Multimodal search in Google Search Console: how to read the new report
September 24, 2026 Google announced a new way to see Search Console traffic from searches that use an image. The data appears in the Search results performance report and the Generative AI features report. The global rollout has started and is gradual.
For stores, real estate websites, travel sites, and other image-rich catalogs, this reveals a distinct search journey: a person shows Google an object or place and visits a relevant page. Here is where to find the filter, how it differs from Image search, and what to check when data appears.
Short answer: In Search Console, open Performance → Search Results and select a search type Web: multimodal. Compare pages and periods, and then check the images on the pages that are getting impressions. The absence of numbers in the first days does not prove a technical error: Google shows this slice to sites receiving relevant traffic, and also rolls out the function.
What exactly does the new filter take into account?
By Google description, this includes image searches in Google Lens, Circle to Search on Android, uploading an image to Google Search, and the Chrome “Search this image” command. The report shows the result of interactions with your site in such scenarios, not the number of all photo scans on the site.
B Search Console Help Google separates types Web: text-based, Web: multimodal and Image. The first two relate to web results: the difference is whether there was a visual component in the search query. Image is a separate type of image search. Therefore, it is incorrect to compare them as two equal groups of traffic from the same issue.
| Slice | What helps you understand | What should not be deduced from it |
|---|---|---|
| Web: multimodal | Which web pages received impressions and clicks after an image query? | That a specific photo on the page was the only reason for the transition |
| Image | How the site showed up in image search results | That all transitions from visual queries are taken into account only here |
| Web: text-based | How familiar text queries work in web results | What the dynamics of this group explain changes in multimodal search |
Google hasn't announced a new ranking factor or a separate way to "include" a site in Lens. The news concerns measurements already occurring search scenarios.
How to look at the data and not make mistakes in comparison
- Open your verified property in Google Search Console and go to the Performance → Search Results report.
- In the top filters, select the search type Web: multimodal. If the filter has not yet appeared, consider gradual implementation. If there is a filter, but the graph is empty, check the selected period: Google promises metrics for sites with traffic from such queries.
- Start with the Pages tab: this will show you which URLs are actually involved in this scenario. Then look at Queries, Countries, Devices and Dates if there is enough data for them.
- Compare identical periods after the feature appears. For a short new series, it is more useful to fix the initial level and observe it for several weeks than to declare a rise or fall one day at a time.
- Click Export, if you need address parsing along with page type, product category or other site data.
The report uses the usual clicks, impressions, CTR and average position. Display without a click means that the result was shown, but there was no transition; A low CTR by itself does not reveal the reason. Google also cautions that the data in the table and graph may differ due to different aggregation methods. Research specific URLs and queries before changing your site template.
Which pages to check first?
Start with pages for which the image helps formulate the request: products and models, real estate, interiors, dishes, routes, portfolio of work. For each URL it is convenient to collect a small verification card.
| Check | Question for the page | Possible action |
|---|---|---|
| Main image | Is the search item itself visible without advertising graphics and small details? | Replace an uninformative preview with a real photo of an object or product |
| Relationship between photo and text | Is there a name, characteristics, context of application nearby? | Add a description and information that helps you understand what is shown. |
| File availability | Is the image accessible to both the user and the robot using a stable URL? | Fix a broken path, server error or access restriction |
alt |
Does it describe the contents of the photo to the person? | Write a short, specific description without a bunch of keywords |
| Card | Is it possible to check price, availability, address, conditions or next step after clicking? | Improve the self-use of the page and clear action |
| Mobile screen | Is it possible to look at the photo and move on to the details without unnecessary overlap? | Check real devices and fix the interface |
B Google Images guidelines Google advises placing images next to relevant text, giving files short, descriptive names, and writing useful alt. The file name gives only a faint clue; renaming the entire library alone will not replace a meaningful card and fixing inaccessible files.
For example, for a real estate catalog it is more useful to show the property, layout, location and exact parameters than to optimize an abstract banner with the word “apartment”. But the choice of a specific change should be made after viewing the pages with impressions and their user scenario. If you are already dealing with directory indexing issues, use a separate procedure for technical diagnostics: the new report does not replace the verification of HTTP codes, canonical and internal links.
How to turn a new slice into a working plan
Divide the pages with impressions into 3-4 groups according to the intent: product cards, categories, articles, cases. Within each group, select a few URLs with impressions and no clicks, and a few with clicks. Compare them manually: photo, title, context, mobile version and next step. This will give you hypotheses for the editor and designer without attributing causality to the metric.
After making changes, record the date, affected URLs, and a consistent observation period. Click growth may reflect seasonality, new queries, or changes in inventory. Track inquiries and on-site actions too, where measured. For a structured review of search landing pages and analytics, see our SEO promotion service.
For a site without numbers in the new filter, the first task is simpler: check that important images are accessible and that pages are responsive and work well on a phone. There is no need to artificially create many almost identical pages for the sake of a new report.
FAQ
When will the data appear on my site?
Google began its global rollout on September 24, 2026, and did not provide an end date. According to its announcement, indicators will appear for resources that receive traffic from such requests. An empty chart immediately after launch does not mean a sanction or a breakdown of the site.
Is it possible to see the specific photo you searched for?
The announcement promises a performance slice and export, but does not promise a report with each user's original photo. Analyze available pages and queries; do not replace them with a guess about a specific picture.