Update - November 3, 2026 - 3:30PM EST
What's happening:
Google continues to return altered search results to automated ranking checks across the industry. Most rank tracking tools, including ours, are still affected. In testing, checks return results that don't match what a real searcher sees, so a keyword can look like it dropped or disappeared when it’s still ranking.
What we've done since the last update:
- Extended the false-drop period from October 19 to November 1.
- We’re working on new ways to draw more data samples over time. Google's anti-automation measures are still strong (see https://nozzle.io/research/poisoned-google-serps/), so we're testing approaches that check rankings from multiple sources. The goal is to cut through altered results and record only rankings we can trust.
What this means for your data:
- Rankings from September 24 to November 1: all recorded drops in this period have been removed from rankings, averages and reports. Affected keywords show their last confirmed rank made before September 24.
- Rankings since November 1: some keywords may still show a sharp drop or "Not Found" when they are actually ranking. Treat a sudden drop as unconfirmed until it shows up in more than one check. We'll extend this period as needed.
A note on SERP snapshots: during this period, the ranking shown for a keyword and the page behind its SERP link may not match. The SERP link opens the exact results page we received on the most recent check. If that check was one of the altered results, the snapshot won't show your site in its usual position (or at all) while the ranking shown is the last confirmed one. In that case the ranking is the more reliable figure, and the snapshot is a record of what Google returned to our last check.
What you can do:
- Use Refresh Rankings to re-check a keyword that looks wrong.
- Turn on "Ignore Lost/Found Keywords" in Rank Tracker settings to keep brief disappearances out of reported changes.
- Check Google Search Console for the same query and date if a drop matters for a client report.
- If you'd like to inform your customers, use Bulk Actions → Reports → Edit email message to drop a short note about the rank tracking issue right into the report email so clients see it with the report instead of in a separate email they might skip.
We'll post here again as soon as there's more information to share. Thanks for your patience.
Nov 03, 2026 - 15:30 EST
What's happening:
Google continues to return altered search results to automated ranking checks across the industry. Most rank tracking tools, including ours, are still affected. In testing, checks return results that don't match what a real searcher sees, so a keyword can look like it dropped or disappeared when it’s still ranking.
What we've done since the last update:
- Extended the false-drop period from October 19 to November 1.
- We’re working on new ways to draw more data samples over time. Google's anti-automation measures are still strong (see https://nozzle.io/research/poisoned-google-serps/), so we're testing approaches that check rankings from multiple sources. The goal is to cut through altered results and record only rankings we can trust.
What this means for your data:
- Rankings from September 24 to November 1: all recorded drops in this period have been removed from rankings, averages and reports. Affected keywords show their last confirmed rank made before September 24.
- Rankings since November 1: some keywords may still show a sharp drop or "Not Found" when they are actually ranking. Treat a sudden drop as unconfirmed until it shows up in more than one check. We'll extend this period as needed.
A note on SERP snapshots: during this period, the ranking shown for a keyword and the page behind its SERP link may not match. The SERP link opens the exact results page we received on the most recent check. If that check was one of the altered results, the snapshot won't show your site in its usual position (or at all) while the ranking shown is the last confirmed one. In that case the ranking is the more reliable figure, and the snapshot is a record of what Google returned to our last check.
What you can do:
- Use Refresh Rankings to re-check a keyword that looks wrong.
- Turn on "Ignore Lost/Found Keywords" in Rank Tracker settings to keep brief disappearances out of reported changes.
- Check Google Search Console for the same query and date if a drop matters for a client report.
- If you'd like to inform your customers, use Bulk Actions → Reports → Edit email message to drop a short note about the rank tracking issue right into the report email so clients see it with the report instead of in a separate email they might skip.
We'll post here again as soon as there's more information to share. Thanks for your patience.
Nov 03, 2026 - 15:30 EST
Update - What's happening:
Google is still returning altered search results to automated ranking checks across the industry. Most rank tracking tools, including ours, continue to be affected. On top of that, Google's rankings moved sharply on October 20–21 and again on October 24. Google has not confirmed an update, so some of what you see in those days is real movement and some is not.
What this means for your data:
Rankings from September 24 to October 19: false drops in this window have been removed from rankings, averages and reports. Affected keywords show their last confirmed ranking. Rankings since October 19: Some keywords may still show a sharp drop or "Not Found" when they are ranking. Treat sudden drops as unconfirmed until they persist for more than one check. We will continue extend this lost ranking exclusion window as necessary.
Note: Google Local (map pack) rankings have been less affected than desktop and mobile.
What we've done since the last update:
- Added smarter re-checking: keywords that normally rank now get extra attempts before being recorded as Not Found. In its first two weeks this recovered rankings for roughly 7 of every 100 checks that would otherwise have shown as missing.
- Extended the outage window from October 13 to October 19
What you can do:
- Use the SERP link on any keyword to see the exact pages we received.
- Use Refresh Rankings to re-check a keyword that looks wrong.
- Turn on "Ignore Lost/Found Keywords" in Rank Tracker settings to keep brief disappearances out of reporting changes.
- Check Google Search Console for the same query and date if a drop matters for a client report.
We'll post here again when there's a material change. Thank you for your patience.
Oct 27, 2026 - 12:37 EDT
Google is still returning altered search results to automated ranking checks across the industry. Most rank tracking tools, including ours, continue to be affected. On top of that, Google's rankings moved sharply on October 20–21 and again on October 24. Google has not confirmed an update, so some of what you see in those days is real movement and some is not.
What this means for your data:
Rankings from September 24 to October 19: false drops in this window have been removed from rankings, averages and reports. Affected keywords show their last confirmed ranking. Rankings since October 19: Some keywords may still show a sharp drop or "Not Found" when they are ranking. Treat sudden drops as unconfirmed until they persist for more than one check. We will continue extend this lost ranking exclusion window as necessary.
Note: Google Local (map pack) rankings have been less affected than desktop and mobile.
What we've done since the last update:
- Added smarter re-checking: keywords that normally rank now get extra attempts before being recorded as Not Found. In its first two weeks this recovered rankings for roughly 7 of every 100 checks that would otherwise have shown as missing.
- Extended the outage window from October 13 to October 19
What you can do:
- Use the SERP link on any keyword to see the exact pages we received.
- Use Refresh Rankings to re-check a keyword that looks wrong.
- Turn on "Ignore Lost/Found Keywords" in Rank Tracker settings to keep brief disappearances out of reporting changes.
- Check Google Search Console for the same query and date if a drop matters for a client report.
We'll post here again when there's a material change. Thank you for your patience.
Oct 27, 2026 - 12:37 EDT
Update - Last week, we extended the exclusion window to cover checks through October 9, and we now have a clearer picture of what's causing the false drops.
What's happening:
Google has stepped up its defenses against automated scraping of its search results, a move aimed mainly at AI companies that collect Google results in bulk. Rank tracking tools across the industry, including ours, are caught in it. Google isn't simply blocking these checks. In some cases it returns a complete, normal-looking results page where many of the usual sites have been replaced. Nothing on the page signals that anything is wrong, which is why these results can look like real ranking drops.
Separately, Google's September spam update finished rolling out on October 8. That update caused real ranking changes for some sites between September 24 and October 8, so not every movement in that window comes from this issue.
What this means for your data:
- Rankings you saw between September 24 and October 9: Any false drops in this window have been removed, including from reports and averages. Affected keywords now show their last confirmed ranking, so there's nothing you need to do.
- Rankings from October 10 onward: Many checks are still affected while this issue continues, so recent ranking changes showing sharp drops should be treated with caution for now.
What we're doing:
- Excluding the affected checks from September 24 to October 9, so false drops won't appear in your rankings, averages, or reports. Affected keywords will show their last confirmed ranking instead.
- Working to improve the reliability of future checks.
- Reviewing checks from October 10 onward and continuing to monitor results closely. We'll post another update here as soon as we have more to share.
Oct 14, 2026 - 15:10 EDT
What's happening:
Google has stepped up its defenses against automated scraping of its search results, a move aimed mainly at AI companies that collect Google results in bulk. Rank tracking tools across the industry, including ours, are caught in it. Google isn't simply blocking these checks. In some cases it returns a complete, normal-looking results page where many of the usual sites have been replaced. Nothing on the page signals that anything is wrong, which is why these results can look like real ranking drops.
Separately, Google's September spam update finished rolling out on October 8. That update caused real ranking changes for some sites between September 24 and October 8, so not every movement in that window comes from this issue.
What this means for your data:
- Rankings you saw between September 24 and October 9: Any false drops in this window have been removed, including from reports and averages. Affected keywords now show their last confirmed ranking, so there's nothing you need to do.
- Rankings from October 10 onward: Many checks are still affected while this issue continues, so recent ranking changes showing sharp drops should be treated with caution for now.
What we're doing:
- Excluding the affected checks from September 24 to October 9, so false drops won't appear in your rankings, averages, or reports. Affected keywords will show their last confirmed ranking instead.
- Working to improve the reliability of future checks.
- Reviewing checks from October 10 onward and continuing to monitor results closely. We'll post another update here as soon as we have more to share.
Oct 14, 2026 - 15:10 EDT
Identified - What we've identified:
Since September 24, Rank Tracker has shown some keywords dropping sharply or as "Not Found" while they were still ranking on Google. These drops are not real ranking changes and do not reflect your SEO work.
What's happening:
Google changed how it responds to automated ranking checks, and some checks now come back incomplete. This is affecting rank tracking tools across the industry, including ours. Google's September spam update is also causing real ranking changes for some sites, so not every movement this month comes from this issue. We know this landed during month-end reporting, and we're sorry for the trouble it's causing you and your clients.
What we're doing:
- Excluding the affected checks from September 24 to October 2, so false drops won't appear in your rankings, averages, or reports. Affected keywords will show their last confirmed ranking instead.
- Working on a fix for future checks.
Oct 01, 2026 - 16:56 EDT
Since September 24, Rank Tracker has shown some keywords dropping sharply or as "Not Found" while they were still ranking on Google. These drops are not real ranking changes and do not reflect your SEO work.
What's happening:
Google changed how it responds to automated ranking checks, and some checks now come back incomplete. This is affecting rank tracking tools across the industry, including ours. Google's September spam update is also causing real ranking changes for some sites, so not every movement this month comes from this issue. We know this landed during month-end reporting, and we're sorry for the trouble it's causing you and your clients.
What we're doing:
- Excluding the affected checks from September 24 to October 2, so false drops won't appear in your rankings, averages, or reports. Affected keywords will show their last confirmed ranking instead.
- Working on a fix for future checks.
Oct 01, 2026 - 16:56 EDT
Investigating - Since September 24th, some Rank Tracker results have shown keywords as dropping sharply or 'not found' while they were still ranking on Google. This is caused by recent changes in how Google serves results to automated tools, which are affecting rank trackers across the industry, us included.
Our team is actively working to identify a solution, and we'll provide updates as we learn more.
Sep 30, 2026 - 16:51 EDT
Our team is actively working to identify a solution, and we'll provide updates as we learn more.
Sep 30, 2026 - 16:51 EDT
API
Operational
Dashboard
Operational
Task Management
Operational
Site Auditor
Operational
Custom Domains
Operational
Report Email Notifications
Operational
Website
Operational
Data and Integrations
Degraded Performance
Rankings
Degraded Performance
Facebook
Operational
Twitter
Operational
Instagram
Operational
Google Analytics
Operational
Google Adwords
Operational
Facebook Ads
Operational
LinkedIn
Operational
Youtube
Operational
Backlinks
Operational
Bing Webmaster Tools
Operational
Simpli.fi
Operational
Google Local Service Ads
Operational
Operational
Degraded Performance
Partial Outage
Major Outage
Maintenance