News25 September 2026 · 5 min read
Search Console now shows visual search traffic: what it means
Google has added a new “multimodal” filter to Search Console that shows how often your website appears when people search using an image instead of typed words. For the first time, businesses can see whether customers are finding them by pointing a phone camera at a product, a sign or a screenshot. It won’t change your rankings, but it gives you a clearer picture of a growing way people search, and it’s worth checking this week.
What did Google announce?
On 24 September 2026, Google announced on its official Search Central blog that Search Console now reports on “web multimodal” searches. The data is rolling out globally from that date.
Search Console is Google’s free tool that shows how your website performs in Google Search: how often it appears (impressions), how often people click, and roughly where it ranks. Multimodal simply means a search that uses more than one kind of input, typically a photo, screenshot or image instead of (or alongside) typed words.
According to Google, the new data covers searches made through:
- Google Lens, the camera-based search built into many phones and the Google app
- Circle to Search on Android, where you circle something on your screen to search for it
- Image uploads to Google Search
- “Search this image”, the right-click option in the Chrome browser
Where do I find the multimodal report in Search Console?
Open the Performance report and select the “Search type” filter. Under the “Web” option, you’ll now see two choices: Text-based (searches typed into the normal search box) and Multimodal (searches where an image was part of the query).
Google says the same filter is also coming to its generative AI performance report, which shows how often your pages appear in AI features such as AI Overviews and AI Mode. That report rolled out to all websites at the end of August and currently counts impressions, not clicks.
You can export the multimodal data using the “Export” button if you want to analyse it in a spreadsheet or another reporting tool.
Why can’t I see any multimodal data?
Google says the numbers only appear if your site actually receives traffic from these kinds of searches. A service business with few products or visual assets may see little or nothing, and that isn’t a problem in itself.
Will this change my existing traffic numbers?
Industry coverage from Search Engine Roundtable reports that this is newly surfaced data rather than traffic moved out of your existing web figures, so your historical text-based numbers shouldn’t suddenly drop. One early user also reported that their multimodal data only went back to 10 September. Google hasn’t confirmed how much history the report will hold, so treat that as unconfirmed for now.
What are the limits of the new report?
The biggest limitation is that there’s no search query data. Because these searches start with a picture rather than words, Google can’t show you what the person “typed”. The queries column isn’t available when the multimodal filter is selected.
That means you’ll see which of your pages were shown and clicked, and how many impressions and clicks they received, but not the exact image or question that led there. You’ll need to infer intent from the page itself. For example, if a product page for a particular chair gets multimodal clicks, it’s a fair guess that people photographed a similar chair and Google matched it to you.
Why does visual search matter for my business?
Visual search suits moments when people don’t know the right words. Someone might photograph a plant, a pair of shoes, a light fitting or a café shopfront and ask “what is this?” or “where can I buy this?”.
Until now, that behaviour was largely invisible in your reporting. This report won’t tell you everything, but it gives you evidence to decide whether investing in better images and product pages is worthwhile for your business, rather than guessing.
It’s also a reminder that search is no longer just a box and a keyword. Your site can be found through typed searches, AI-generated answers and now images, and each one is measured separately.
What this means for your business
Here are practical steps to take over the next few weeks:
- Check the filter now. Open Search Console, go to Performance, set Search type to Web: Multimodal, and note which pages appear. If nothing shows yet, check again in a month.
- Record a starting point. Export the data or write down the current impressions and clicks. That gives you a baseline to measure any image improvements against.
- Use original photos where you can. Real photos of your products, premises and work are more likely to be matched to genuine visual searches than generic stock images that appear on hundreds of other sites.
- Describe your images properly. Give images descriptive file names and alt text (a short written description of the image, used by screen readers and search engines). Place images close to text that explains what they show. This follows Google’s long-standing image guidance and also improves accessibility.
- Strengthen the pages that show up. If a page is earning multimodal clicks, make sure it answers the obvious next question: price, availability, location, how to buy or how to book.
- Keep your reports separate. When reviewing SEO results, look at text-based, multimodal and AI feature data individually so one doesn’t mask changes in another.
FAQ
- What is the multimodal filter in Google Search Console?
- It’s a new option in the Performance report that shows how your website performs in Google web results when someone searches using an image, such as with Google Lens or Circle to Search.
- Does the multimodal report show what people searched for?
- No. Because these searches start with an image rather than typed words, Google doesn’t provide query data. You can see which pages appeared and were clicked, but not the search itself.
- Will the multimodal report affect my Google rankings?
- No. It’s a reporting feature, not a ranking change. It shows data about how people already find your site; it doesn’t change where you appear.
- Why is my multimodal report empty?
- Google only shows multimodal data if your site receives traffic from image-based searches. Sites with few visual assets may see little or no data.
- How can I get more traffic from visual search?
- Use original, clear photos, give them descriptive file names and alt text, and place them next to text that explains what they show. Then make sure the page answers what a visitor would want to know next.
Want help making sense of your data?
If you’d like help reading your Search Console reports or getting more from your images, K2Ascent’s SEO team can take a look. Get in touch for a no-obligation chat about your website’s search performance.
Get in touch
Sources
- Announcing web multimodal Search performance reporting in Search Console, Google Search Central Blog, 24 September 2026
- Google Search Console performance reports gets multimodal filter, Search Engine Land
- Multimodal Search Type Filter In Google Search Console Performance Report, Search Engine Roundtable
- Google Search Console Adds Multimodal Filter For Image-Based Searches, Search Engine Journal
- Google Search Console adds new multimodal filter, plan3d.de (early user report on data history)
- AI Update, September 4, 2026, MarketingProfs (generative AI report rollout)
