tasks and transferring understanding across languages and formats.
Why it mattered
It showed the direction of travel towards multimodal, multi-step search experiences, although it was not announced as one single ranking rollout.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
8 Apr 2021 – 22 Apr 2021April 2021 product reviews updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the April 2021 product reviews update from 2021-04-08 to 2021-04-22.ReviewsConfirmed by Google14-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the April 2021 product reviews update from 8 April 2021 to 22 April 2021, a period of about 14 days. Google identified the affected area as its reviews systems, which are intended to reward original, useful reviews that demonstrate knowledge and first-hand experience. It did not identify individual sites or industries.
Why it mattered
The update was most relevant to sites publishing review content because it changed how Google’s systems evaluated that material. It was not presented as a general reassessment of every kind of page.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the April 2021 product reviews update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
10 Feb 2021Passage rankingGoogle began using passages from a page as an additional signal for understanding relevance.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
What happened
The system could identify that one section of a long page answered a query even when the page as a whole covered a broader subject.
Why it mattered
It improved Google’s ability to surface specific answers from substantial pages without indexing passages as separate documents.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2020
3 Dec 2020 – 16 Dec 2020December 2020 core updateGoogle recorded the rollout of the December 2020 core update from 2020-12-03 to 2020-12-16.CoreConfirmed by Google13-day rollout
What happened
Google rolled out the December 2020 core update from 3 December 2020 to 16 December 2020, a period of about 13 days. Google described it as a broad update to its ranking systems and did not publish a checklist of ranking factors, page types or industries that changed.
Why it mattered
Core updates can alter how Google’s systems assess relevance and quality across many kinds of search. Because Google did not name individual factors for this rollout, the event is best understood as a broad systems change rather than evidence that one particular signal was adjusted.
What Google confirmed
Google listed the start, completion and duration of the December 2020 core update in the Ranking incident history.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2019
25 Oct 2019BERTGoogle introduced BERT in Search to understand the context of words within queries more accurately.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
What happened
BERT analyses words in relation to the words around them, which can help with conversational or nuanced searches.
Why it mattered
Google described it as one of the biggest advances in Search and said it would affect one in ten English-language queries in the US.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2018
24 Sept 2018Neural matchingGoogle introduced a neural-network system for matching the concepts represented by queries and pages.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
Date note: Google publicly described neural matching in September 2018; it did not present one universal rollout window.
What happened
Neural matching helps Search connect broader conceptual meanings even when the page does not contain the exact words used in the query.
Why it mattered
It filled an important step between RankBrain and BERT in Google’s use of artificial intelligence to retrieve and understand information.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
9 Jul 2018Speed Update for mobile searchGoogle extended page speed as a ranking consideration to mobile searches.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
What happened
The update was designed to affect pages delivering the slowest experiences, while search intent and relevance could still outweigh speed.
Why it mattered
It made mobile performance an explicit ranking concern before Core Web Vitals became part of the wider page experience work.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
26 Mar 2018Mobile-first indexing begins broad rolloutGoogle began notifying more sites that it would primarily use the mobile version of their content for indexing and ranking.Major milestonesConfirmed by Google
What happened
The mobile version became Google’s main reference for understanding many sites, reflecting the way most people were searching.
Why it mattered
Sites could no longer treat mobile content as a secondary or reduced version without search consequences.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2017
10 Jan 2017Intrusive mobile interstitials signalGoogle began applying a ranking signal to mobile pages whose main content was obscured by intrusive interstitials.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
What happened
The change focused on overlays and standalone interruptions that made content difficult to access after a person selected a mobile search result.
Why it mattered
It made immediate access to the promised content part of Google’s mobile search-quality considerations.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2015
26 Oct 2015RankBrainGoogle confirmed that a machine-learning system called RankBrain was helping it interpret searches and rank results.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
Date note: Publicly confirmed on this date; Google said the system had already been in use for several months.
What happened
RankBrain helps Search understand how words relate to concepts, particularly for unfamiliar or ambiguous queries.
Why it mattered
It was a prominent early use of machine learning in Google’s core ranking process. Its role in interpreting unfamiliar and ambiguous searches showed how learned relationships between concepts could improve retrieval beyond fixed matching rules.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
21 Apr 2015Mobile-friendly ranking signalGoogle expanded its use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal for searches on mobile devices.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
What happened
Pages that worked well on smaller screens could receive a ranking advantage in relevant mobile results.
Why it mattered
It made mobile usability a direct search consideration before mobile-first indexing became the default.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2014
7 Aug 2014HTTPS ranking signalGoogle began using secure HTTPS connections as a lightweight ranking signal.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
What happened
The signal gave a small ranking consideration to pages delivered over an encrypted connection while other signals, including relevance and content quality, remained more influential.
Why it mattered
It connected web security with Search and helped accelerate the wider move from HTTP to HTTPS. Google deliberately introduced it as a lightweight signal, showing that security could influence ranking without outweighing relevance and content quality.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2013
August 2013HummingbirdHummingbird was a broad rewrite intended to understand the meaning of queries and pages more effectively.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
Date note: Google announced Hummingbird in September 2013 and said it had been in use for about a month.
What happened
It helped Search interpret conversational language and relationships between concepts instead of relying only on exact word matches.
Why it mattered
It marked a shift towards understanding intent and meaning across a whole query. That made Search better equipped to handle longer, conversational questions where the relationship between words mattered more than an exact phrase match.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2012
28 Sept 2012Exact match domain systemGoogle introduced a system to prevent query-matching domain names from receiving too much ranking credit by themselves.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
Date note: Google publicly confirmed the 2012 change at the time; its current ranking-systems guide documents the continuing purpose of the system.
What happened
Words in a domain can still help Google understand relevance, but an exact match is only one signal and does not substitute for useful content.
Why it mattered
It reduced the advantage of acquiring keyword-heavy domains primarily to rank for the matching phrase.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
16 May 2012Knowledge GraphGoogle introduced a system for understanding real-world entities and the relationships between them.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
What happened
The Knowledge Graph let Search distinguish people, places and things that shared the same words, then surface connected facts and topics.
Why it mattered
It moved Search beyond matching strings of text and provided the foundation for knowledge panels and more entity-led results.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
24 Apr 2012PenguinGoogle launched a webspam change aimed at sites using tactics such as keyword stuffing and manipulative linking.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
What happened
Penguin targeted patterns that appeared to breach Google’s quality guidelines rather than simply rewarding the greatest volume of links.
Why it mattered
It raised the risk of artificial link-building and changed how businesses assessed link quality and penalties.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
February 2012Venice local-results changeGoogle improved the way its main search rankings helped trigger and order locally relevant results.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
Date note: Google described Venice among changes published in February 2012, without giving a separate day-level rollout date.
What happened
The Venice change made a searcher’s location more useful when Google decided that a query had local intent.
Why it mattered
It strengthened the connection between conventional organic rankings and local search, before later local changes received industry nicknames.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
19 Jan 2012Page Layout algorithmGoogle introduced a ranking change for pages where prominent advertising made the main content difficult to find.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
What happened
The system considered what a visitor could see near the top of a page, rather than treating every use of above-the-fold advertising as a problem.
Why it mattered
It linked the visible page layout to ranking and gave publishers a reason to keep the main content immediately accessible.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2011
3 Nov 2011Freshness updateGoogle made a significant ranking change to identify when a query called for newer information.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
What happened
The freshness systems distinguish fast-moving events, recurring subjects and frequently changing information from queries where older material remains useful.
Why it mattered
Google said at least one result changed for about 35% of searches, while clarifying that the noticeably affected share was smaller.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
24 Feb 2011PandaGoogle introduced a ranking change intended to reduce the visibility of low-quality sites and reward more useful, original content.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
What happened
The system assessed site-level quality signals at scale. Google later incorporated Panda into its core ranking systems.
Why it mattered
Panda made overall content quality and originality a much more visible part of search performance discussions.
What Google confirmed
Google said the change would noticeably affect 11.8% of US queries and was designed to reduce rankings for low-quality sites.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2010
8 Jun 2010Caffeine indexing systemGoogle completed a new web indexing system that could add newly discovered information continuously.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
What happened
Caffeine processed smaller portions of the web as they changed, replacing an older layered index that refreshed different sections at different speeds.
Why it mattered
It made substantially fresher results possible and provided the indexing foundation for a faster-moving web.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2007
16 May 2007Universal SearchGoogle began blending web pages, images, video, news, books and local information within one results page.Major milestonesConfirmed by Google
What happened
Universal Search selected relevant material across different Google indexes instead of requiring people to search each format separately.
Why it mattered
It changed the search results page from a list of web links into a mixed collection of formats and experiences.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2006
March 2006Bigdaddy infrastructure rolloutGoogle moved Search onto infrastructure designed to improve how it handled redirects, canonical URLs and other indexing signals.Major milestonesConfirmed by Google
Date note: Google engineer Matt Cutts described the data-centre migration as nearly complete in March 2006; no single completion day was published.
What happened
Bigdaddy was an infrastructure change rather than one isolated ranking algorithm. It changed the foundation on which later search-quality improvements could run.
Why it mattered
It was an early example of a large Search change affecting crawling and indexing architecture, not only the formula used to order results.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 2003
November 2003Florida updateA major early ranking change, later commonly called Florida, reshaped many commercial search results.Major milestones
Date note: Widely observed during November 2003; Google did not publish a precise rollout window.
What happened
Florida became an early example of a named update being used to investigate widespread ranking changes, even though modern dashboard-style confirmation did not yet exist.
Why it mattered
It changed how site owners thought about large-scale ranking changes and accelerated the move away from simplistic optimisation tactics.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- 1998
4 Sept 1998PageRank and the launch of GoogleGoogle launched with link analysis at the centre of its approach to ordering web pages.Ranking systemsConfirmed by Google
What happened
PageRank treated links between pages as signals of importance, alongside the words and structure of the pages themselves.
Why it mattered
It helped Google return useful results from a rapidly growing web and made links a lasting part of how search visibility was understood.
- Maintained through
- searchDecoded editorial review
- First added
- 13 Aug 2026
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
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Method and maintenance
Confirmed facts stay separate from interpretation
An automated check reads Google’s public Search Status Dashboard. It accepts recognised ranking updates and excludes outages, serving problems and unrelated incidents. Safety checks stop publication if the official feed returns an unexpected result.
searchDecoded maintains older systems and milestones separately, using primary sources and notes wherever dates are uncertain. The page combines both sources without showing the same event twice.