How to Read Google’s Multimodal Search Console Data

To read Google’s multimodal Search Console data, open the correct property’s Search results Performance report and apply the multimodal search type filter. You can review the chart and available table dimensions, then export the filtered report—but you should not expect a list of the words people searched. Google says the Queries dimension is unavailable for this traffic because it mostly uses images.

This guide is for site owners and search marketers checking whether image-originated searches generated reported impressions for their pages. The reporting shows activity in aggregate; it does not reveal the specific image-search wording.

What Google includes in multimodal search data

Google’s Search Central announcement about multimodal Search Console reporting says the data covers Google Lens, Circle to Search on Android, image uploads to Google Search, and Chrome’s right-click “Search this image” feature. Google announced the reporting on September 24, 2026, in both the Search results Performance report and the Generative AI performance report.

In the Generative AI performance report, the label “Web: multimodal” refers to image-originated search traffic. That is a separate report view from Search results Performance, even though both include multimodal reporting. Google notes that the Generative AI report has a chart and a dimension-based table, and that standard Search performance data limitations also apply. Avoid treating totals in the two reports as interchangeable without accounting for their different report contexts and documented limitations.

Find the filter and inspect the report

Select the relevant Search Console property. Check that it represents the site or URL scope you intend to analyze. If you have multiple properties, selecting a different one can change which data you see.
Open Search results Performance. Use the Search type filter and select the multimodal option. Google’s Search Central announcement directs users to apply this filter in Performance reporting.
Choose a date range. Set the period you want to investigate, and confirm the report is still filtered to multimodal search before drawing conclusions.
Review the chart and table. Inspect the chart for the reporting trend, then use the dimensions available in the table. Depending on the report view and selected search type, Search Console’s documentation on Performance report dimensions identifies page, country, and device among the available groupings.
Export if you need to work with the data elsewhere. Google says Performance report data can be exported. Keep the multimodal filter applied when exporting, and remember that the export carries the same reporting limits as the view.

If a dimension or table option is not available in the view you are using, do not assume it is available in every Performance report configuration. Check the report and selected search type against Google’s documentation for available dimensions.

Why there is no Queries dimension

For multimodal search, the missing Queries dimension is expected—not a sign that the report failed to load. Google’s Performance report dimensions and data groupings guidance explains that specific text-query data is not available for traffic that mostly uses images. As a result, this report cannot provide a conventional list of search terms for multimodal activity.

Exporting does not restore the omitted query details. Use the report to understand the activity and dimensions it does provide, not to infer the exact words or image-search intent behind an impression.

Example: compare reported activity by landing page

Hypothetical example: An ecommerce operator wants to know which product pages are associated with multimodal search activity. They select the multimodal filter, choose a date range, and review impressions grouped by page. If the available table shows reported impressions for particular product URLs, the operator can identify those pages as associated with activity in that report period.

This comparison does not tell the operator which image a searcher used or what wording accompanied the search. It also does not establish that the reported impressions caused sales. Treat the page breakdown as a reporting signal to investigate alongside the business’s own analytics and sales data.

If the report shows no multimodal data

First recheck the selected property, date range, and active filters. Confirm that the multimodal search type—not a different search type—is selected. Then check the relevant report view and its table dimensions.

Google says metrics appear in a site’s Performance report if it receives traffic from these searches. Its announcement says rollout began globally on September 24, 2026, but does not give a date when rollout will be complete for every property. An empty view by itself does not explain why data is missing, and it does not prove that the site is blocked, ineligible, or absent from image-based search. Treat the result as inconclusive unless you have other evidence of qualifying traffic.

Verification checklist

Confirm you selected the intended Search Console property.
Open Search results Performance and apply the multimodal search type filter.
Check the date range and any other active filters.
Review the chart and the table dimensions available in that view, such as page, country, or device when offered.
Expect no Queries dimension or conventional text-search list for multimodal traffic.
If you export the report, remember that the export does not add unavailable query data.

This reporting change describes how to inspect multimodal activity; it does not, by itself, establish a ranking change or a need for new image SEO tactics. Which page, country, or device breakdown would be most useful for your site’s reporting?

Sources

Editorial note: AI assists with research, drafting and automated checks. Sources are linked so you can verify the guidance. Platform requirements can change; confirm the details that apply to your setup.