Google has introduced Web multimodal search performance reporting in Search Console, giving site owners a dedicated way to measure how people discover their content through image-based search interactions. The new Multimodal filter covers traffic associated with Google Lens, Circle to Search on Android, image uploads to Google Search, and Chrome's right-click option to search an image.
The addition expands Search Console beyond its longstanding focus on text-led web searches. For businesses that publish product imagery, how-to visuals, location-specific photos, video thumbnails, or other visual content, the reporting can show whether those assets contribute to organic discovery. It also gives SEO teams a more direct basis for deciding where image and media optimization deserves attention.
According to Google's official announcement, the data is available in both the Search performance report and the Generative AI features report. Google began a global rollout on September 24, 2026. As with other Search Console changes, site owners should check their own properties as availability may appear gradually.
What the new Multimodal filter measures
The Multimodal filter appears under the Web Search type in Search Console Performance reports. Applying it isolates performance data from the supported visual and image-based discovery paths, rather than combining that activity with the broader web-search dataset. Google also says the data can be exported for analysis in external tools.
That matters because visual discovery can have a different context from a typed search. Someone may use Lens to identify an item, Circle to Search to investigate an object shown on screen, upload a photo to Google Search, or search an image from Chrome. The new reporting does not turn those interactions into a separate optimization channel with guaranteed outcomes. It does, however, make their resulting traffic visible in a centralized reporting workflow.
| Reporting view | Traffic it represents | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
| Web Search type without the Multimodal filter | Broader web-search performance data | Assess overall web search visibility |
| Web Search type with the Multimodal filter | Traffic from Lens, Circle to Search, image uploads, and Chrome image search | Isolate and analyze visual-discovery traffic |
| Generative AI features report | Multimodal data within that report | Review the same capability in Google’s Generative AI reporting area |
The distinction is important for interpretation. A site may perform strongly in conventional web search while generating limited measurable multimodal traffic, or the reverse may occur for pages with useful visual material. Exporting both views enables teams to compare patterns without treating all organic visits as if they originated from the same type of user interaction.
How to use the data in an SEO workflow
The practical starting point is measurement, not assumptions. Once the filter is available, review the pages that receive multimodal traffic and look for common characteristics. A retailer may find product pages in the dataset. A service business may see visual guides or portfolio pages. A publisher may identify articles where original images help people investigate a subject.
A focused review can include:
- Comparing multimodal performance with the broader Web Search view for the same period.
- Identifying pages and content formats that appear in the filtered data.
- Checking whether the associated images accurately represent the page and its subject.
- Reviewing image alt text and relevant image structured data as part of normal technical SEO work.
- Exporting the filtered report to combine it with internal content, conversion, or editorial analysis.
This is a more disciplined approach than assuming every image will generate visual-search traffic. The report provides evidence of activity for a given site, while the content review helps determine whether successful pages share qualities that can be applied elsewhere.
Why the change matters for content planning
Google's reporting update recognizes that a web search journey can begin with an image rather than a text query. For content teams, that reinforces the value of treating images and other visual assets as part of the page experience, not merely decorative additions.
For example, a useful image may help a visitor understand a product, a process, a place, or a problem. When that visual is closely aligned with the page it leads to, the page is better positioned to serve a visitor arriving through image-based discovery. Clear alt text and relevant image structured data are already established elements of image optimization, and the new filter gives teams a way to examine whether visual discovery is contributing measurable traffic.
The cross-platform scope is also notable. The reporting includes mobile Lens use, Android's Circle to Search, uploaded images in Google Search, and Chrome's image-search feature. Instead of evaluating each interaction separately, site owners can use one Search Console filter to assess the combined multimodal channel Google describes.
For businesses with constrained time, the key benefit is prioritization. A filtered report can help distinguish pages where visual optimization may warrant further work from areas where there is no visible multimodal activity. It does not replace broader SEO reporting, but it can make media-related decisions more evidence-led.
Visual discovery is becoming part of the search journeys customers use to evaluate products, services, and information. Scalevise can help you connect reporting insights to a practical visibility plan, from identifying content gaps to improving how key pages are understood across AI-driven discovery surfaces. Use the AI Visibility and GEO Checker to see where your brand appears and where your search presence needs attention, then start an AI Visibility scan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Google Search Console Multimodal filter?
It is a filter in the Web Search type section of Search Console Performance reports that isolates traffic from supported image-based search interactions.
Which Google products and features are included in multimodal reporting?
Google says the reporting includes Google Lens, Circle to Search on Android, image uploads to Google Search, and Chrome's right-click "Search this image" feature.
Where can site owners find the new data?
Google has added the capability to both the Search performance report and the Generative AI features report in Search Console.
Can Search Console multimodal data be exported?
Yes. Google states that the filtered data can be exported for further analysis in external tools.
When will the Multimodal filter be available?
Google began globally rolling out the capability on September 24, 2026. Site owners should check their own Search Console properties as the rollout becomes available.
Conclusion
Google Search Console's Multimodal filter gives site owners a clearer view of traffic generated through visual discovery across several Google experiences. By separating that activity from broader web-search reporting and making it exportable, Google provides a practical foundation for evaluating images, media-rich pages, and visual content strategy with site-specific data.
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