# The Search Console Branded Queries Filter: Brand vs Non-Brand Traffic

> How the Search Console branded queries filter works in 2026: eligibility, AI classification, Insights card, limits and a regex fallback.

Source: https://mentionx.ai/learn/search-console/search-console-branded-queries-filter  
Author: Dipuck Jones, founder of MentionX  
Updated: 4 November 2026  
Level: Practitioner

**The branded queries filter splits your Search traffic into searches that include your brand and those that don't, so you can see whether SEO is winning new demand or just catching people who already know you.** It replaces hand-maintained brand regex for most sites, with some limits worth knowing.

*Checked 4 November 2026 (CET) against Search Console Help and Google Search Central documentation. Search Console reports and rollouts change often, and some features only appear for eligible properties, so confirm in your own property. "Our view" marks MentionX opinion. Ledgerline is a fictional company used for illustration.*

> **Key takeaways**
>
> - Branded queries include your brand name, misspellings, and unique products or services tied to your brand.
> - Classification is done by an AI-assisted system, not a list you control, and it can be wrong.
> - It's only for top-level properties with enough query volume, not path or subdomain properties.
> - It appears as a filter in Performance and as a branded and non-branded traffic card in Insights.
> - It's for information only and has no effect on ranking.

## What counts as a branded query?

Google's [branded queries announcement](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2025/11/search-console-branded-filter) from 20 November 2025 says branded queries are those that include your brand name, variations or misspellings, and unique products or services associated with the brand. Non-branded queries are everything else, for example "invoice approval software" rather than "ledgerline invoice approval".

## How is it classified?

Google uses an AI-assisted system that considers the brand name in multiple languages and close variants. That means you don't maintain a list, but also that you can't correct it. The [Insights report help page](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/16308503) is explicit: "Query classification is powered by AI and may mislabel branded and non-branded queries."

## Who gets it?

| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Property type | Top-level properties only. Not path properties like `/blog/` and not subdomain properties |
| Volume | Enough impressions and queries; low-volume sites may not see it |
| Rollout | Announced November 2025, available to eligible sites from 11 March 2026 |

## Where do you find it?

- **Performance report:** add a query filter and choose Branded or Non-branded, then use every other tab as normal.
- **Insights report:** the **Branded and non-branded traffic** card shows the split for the selected period.

## Which marketing questions does it answer?

| Question | View |
|---|---|
| Is our content programme bringing new people? | Non-branded clicks trend, Weekly |
| Did the launch lift brand demand? | Branded impressions around the launch date, with an annotation |
| Which pages win non-branded traffic? | Non-branded filter + Pages tab |
| Are AI features hitting our informational traffic? | Non-branded CTR trend next to generative AI impressions (lesson 7) |
| Which countries know us best? | Branded filter + Countries tab |

*Our view:* the non-branded line is the most honest SEO metric most teams have. Report it separately from total clicks, especially when brand campaigns are running.

> **Pro move:** keep a short regex of your product names next to the built-in filter. When a new product launches, the AI classifier may take time to recognise it as branded; your regex catches it from day one.

## What does the filter change in your reporting?

Splitting brand from non-brand changes how you read almost every trend.

| Situation | Without the split | With the split |
|---|---|---|
| A PR campaign or product launch | Total clicks jump; looks like SEO success | Branded clicks jump, non-branded flat; credit goes to PR |
| A brand awareness dip | Totals fall; SEO gets blamed | Branded down, non-branded steady |
| Content programme growth | Masked by seasonal brand demand | Non-branded growth visible on its own |
| AI Overviews on informational queries | Mixed into totals | Usually shows in non-branded CTR first |

## Troubleshooting

| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No branded filter in Performance | Sub-property, low volume, or not yet available | Use the Domain property; fall back to regex |
| A product name counted as non-branded | AI classification error | Use a regex filter for that product name alongside the built-in filter |
| A generic word that matches your brand name | Ambiguous brand term | Treat the branded number as an estimate and sample the queries |
| Brand share looks different in GA4 | GA4 has no query data and different attribution | Compare trends, not absolute numbers |

## A fallback regex when the filter isn't available

If your property doesn't get the filter, use a regex on Queries. Include the brand, common misspellings, product names and the domain:

`(ledgerline|ledger line|ledgerlin|ledgerline\.example|ll ap)`

Run it once as **Matches regex** and once as **Doesn't match regex**. Remember that the two won't add up to the total because anonymised queries drop out when you filter by query. Review the list quarterly as you launch products.

## How to report the split to leadership

A brand split changes the conversation, so present it carefully.

1. **Lead with non-branded clicks** as the SEO metric, trended weekly or monthly.
2. **Show branded clicks separately** and call them a brand-demand signal shaped by PR, product and paid media.
3. **Annotate** launches, campaigns and PR moments on both lines.
4. **Explain the caveats once:** classification is automatic and can mislabel queries, and filtered totals won't add up to the overall total.
5. **Don't compare with last year's regex numbers** without checking how the definitions differ.

## Edge cases

- **Generic brand names.** If your brand is also a common word, expect more misclassification in both directions. Sample queries every month.
- **Acquired brands and product renames.** The old name may still be classified as branded for a while, or not at all. Keep both names in your regex fallback.
- **Competitor-plus-category searches** such as "Competitor A alternatives" are non-branded for you. They often belong in your comparison content programme.
- **Multiple languages.** Google says the system considers multiple languages, but check transliterations and local spellings yourself.

## A combined view hack

Use the branded filter and a comparison-intent regex together: Non-branded + `(vs|alternative|compare)` shows people evaluating the category without naming you. That segment is often the highest-value SEO opportunity for a B2B site.

## Ledgerline walkthrough: setting up the split

1. The SEO lead opened the Domain property, not the `/blog/` path property, because the filter isn't available on sub-properties.
2. They applied Non-branded, set 12 months at Monthly granularity and exported.
3. They repeated with Branded and placed both lines in the monthly sheet with campaign dates.
4. They sampled 30 queries from each side and found the product nickname mislabelled, so they kept a regex check for it.

## Where this fits in the monthly routine

In week 1 of the routine (lesson 21), export the branded and non-branded lines and add them to the monthly sheet. Flag any month where branded rises sharply, then check it against campaigns and PR.

## Worked example: Ledgerline's brand split

*Ledgerline is a fictional accounts-payable software company. Details and numbers are illustrative.*

Ledgerline's total clicks rose after a funding announcement, and the board deck credited SEO. With the branded filter, the lift was almost entirely in branded queries in the two weeks after the news, while non-branded clicks were flat. Sampling showed the classifier labelled "LL AP" (an internal product nickname used by customers) as non-branded, so the team added it to their regex check. The board deck now shows non-branded clicks as the SEO metric and branded clicks as a brand-demand signal.

### Walkthrough

1. Open **Performance > Search results** in your Domain property.
2. Click **+ Add filter** and look for the **Query > Branded / Non-branded** option.
3. Choose **Non-branded** and set the date range to the last 6 months at Weekly granularity.
4. Click the **Queries** tab and scan the top 50 rows. Note any that are actually branded.
5. Switch the filter to **Branded** and scan again for misclassified generic queries.
6. Open **Insights** and read the branded and non-branded traffic card for the same period.
7. Export both views. Record the share of clicks that are non-branded as your baseline.

## Try it yourself

Build a brand-split baseline:

1. Export branded and non-branded clicks by month for the last 12 months (or as far as your data goes).
2. Mark months with launches, PR or campaigns.
3. Note whether non-branded clicks grew, fell or held steady across the year.
4. Sample 30 queries from each side and count misclassifications. If more than a few are wrong, add a regex check to your routine.

## Quick quiz

**1. Is the branded queries filter rule-based?**

*Answer:* No. It uses an AI-assisted system and can misclassify queries.

**2. Is the filter available on https://example.com/blog/?**

*Answer:* No. It isn't available for sub-properties such as path or subdomain properties.

**3. Does being labelled branded affect rankings?**

*Answer:* No. The classifications are for information only.

**4. Why might branded + non-branded regex not add up to the total?**

*Answer:* Anonymised queries are dropped when you filter by query.

## What should you check before the next lesson?

- You know whether your property has the branded filter.
- You have a non-branded clicks baseline for the last 6-12 months.
- You sampled queries on both sides for misclassification.
- For brand demand beyond Google, read [Tracking ChatGPT referral traffic and brand mentions](https://mentionx.ai/learn/chatgpt/track-chatgpt-referral-traffic-mentions).

Next: [Insights report and query groups](https://mentionx.ai/learn/search-console/search-console-insights-query-groups). Or return to the [Search Console for Marketers track](https://mentionx.ai/learn/search-console/search-console-for-marketers).

## Common questions

**When did the branded queries filter launch?** Google announced it on 20 November 2025 and later made it available to all eligible sites.

**Does it work on Discover data?** The filter applies to Search results data. Check the filter options in each report you use.

**Can I edit what counts as branded?** No. The classification is automatic. Use a regex filter alongside it if you need a custom definition.

## Sources

- Google Search Central, [Introducing the branded queries filter in Search Console](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2025/11/search-console-branded-filter)
- Search Console Help, [Insights report](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/16308503)
- Search Console Help, [Performance report (Search results): Advanced filtering and comparison](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/17011165)
- All accessed 4 Nov 2026.

## Frequently asked questions

### When did the branded queries filter launch?

Google announced it on 20 November 2025 and later made it available to all eligible sites.

### Does it work on Discover data?

The filter applies to Search results data. Check the filter options in each report you use.

### Can I edit what counts as branded?

No. The classification is automatic. Use a regex filter alongside it if you need a custom definition.

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Written and reviewed by Dipuck Jones for MentionX Learn. The HTML version of this page: https://mentionx.ai/learn/search-console/search-console-branded-queries-filter