Last Updated on September 26, 2025 by Ian Naylor
Google has officially wrapped up the rollout of its highly anticipated August 2025 spam update. After a 27-day rollout period, the update, which began on August 26, 2025, at 12:00 pm ET, reached completion on September 22, 2025, at approximately 2:00 am ET.
A Broad Global Update
The August 2025 spam update is a broad algorithm change targeting websites that violate Google’s search spam policies. Unlike link spam updates, this particular rollout does not address link-related violations or site reputation abuse. Google has confirmed that this update applies globally and to all languages, aligning with their ongoing efforts to create a cleaner, spam-free search experience.
According to Google, the update aims to penalize websites employing spam techniques that breach its policies. For those affected, recovery may take months and will likely require compliance with Google’s spam policies. As Google noted, "Released the August 2025 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take a few weeks to complete." The company later confirmed its completion, stating, "The rollout was complete as of September 22, 2025."
Timeline and Key Observations
The rollout had a dynamic trajectory. Initially, the update hit "fast and hard", as observed just a day after its launch on August 27, 2025. Activity appeared to cool in early September, only to intensify again around September 9, 2025. Tracking the update’s progress became difficult after September 10 due to changes in Google’s search result tracking, leading to less reliable data from third-party tools.
This update marked a significant shift by Google, which also discontinued the "num" parameter, a feature allowing users to view more search results per page. The removal caused disruptions for third-party tracking tools and led to reported declines in impressions within Google Search Console. Google clarified that the "num" parameter was "not officially supported", adding to the challenges of monitoring the update.
Community Feedback on the Update
The rollout sparked mixed reactions within the SEO and webmaster communities. Some users noted sharp drops in impressions, with speculation about whether these changes were tied to the spam update or broader issues in Google’s tools. As one commenter observed, "OK, for the last two days something is really off. Google sends 90% of traffic to only one page. This page is set to noindex. In Google Search Console it is listed as found but currently not crawled."
Another user highlighted a significant decline in impressions starting around September 10, 2025, stating, "Impressions cut in half, clicks holding steady across numerous websites. Small and large. Did I get hit with spam penalties, or is this normal… hmmm." The unpredictability of these changes caused frustration for some, while others viewed the adjustments as a positive step toward improving search results.
One user expressed support for changes that reduce reliance on scraping tools, saying, "Anything that blocks or reduces the ability for those to scale up from scraping the net however many 1000s of times a day, has to be a good thing – for those that know how to do their thing without scraping."
A Lengthy Rollout
With a duration of 27 days, the August 2025 spam update took significantly longer than some of its predecessors. Notably, it extended 20 days beyond the December 2024 spam update, which rolled out in just seven days. However, this extended timeline is not unprecedented, as other updates have also taken weeks to complete.
Looking Ahead
Google has indicated that future periodic refreshes of the spam update will occur, and recovery may require patience for those affected. The company encourages site owners to thoroughly review and align with its spam policies to improve their standing in search rankings.
As with all algorithm updates, the long-term impact of the August 2025 spam update will likely become clearer in the months to come. For now, it remains another significant chapter in Google’s ongoing efforts to refine the search ecosystem.
