Google Releases December 2025 Core Update

Google has announced the release of its December 2025 core update. This was confirmed on the company’s Search Status Dashboard on December 11, 2025, at 9:25 a.m. Pacific Time. This update is the third core update from Google in 2025, following earlier updates in March and June.

What’s New

Google describes this update as an “incident affecting ranking.” The rollout of this update might take up to three weeks to finish. Core updates are significant changes to Google’s ranking systems that aim to improve search results overall. Unlike other updates that target specific issues like spam, core updates change how Google evaluates content all over the internet.

2025 Core Update Timeline

The December update comes after two earlier core updates this year:

• The March 2025 core update took place from March 13 to March 27, lasting 14 days. Data showed that this update caused similar changes in search results as the December 2024 core update.
• The June 2025 core update occurred between June 30 and July 17, lasting about 16 days. This was noted as one of the larger core updates in recent times, with some websites that had been negatively affected by the September 2023 Helpful Content Update seeing improvements.

Documentation Update on Continuous Changes

Just two days before the December core update, Google updated its documentation about how core updates work. The updated documentation now states:

“However, you don’t necessarily have to wait for a major core update to see the effect of your improvements. We’re continually making updates to our search algorithms, including smaller core updates. These updates are not announced because they aren’t widely noticeable, but they are another way that your content can see a rise in position (if you’ve made improvements).”

This change in documentation clarifies that improvements to content can lead to better rankings without waiting for the next big update.

Why This Matters

If you notice changes in your website’s rankings in the coming weeks, this core update is likely the reason. Core updates can affect the rankings of pages that were not previously doing anything wrong. Google has consistently mentioned that a drop in visibility after an update does not mean there are issues that need to be fixed. Instead, the systems are re-evaluating content in relation to other available content.

The documentation update serves as a reminder that rankings can change between major updates, as Google makes smaller adjustments behind the scenes.

Looking Ahead

Google will provide updates on the Search Status Dashboard when the rollout is complete. It’s essential to monitor your website’s rankings and traffic over the next three weeks. If you notice changes, make sure to document when they happen in relation to this update.

Based on the previous updates in 2025, completion usually takes two to three weeks. Google will confirm this through the dashboard and its Search Central social media accounts.