August 27, 2025
The August 2025 spam update is officially complete as of 22 September, following a 27-day rollout. Google initially announced the release of the August 2025 spam update via X on 26 August:
As with most spam updates, Google didn't provided any specific details, only that it was a broad spam update that applied to all countries and languages.
Google periodically releases spam updates to penalise websites that violate the spam policies in an attempt to manipulate the search engine into ranking content highly. This can include cloaking, hidden text, scraping, and link spamming.
Google has regularly released spam updates over the last few years. Here’s a timeline:
Last year, Google aimed to reduce unhelpful content by 40% and, in April 2024, Google stated there was now 45% less low-quality content in the search results.
Volatility in the search results had already been apparent a few days prior to the rollout, leading many to suspect something was about to happen:
And the update didn't take long to make an impact. SEO consultant Glenn Gabe reported big drops in visibility across numerous sites just two days after its release:
Volatility did appear to cool down briefly and some sites actually saw significant improvements:
However, it heated up again around 10 September.
That being said, on 11 September, SEOs noticed Google dropped the &num=100 parameter. This significantly disrupted ranking tools and wreaked havoc in Google Search Console. So past this date, tracking the affects of the August 2025 spam update has been virtually impossible.
Spam updates should only affect websites that are in violation of Google's spam policies. If you have been affected by the August 2025 spam update, it's crucial that you review Google's spam policies and remove or replace any content that doesn't comply.
With Google dropping the &num=100 parameter, it is hard to gauge the true effects of this update, but if you are concerned that you've been hit by it, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.
