Web News for October 7, 2026: Google Cracks Down on Fake Authors, Spam Update Wraps Up and Retry-After

Google has added a clear rule to its guidance: fake author profiles (invented names, AI-generated headshots, false credentials) now count as deception. Every day, our web agency in Tunis sums up the web news that matters for your website. Also today: the final wave of the September 2026 spam update, the Retry-After header for slowing Googlebot in an emergency, multi-country filters in Search Console, and new tests in ChatGPT and Google AI Mode.

1. Google says fake author profiles are deception

On October 6, 2026, Google updated its Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content page. The new passage, spotted by Search Engine Roundtable, reads: "Avoid using deceptive authorship information. Fabricating creator profiles (such as by using AI-generated headshots, made-up names, or false credentials to make content appear as if it was written by human experts) is a form of deception."

What the fake author rule means for your site

• Sign articles with real people, their real job title and a real photo.
• If AI helped draft a text, do not invent an "expert" to sign it: an honest team byline is better.
• A credible author page (background, work, links to public profiles) builds trust with readers and with Google's systems.

We apply this in our SEO copywriting service in Tunisia.

2. September 2026 spam update: final wave on October 4 to 6

Announced on September 24, the September 2026 spam update is rolling out over about two weeks instead of the usual two days. After waves on September 25 to 27 and September 30, a third wave of volatility showed up on October 4 to 6 across more than ten tracking tools (Semrush, Mozcast, Wincher, Serpstat and others), according to Search Engine Roundtable. Google should confirm completion on the Google Search Status Dashboard. Wait for that before you analyze traffic swings. Earlier waves are covered in our web news for October 6.

3. Googlebot crawling: Retry-After gets the spotlight

Google reorganized its Reduce the Googlebot crawl rate documentation. The emergency section now states that with a 503 or 429 status code, you can add the Retry-After HTTP header to tell Googlebot when to come back, as a delay in seconds or a UTC date. Google notes that support is not new: it is simply easier to find.

How to use Retry-After the right way

1. Keep it for real overloads or short maintenance windows (a few hours).
2. Return a 503 with, for example, Retry-After: 3600 for one hour.
3. Never leave a 503 in place for days: Google would eventually drop pages from the index.

Properly sized web hosting in Tunisia helps you avoid this situation.

4. Search Console: filter several countries at once

The Search Console Performance report now supports multi-select country filters (source). For a business that sells both locally and abroad, you can group, say, the US and the UK in one view and compare it with Tunisia, without exporting separate reports. On a multilingual site, it quickly shows whether your English or German pages reach the markets you target. For local context, see our report on Tunisia's internet habits in 2026.

5. AI search: product labels in ChatGPT and Nano Banana 2.1 in AI Mode

OpenAI is testing labels on ChatGPT product results, such as "best all-rounder" or "best for beginners", with color coding to highlight the top pick (Search Engine Roundtable). Google, meanwhile, is rolling out Nano Banana 2.1, its latest image generation and editing model, in AI Mode (source). For online stores, detailed product pages (specs, use cases, target buyer) help AI assistants classify your products correctly.

Summary: what to do this week