Google released an update to its spam system on August 26, 2025. While they did not mention a specific end date, they expect the rollout to be completed within a few weeks.
With that said, you should note that this is a spam update, and not a link spam update. (Google releases updates to its link spam system separately.)
Google’s Official Announcement
Google announced the August 2025 Spam Update on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. On LinkedIn, Google mentioned that the spam update will cover all languages and regions.
What Are People Saying?
Many bloggers had reservations about the August 2025 Spam Update.
Some raised concerns about Google’s preference for directing traffic to forums like Reddit. Others expressed concern about the expansion of Google’s AI products, such as AI Mode and AI Overviews, which they accused of diverting their traffic.
https://x.com/natejhake/status/1960382308789125494
On August 27, 2025, a day after the update was released, Glenn Gabe suggested the update may be targeted at AI-generated content that appear in sources Google considers for AI Overviews.
He added that Google may release a broad core update once the spam update is completed.
https://x.com/glenngabe/status/1960675214309683231
Previous Spam Updates
The August 2025 Spam Update is Google’s first spam update of 2025. Here are a few other spam updates Google has released over the years:
- December 2024 Spam Update: December 19 – December 26, 2024
- June 2024 Spam Update: June 20 – June 27, 2024
- March 2024 Spam Update: March 5 – March 20, 2024
- October 2023 Spam Update: October 4 – October 20, 2023
- December 2022 Link Spam Update: December 14, 2022 – January 12, 2023
- October 2022 Spam Update: October 19 – October 21, 2022
- November 2021 Anti-Spam Update: November 3 – November 11, 2021
- Link Spam Update: July 26 – August 24, 2021
- Anti-Spam Update II: June 29, 2021
- Anti-Spam Update: June 23, 2021
What’s Next – Dealing with This Update
The August 2025 Spam Update will be on for a while. For now, bloggers and SEOs have not observed volatility or any significant changes in their traffic. However, you may experience traffic changes in the future. So, you should begin monitoring your traffic using Rank Math Analytics.
