https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/ Dated changes to Google, Meta and other ad platforms, sourced from official announcements only. en Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-search-console-multimodal-reporting-september-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-search-console-multimodal-reporting-september-2026/ Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Search On 24 September 2026 Google announced Search Console reporting for web multimodal search, which covers searches made with images. The data is rolling out globally from that day. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-september-2026-spam-update/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-september-2026-spam-update/ Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Search Google released the September 2026 spam update on 24 September 2026, with worldwide scope across every language. The Search Status Dashboard does not yet record a completion date. Google's guidance says a site that sees movement after a spam update should check itself against the spam policies. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/ga4-hostname-include-filters-september-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/ga4-hostname-include-filters-september-2026/ Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT GA4 and Tag Manager GA4 now offers Include data filters for hostnames, so a property can list which domains are allowed to send it event data. Until now only Exclude filters existed, and they needed manual upkeep as new spam sources appeared. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/ga4-dashboards-september-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/ga4-dashboards-september-2026/ Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT GA4 and Tag Manager Dashboards are now available in Google Analytics, giving businesses a flexible way to see their KPIs on a single report. The launch includes drag-and-drop building and new report visualizations. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-youtube-alcohol-personalization-october-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-youtube-alcohol-personalization-october-2026/ Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Ads Google is updating its personalized advertising policy from 30 October 2026 to allow alcohol personalisation on YouTube inventory where it is locally permitted. Google says it still prohibits targeting health information related to alcohol and does not personalise ads for minors. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-api-v22-sunset-october-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-api-v22-sunset-october-2026/ Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Ads Google announced on 2 September 2026 that Google Ads API v22 sunsets on 7 October 2026. From that date all v22 API requests begin to fail, so integrations must move to a newer version. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-developer-policies-proxy-change-august-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-developer-policies-proxy-change-august-2026/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Ads On 31 August 2026 Google updated what was the Google Ads API Policy, now the Google Ads Developer Policies. Integrations must connect directly to Google Ads services through their own dedicated Google Cloud project rather than a programmatic proxy. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-site-reputation-policy-eea-update-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-site-reputation-policy-eea-update-2026/ Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Search On 28 August 2026 Google said it is adjusting how it enforces its site reputation policy within the European Economic Area, following discussion with the European Commission. From 30 August 2026, a manual action under the policy has a different effect for searchers in the EEA than for searchers elsewhere. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-august-2026-spam-update/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-august-2026-spam-update/ Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Search Google released the August 2026 spam update on 18 August 2026, with worldwide scope across every language. The Search Status Dashboard marks the rollout complete on 21 August 2026. Google's guidance says a site that sees movement after a spam update should check itself against the spam policies. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/ga4-custom-conversion-windows-august-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/ga4-custom-conversion-windows-august-2026/ Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT GA4 and Tag Manager GA4 conversions now take a custom lookback window, given as a whole number of days, for both click-through and engaged-view conversions. Engaged-view windows run from 1 to 30 days and click-through windows from 1 to 90 days. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/ga4-aggregate-identifier-diagnostic-july-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/ga4-aggregate-identifier-diagnostic-july-2026/ Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT GA4 and Tag Manager Google Analytics added a diagnostic that warns when campaign data accuracy is affected by missing URL parameters. Properties where the aggregate identifiers are missing from the URL see the problem URLs and ways to resolve the issue. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/meta-advantage-audience-explicit-hec-july-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/meta-advantage-audience-explicit-hec-july-2026/ Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Meta Ads From Marketing API version 26.0, a Housing, Employment or Financial Products and Services ad set that uses relaxable targeting outside a broad setup needs an explicit Advantage+ audience value. Omitting it now returns an error rather than falling back to a default. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/meta-commerce-order-management-api-deprecation-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/meta-commerce-order-management-api-deprecation-2026/ Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Facebook Meta has sunset checkout on Facebook and Instagram for Shops, so the commerce order infrastructure behind it is being retired. Calls on version 26.0 and later were blocked from 29 July 2026, and the affected endpoints leave all remaining versions on 27 October 2026. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/meta-graph-api-legacy-protocol-deprecation-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/meta-graph-api-legacy-protocol-deprecation-2026/ Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Facebook From version 26.0 on 29 July 2026, the Graph API stopped supporting several legacy protocol behaviours. The same changes reach all remaining supported versions on 27 October 2026. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/meta-marketing-api-v26-july-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/meta-marketing-api-v26-july-2026/ Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Meta Ads Meta released version 26.0 of the Graph API and Marketing API on 29 July 2026. Several advertising changes arrive with it, and some reach every remaining supported version on 27 October 2026. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/meta-whatsapp-status-ads-expansion-july-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/meta-whatsapp-status-ads-expansion-july-2026/ Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT WhatsApp Business With Marketing API version 26.0, released on 29 July 2026, Ads in WhatsApp Status gained identity, targeting, optimisation and creative capabilities. Offsite conversion optimisation is supported for the Sales, Leads and Engagement objectives. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/ga4-campaign-import-currency-required-july-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/ga4-campaign-import-currency-required-july-2026/ Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT GA4 and Tag Manager Google Analytics campaign data import now requires a currency field whenever cost data is uploaded. You can map the currency from a column in the data source or apply one fixed currency to the whole dataset. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-appeals-limit-six-months-july-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-appeals-limit-six-months-july-2026/ Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Ads From 21 July 2026, Google Ads no longer offers in-account appeals for policy decisions taken more than 6 months earlier. Anything decided inside that window can still be appealed from the account as before. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-ai-labeling-requirements-july-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-ai-labeling-requirements-july-2026/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Ads From July 2026 Google permits text or visual AI labels inside image and video ad creatives, and those labels do not breach its rules on text overlays and watermarks. A matching AI label setting reached Google Ads, Display and Video 360, Campaign Manager 360, Merchant Center and Ads Editor during that month. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-search-console-platform-properties-july-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-search-console-platform-properties-july-2026/ Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Search On 7 July 2026 Google introduced platform properties, a Search Console property type for social and video posts on Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube. Google said they became globally available to everyone on 29 July 2026. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-june-2026-spam-update/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-june-2026-spam-update/ Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Search Google released the June 2026 spam update on 24 June 2026, with worldwide scope across every language. The Search Status Dashboard marks the rollout complete on 26 June 2026. Google's guidance says a site that sees movement after a spam update should check itself against the spam policies. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-financial-services-verification-eea-june-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-financial-services-verification-eea-june-2026/ Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Ads Google extended its Financial Services Verification requirements to advertisers targeting 24 more European Economic Area markets. Rolling enforcement began on 23 July 2026, and in-scope advertisers are notified in their account. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-restricted-targeting-demand-gen-june-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-restricted-targeting-demand-gen-june-2026/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Ads In June 2026 Google updated its Restricted targeting in Personalized advertising article. The update adds clarifying information about Demand Gen and Discovery campaigns and the serving effects for products and services in sensitive interest categories. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-search-console-generative-ai-reports-june-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-search-console-generative-ai-reports-june-2026/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Search On 3 June 2026 Google launched Search Generative AI performance reports in Search Console, with dedicated reports for Search and for Discover. Google states that as of 31 August 2026 the insights are available to all websites worldwide. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-may-2026-core-update/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-may-2026-core-update/ Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Search Google released the May 2026 core update on 21 May 2026, and the Search Status Dashboard marks the rollout complete on 2 June 2026. Google's own guidance describes core updates as broad changes that do not target specific sites or pages. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-back-button-hijacking-spam-policy-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-back-button-hijacking-spam-policy-2026/ Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Search On 13 April 2026 Google announced that back button hijacking is an explicit violation of its malicious practices spam policy. Enforcement starts on 15 June 2026, two months after the announcement. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-march-2026-core-update/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-march-2026-core-update/ Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Search Google released the March 2026 core update on 27 March 2026, and the Search Status Dashboard marks the rollout complete on 8 April 2026. Google's own guidance describes core updates as broad changes that do not target specific sites or pages. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-march-2026-spam-update/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-march-2026-spam-update/ Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Search Google released the March 2026 spam update on 24 March 2026, with worldwide scope across every language. The Search Status Dashboard marks the rollout complete on 25 March 2026. Google's guidance says a site that sees movement after a spam update should check itself against the spam policies. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-february-2026-discover-core-update/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-february-2026-discover-core-update/ Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Search Google released the February 2026 Discover core update on 5 February 2026 as a broad change to how Discover surfaces articles. The Search Status Dashboard marks the rollout complete on 27 February 2026, and the release started with English-language users in the US. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-gambling-policy-india-rummy-fantasy-january-2026/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-ads-gambling-policy-india-rummy-fantasy-january-2026/ Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Google Ads Google updated the India section of its Gambling and games policy on 21 January 2026 to comply with local legal requirements. All Rummy and Daily Fantasy Sports promotions targeting India are disallowed. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-december-2025-core-update/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-december-2025-core-update/ Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Google Search Google released the December 2025 core update on 11 December 2025, and the Search Status Dashboard marks the rollout complete on 29 December 2025. Google's own guidance describes core updates as broad changes that do not target specific sites or pages. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-search-console-branded-queries-filter-november-2025/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-search-console-branded-queries-filter-november-2025/ Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Google Search On 20 November 2025 Google added a branded queries filter to the Search Console performance report, which splits query data into branded and non-branded views. Google updated the post on 11 March 2026 to say the filter is available to all eligible sites. https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-search-results-page-simplification-november-2025/ https://mynameiskalam.com/updates/google-search-results-page-simplification-november-2025/ Wed, 05 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Google Search On 5 November 2025 Google said it is beginning to phase out lesser-used features on the search results page to simplify it. Search Console and its API stop supporting the related structured data types from January 2026.