People do not always start a search with words. They may point a camera at a product, circle an object on a phone, upload an image, or search an image they see in Chrome. Google Search Console now exposes reporting for some of that image-led discovery, giving site owners a way to inspect performance that was previously harder to separate.
What Google’s multimodal Search Console report includes
Google announced web multimodal search reporting on September 24, 2026. The new search-type filter is available in the Search results Performance report and the Generative AI features report. The reported search experiences include Google Lens, Circle to Search on Android, image uploads to Google Search, and Chrome’s right-click “Search this image.” Google says the data will appear when a site receives traffic from these queries.
This is a reporting change, not evidence that every site now receives image-search traffic or that a new ranking factor has been introduced. The report helps you observe performance; it does not promise more impressions or explain why a particular image appeared.
How to find the multimodal filter
- Open Google Search Console and select the correct verified property.
- Go to Performance and open Search results. For generative AI visibility, open the Generative AI features report as well.
- Open the search type filter and select the multimodal option.
- Choose a date range with enough time to include data, then inspect pages, dates, countries, and devices where available.
- Use Export if you need to compare rows with your content inventory or an existing reporting workflow.
If the filter has no rows, first confirm the property and date range. Google indicates metrics appear when the site receives traffic from these query types; a blank result can simply mean no reportable activity in the selected period.
A practical way to review the data
Start with pages that already contain useful visual information: product pages, location pages, diagrams, original photos, or step-by-step instructions. In the exported data, look for a page or time period that merits a closer review. Then inspect that page as a visitor would:
- Does the image show the subject described by the page?
- Does nearby text explain what the image is, why it matters, and any relevant context?
- Does the image load at a useful size and work on mobile?
- Does the page’s title and heading make its topic clear?
- Does meaningful alternative text describe an informative image for people who cannot see it, without stuffing keywords?
- Is the page accessible to the intended users and search crawlers?
These are sound usability and content checks. Do not assume that adding a particular filename, image schema field, or alt-text phrase will cause a multimodal impression. Make each change because it improves clarity, accessibility, or the page itself.
Separate observations from explanations
A rise in reported multimodal impressions shows that Search Console recorded more impressions in that report. It does not by itself prove which page edit caused the change, what image a person used, or whether those impressions generated a visit or sale. Keep the following measures distinct:
| Observation | What it tells you | What it cannot establish alone |
|---|---|---|
| Multimodal impressions | Reported visibility in the selected search type and period | Unique people, image engagement, or a causal effect of a site change |
| Clicks | Reported clicks from Google Search under Search Console’s reporting | All site sessions or conversions |
| Analytics sessions | Visits captured and classified by your analytics setup | Every image-led discovery journey or purchase cause |
| Conversions | Events configured in your analytics or business systems | Incremental revenue without an attribution method |
Build a repeatable visual-search review
- Save a baseline export and record the property, filter, and date range.
- Choose a small set of pages with original, relevant visual content.
- Review image usefulness, alt text, surrounding explanation, mobile presentation, and crawl access.
- Make one clear improvement and record the URL and release date.
- Recheck comparable reporting periods after data has accumulated; note other changes that could affect the result.
Compare similar date ranges and account for reporting delays, seasonality, and site-wide changes. If activity is too sparse to compare, say so; do not manufacture conclusions from a handful of impressions.
Keep the goal useful content, not an image-search trick
Visual search reporting is most valuable when it helps you find where genuine visual information is being discovered and where a page needs clarification. Publish original images when they help explain the subject, provide context that a stock image cannot, and make sure the accompanying page answers the visitor’s next question.
For an adjacent measurement workflow, see our guide to measuring search performance with Search Console and GA4. Keep Search Console clicks, analytics sessions, and business outcomes as separate evidence.
Primary source: Google Search Central: web multimodal Search performance reporting in Search Console. See also Google’s Google Images SEO best practices.