Google Search Console Introduce Multimodal Filter for Image Search

Search is changing in a way that is easy to notice in everyday life. People no longer have to type every question into Google. A photo of a product, a screenshot or something spotted on a phone screen can now be enough to start a search.

To make this behaviour easier to measure, Google introduced the >Google Search Console multimodal filter on 24 September 2026. The new filter provides reporting for web searches where an image is used as part of the search process.

For digital marketers or SEO agencies, this offers a better way to understand whether visual searches are bringing people to their websites.

What is the New Multimodal Filter in Google Search Console?

The multimodal filter is a new option within Search Console’s Performance reporting. It helps separate web searches involving images from searches based mainly on typed text. SEO companies could already look at different types of search activity, including google images search. The new filter adds another view by showing web search activity where an image has played a role in the search.

Consider a simple example. Someone sees a chair they like but does not know its name or brand. Instead of trying to describe it in a search box, they can take a photo and use Google Lens to find similar products or information.

Multimodal Search vs Traditional Image Search

Google says the new multimodal reporting is rolling out globally, with data available for websites that receive traffic from these types of searches.

How is Multimodal Search Different From Image Search?

It is easy to assume that multimodal search and image search by google are the same thing. They are not quite the same.

Traditional image search usually starts with words. A person types a phrase, opens the image results and chooses an image or website.

Multimodal search turns the process around. Instead of explaining what something looks like, the user can show Google the thing itself.

In simple terms, someone can search in google by picture rather than trying to find the right words. This is part of the wider growth of visual search, where an image becomes part of the question.

What Can Marketers See in the Search Console Performance Report?

The new data can be accessed through the search console performance report using the relevant search filters.

The report includes familiar measurements such as clicks and impressions. This allows SEO marketers to see which pages are receiving traffic from multimodal searches. The information can also be exported for further analysis.

There is one important limitation, though: the report does not show the specific text query behind a multimodal search.

That makes sense because the user may not have typed a conventional query at all. The search may have started with a photograph, screenshot or another visual input.

So instead of focusing only on keywords, marketers can look at questions such as:

• Which pages are receiving multimodal traffic?
• Which types of images appear to attract attention?
• Are product pages receiving this type of traffic?
• Is visual search traffic increasing over time?
• Which devices or locations show the most activity?
• How does multimodal traffic compare with traditional search traffic?

This makes the new filter particularly useful for understanding how people discover a website, rather than simply which words they used.

How Should Businesses Respond to the Change?

There is no need to throw out an existing SEO strategy because of this update. Multimodal search should be viewed as another way people can discover useful content. Start by checking the new filter in google search console and looking for patterns in clicks and impressions.

If certain product pages, guides or other content receive more multimodal activity, take a closer look at the images used on those pages. Are they clear? Do they match the page content? Does the surrounding text explain what the visitor is looking at?

It is also important to remember that image search and multimodal search do not replace traditional SEO. They add another route through which people can find information. Good content, useful pages, clear website structure and relevant images still provide the foundation.

Conclusion

The new multimodal filter gives marketers a better way to see how visual searches contribute to website discovery. More importantly, it reflects a broader change in how people search.

A person does not always have the words to describe what they are looking for. Sometimes, showing a picture is simply easier. With Google Lens, Circle to Search and image-based queries becoming part of everyday search behaviour, visual content deserves more attention than it once received. For an SEO agency, this also provides useful insight into how image optimisation can support a broader search strategy.

As visual search becomes more common, the new Search Console data can help businesses see where images are contributing to visibility and where there may be opportunities to improve.

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