Search Console's Performance report lets you filter queries and pages with a custom regular expression, choosing Matches regex or Doesn't match regex. Regex filters make it possible to isolate question queries, branded terms with misspellings, or whole site sections in one step. Search Console uses Google's RE2 syntax, which supports most common patterns but not lookaheads or lookbehinds.
Useful patterns
A few patterns cover most SEO needs.
Question queries: ^(who|what|when|where|why|how|can|does|is)\b
Branded variants: quillbrook|quilbrook|quill brook
Blog section pages: /blog/
Comparison pages: /(vs|alternatives?)/
Long queries: ^(\S+\s){5,}\S+$RE2 and case
RE2 is case sensitive by default. Add (?i) at the start of a pattern to match regardless of case. Query text in Search Console is typically lowercase, so case mainly matters for page URLs. RE2 does not support lookarounds or backreferences, so build exclusions with Doesn't match regex or with a second filter instead.
The filter field has a length limit, so very long brand variant lists may need to be split or simplified.
Using filters well
Combine a regex with comparison dates to see how a segment of queries changed, or with the Pages tab to see which URLs serve that segment. For repeated use, save patterns in a shared doc, or apply them in the API or a Looker Studio filter so everyone uses the same definition.
- Non-branded performance: Doesn't match regex on brand terms
- Section performance: Matches regex on a URL folder
- Intent groups: question words, comparison terms, pricing terms
Example
Separating brand from non-brand
Imagine Quillbrook, a contract management tool, filters queries with Doesn't match regex for its brand name and common misspellings. Non-branded clicks show a steady rise that total clicks hid, because branded traffic dipped during a quiet launch period.
Common mistakes
Forgetting misspellings in brand filters
Brand traffic leaks into non-brand numbers. Add the variants you see in the query list.
Using unsupported syntax
Lookaheads like (?!...) fail in RE2. Use the exclude option instead.
Questions
Yes. The API's dimension filters support includingRegex and excludingRegex operators, also using RE2 syntax.
