Google core updates: what to do before, during and after
How core updates work, how long they take, and a calm plan for checking whether one actually affected your site.
Every few months Google announces a core update and publishers start refreshing their analytics. Some sites go up, some go down, and forums fill with theories. Most of that panic is avoidable. Here's how core updates actually work and what to do at each stage.
What a core update is
A core update is a broad change to Google's overall ranking systems. It isn't aimed at a particular site or type of page. Google runs several a year and announces them on its Search Status Dashboard. Recent ones include the December 2025, March 2026 and May 2026 core updates, and you can see all of them with exact dates on our Google updates tracker.
Google's own advice is that a drop after a core update doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong with your pages. Other pages may simply have become a better match for the query.
How long a rollout takes
Google usually says a core update can take up to two weeks to roll out. Looking at the dashboard, the May 2026 core update ran from 21 May to 2 June, and the December 2025 update ran from 11 December to 29 December. During that time rankings can move up and down more than once.
Before an update
You can't prepare for a specific update, because Google doesn't pre-announce them in detail. You can make your site less exposed:
- Keep thin or outdated pages to a minimum. Update, merge or remove them.
- Make authorship, dates and sources clear on every article.
- Record a baseline: note your top pages and their traffic each month so you have something to compare against.
During the rollout
Do as little as possible. Big changes in the middle of a rollout make it impossible to tell what the update did and what you did. Keep publishing normally, note the start date, and resist rewriting pages based on a few days of data.
After it's finished
- Wait for "complete". Google marks the update finished on the dashboard. Then wait about a week more before judging.
- Compare like with like. A full week after the update ended against a full week before it started, in Search Console.
- Find the pattern. Did a whole section drop, or a few pages? Did you lose rankings, or just clicks because the results page changed?
- Look at who replaced you. For the pages that fell, read what now ranks above you. What do those pages offer that yours doesn't?
- Improve the content, not the tags. Google's guidance is to focus on content quality. Title tweaks and technical fixes rarely reverse a core update drop.
How long recovery takes
Google has said improvements can be recognised over time, but some changes may not show until the next core update. That means recovery is often measured in months. Keep improving steadily rather than making one big change and waiting.
Not every drop is an update. Google also logs crawling, indexing and serving problems on its dashboard. Our tracker lists those too, so check the date of your drop against both before assuming the worst.
Common questions
How often does Google release core updates?
Several times a year. Each one is announced on the Google Search Status Dashboard with a start date and a completion date.
How long does a core update take to roll out?
Google usually says up to about two weeks. Recent core updates took roughly 12 to 18 days.
Can I recover from a core update drop?
Yes, by improving the helpfulness and quality of content. Some improvements may only be reflected at the next core update.