Google Search Console adds multimodal search reporting

Google announced a new multimodal search type filter in Search Console on September 24, 2026. It shows how a website performs when people search with an image, including searches from Lens, Circle to Search, image uploads to Google Search, and Chrome's “Search this image” option. The data is appearing in the Search results and Generative AI features performance reports as the update rolls out globally.

For site owners, this is a measurement change—not a new ranking factor or a promise of more traffic. It gives teams a way to separate image-led discovery from other search activity and decide where visual content deserves closer attention.

What changed in Search Console?

Google says the new multimodal search type filter is available in performance reporting. Site owners can use it to review traffic from the image-based search experiences Google named in its announcement, then export the data for further analysis.

The filter is rolling out globally from September 24. Google notes that sites will start seeing metrics if they receive traffic from these queries. If the filter or data is not visible in an account yet, that alone does not establish a technical problem or prove the site has no visual-search visibility.

Why does this matter for business websites?

An ordinary search query often starts with words. Multimodal search can start with a photo or a selected image. That distinction is useful for websites whose products, projects, locations, or visual explanations help people recognize what they need.

For example, a team can compare whether image-led searches reach relevant product and service pages, whether the landing pages answer the likely question, and whether visitors can move from discovery to a clear next step. The report does not explain a searcher's full intent, so the numbers should be read alongside page-level context and other analytics.

How should a site owner use the new report?

1. Open the relevant Search Console performance report and look for the multimodal search type filter.
2. Review pages and queries with enough data to reveal a pattern. Avoid conclusions from a handful of impressions.
3. Inspect the images and surrounding page content on those landing pages. Check that the image accurately represents the page, has useful alternative text, and is supported by clear on-page information.
4. Compare the visual-search landing pages with business goals. A page that attracts attention but gives visitors no useful answer or next action may need content or navigation work.
5. Record a baseline and revisit it after changes. Export the report when a deeper comparison is needed.

These are practical analysis steps, not claims that a particular image technique will guarantee placement in Google Search.

Oplix perspective

The new filter is most valuable when measurement leads to a better website experience. Oplix can help teams review search landing pages, improve image and page presentation, and build clearer paths from discovery to enquiry within its web and custom-software work. The sensible starting point is a small set of important pages and actual Search Console data, not a site-wide redesign based on an announcement alone.

Primary source: Google Search Central's announcement.