# Search Console Filters, Regex and Comparisons: A Practical Guide

> Use Search Console filters, RE2 regex, comparisons and AI-powered configuration to answer marketing questions, with a ready-made regex library.

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

**Filters turn the Performance report from a total into an answer: which questions, which sections, which countries and which periods changed.** Regex filters and comparisons are the two features that save marketers the most time, and AI-powered configuration can now set them up from a plain-language request.

*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**
>
> - Filter by query, page, country, device, Search appearance, date and search type, and combine several at once.
> - Use "containing" filters for simple strings and **Custom (regex)** for patterns. Search Console uses RE2 syntax.
> - Regex matching is partial and not case-sensitive by default. Use `^` and `$` to anchor, and `(?-i)` for case-sensitive matches.
> - You can run one comparison at a time: two date ranges, two countries, two devices, two search types or two Search appearances.
> - AI-powered configuration turns a written request into filters, but always check the filters it chose.

## What filters are available?

From Google's [advanced filtering and comparison help page](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/17011165):

| Filter | Options | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Query | Containing, not containing, exact, Custom (regex) match or not match | Anonymised queries are dropped when you filter by query |
| Page | Containing, not containing, exact, Custom (regex) match or not match | Switches the data to page aggregation |
| Country | One or several, combined | |
| Device | Desktop, mobile, tablet, one or several | |
| Search appearance | One at a time | You can't filter by several Search appearances |
| Date | Presets, custom range, 24 hours | Always present |
| Search type | Web: text-based, Web: multimodal, Image, Video, News | Always present |

You can also click any table row to filter by it.

## How do "containing" filters behave?

"Queries containing" and "URLs containing" take a single string. Matching isn't case-sensitive but is otherwise exact, including spaces. Use them for quick checks such as all queries containing your product name.

## How do regex filters work?

Choose **+ Add filter > Query** or **Page**, then **Custom (regex)**. Google's rules:

- **RE2 syntax.** No lookaheads or backreferences.
- **Partial matching.** `pricing` matches "ledgerline pricing plans". Use `^pricing` for queries that start with it.
- **Case-insensitive** unless you start with `(?-i)`.
- **Several values:** wrap in parentheses and separate with `|`, for example `(invoice|bill|payable)`.
- **Exclude** by choosing **Doesn't match regex**.

| Symbol | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `.` | Any single character | `m.n` matches man and men |
| `[ ]` | Any one character inside | `c[aie]t` |
| `*` | Zero or more of the previous item | `https*://` |
| `+` | One or more of the previous item | `fo+d` |
| `|` | Or | `invoice|bill` |
| `\d` `\s` `\S` | Digit, whitespace, non-whitespace | `\d{4}` |
| `^` `$` | Start, end | `^how` |
| `(?-i)` | Case-sensitive from here | `(?-i)AAA` |

## How do comparisons work?

Open a filter and choose **Compare**. You can compare two date ranges, countries, devices, search types or Search appearances, including ones that aren't the current table grouping. The table adds a **Difference** column. Limits: one comparison at a time, and when a value is rare in one group it shows `~`. Comparing by page or Search appearance can change how CTR, impressions and clicks are calculated.

## What is AI-powered configuration?

Google [announced AI-powered configuration](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2025/12/ai-powered-configuration) on 4 December 2025 for a limited set of sites and widened it in early 2026. You describe the view you want and it applies filters (query, page, country, device, Search appearance, date), comparisons and metric selections. Google's help page lists the limits: Search results Performance only (not Discover or News), up to 20 requests per user per day, no sorting, no exports, no metric-value filters such as clicks under 100, and no comparisons around external events.

*Our view:* AI-powered configuration is a good way to learn the filters, but write regex yourself for anything you'll repeat monthly. A pattern you saved is reproducible; a prompt may be interpreted differently next time.

> **Pro move:** keep your regex patterns in a shared doc with a one-line purpose for each. When someone asks "how many question queries did we get?", the answer takes 30 seconds and is the same every month.

## A regex library for marketers

These patterns use RE2 syntax and work in the **Custom (regex)** filter. Replace the example words with yours.

| Goal | Filter on | Regex |
|---|---|---|
| Question queries | Queries | `^(what|how|why|when|which|who|can|does|is|are|should)\b` |
| Comparison queries | Queries | `\b(vs|versus|alternative|alternatives|compare|comparison)\b` |
| Long queries (6+ words) | Queries | `^(\S+\s){5,}\S+$` |
| Pricing intent | Queries | `(price|pricing|cost|plans?|quote)` |
| Blog section | Pages | `/blog/` |
| Several sections | Pages | `/(guides|templates|glossary)/` |
| Exclude parameters | Pages, Doesn't match regex | `\?` |
| Case-sensitive match | Pages | `(?-i)/Docs/` |

Long, question-style queries are a useful proxy for conversational searches. They are not a measure of AI Mode use: AI Mode follow-up questions count as new queries, but Search Console doesn't label which queries came from AI Mode.

## Troubleshooting filters

| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Regex returns nothing | Unescaped special character, such as a `.` or `?` | Escape with a backslash, or test the pattern on a small list first |
| Match + not-match totals don't equal the total | Anonymised queries and truncation | Expected. Use the chart total for the headline |
| Can't filter by two Search appearances | Not supported | Run two views or use the export |
| Comparison table shows `~` | The value is rare in one group | Filter on the rare value directly |
| Second comparison removed the first | Only one comparison at a time | Save the first view's export before changing |
| AI configuration chose the wrong filter | The model misread the request | Always read the filter chips and fix them by hand |

## Using AI-powered configuration well

Write requests the way you'd brief an analyst: metric, filter, period and comparison. "Show clicks and CTR for pages containing /pricing in the last 3 months compared with the previous period" works better than "how is pricing doing?". The tool keeps any filters already applied, so clear old filters first. Each user can make 20 requests per day. It can't sort, export, filter on metric values or add annotations.

## More advanced patterns

| Goal | Regex | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Queries that contain a year | `\b20\d{2}\b` | Finds freshness-driven searches |
| "Best" and "top" list searches | `^(best|top)\b` | Often triggers AI Overviews with lists |
| Template or how-to intent | `(template|example|checklist|how to)` | Content formats to build |
| Pages with a trailing slash vs without | `/$` | Spot duplicate URL patterns |
| Pages two folders deep | `^https://[^/]+/[^/]+/[^/]+/$` | Section-level rollups |

Test patterns before trusting them: paste 20 real queries from an export into a regex tester set to RE2 or Go syntax, or ask an AI assistant to show which lines match.

## Worked example: Ledgerline's question-query view

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

Ledgerline's content lead built a regex for question queries containing "invoice", "accounts payable" or "AP", using `^(what|how|why|which|can|does).*(invoice|accounts payable|\bap\b)`. Comparing the last 3 months with the previous 3 showed impressions growing faster than clicks on these queries, mostly on two glossary pages. The lead saved the regex in the team's pattern doc and added the view to the monthly routine. The numbers stayed in the team sheet; no figures are shown here because Ledgerline is fictional.

### Walkthrough

1. Open **Performance > Search results** and set the date range to the last 3 months.
2. Click **+ Add filter > Query**, choose **Custom (regex)** and paste `^(what|how|why|which)\b`.
3. Keep **Matches regex** selected and click **Apply**. Read clicks and impressions for question queries.
4. Click the date filter, choose **Compare**, and pick the previous period. Read the Difference column in the table.
5. Add a second filter: **Page > Custom (regex)** with `/blog/`. You now see question queries landing on the blog.
6. Click **Export** to save the view.
7. Clear the filters, then try the AI-powered configuration (if your property has it) with: "Show question queries on the blog for the last 3 months vs the previous 3 months." Compare its chips with what you built by hand.

## Try it yourself

Build three saved views as exports and keep them in one sheet:

1. Non-question vs question queries (regex) for the last 3 months.
2. Comparison queries (`vs|alternative`) by page.
3. One product section (`/product/` or similar) compared with the same months last year, at Monthly granularity.

Write one sentence per view on what changed. You'll reuse these in the monthly routine (lesson 21).

## Quick quiz

**1. Is regex matching case-sensitive by default?**

*Answer:* No. Prepend (?-i) for case-sensitive matching.

**2. Does a regex match the whole string by default?**

*Answer:* No. It is a partial match unless you use ^ and $.

**3. How many comparisons can you run at once?**

*Answer:* One. A new comparison replaces the existing one.

**4. Can the AI-powered configuration export data?**

*Answer:* No. It only sets filters, comparisons and metrics.

## What should you check before the next lesson?

- You have saved at least three regex patterns that match your site.
- You know the limits: one comparison at a time and no multi-select for Search appearance.
- You have tested AI-powered configuration and checked its filters.
- For the GA4 side of regex, see [AI referral traffic in GA4: the AI Assistant channel and a custom regex](https://mentionx.ai/learn/ga4/ga4-ai-assistant-channel-regex).

Next: [The branded queries filter](https://mentionx.ai/learn/search-console/search-console-branded-queries-filter). Or return to the [Search Console for Marketers track](https://mentionx.ai/learn/search-console/search-console-for-marketers).

## Common questions

**Which regex syntax does Search Console use?** RE2. Matching is partial and case-insensitive by default.

**Can I filter for AI Mode queries with regex?** No. Search Console doesn't label AI Mode queries. Question-style or long-query regex is only a proxy for conversational searches.

**Is the AI-powered configuration available to everyone?** Google made it available to everyone in early 2026 after a limited test, but the help page still calls it experimental. Check your own property.

## Sources

- Search Console Help, [Performance report (Search results): Advanced filtering and comparison](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/17011165)
- Google Search Central, [Streamline your Search Console analysis with the new AI-powered configuration](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2025/12/ai-powered-configuration)
- Search Console Help, [Performance report (Search results): Troubleshooting data discrepancies](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/17010575)
- Search Console Help, [Performance report (Search results): Dimensions and data groupings](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/17011259)
- All accessed 4 Nov 2026.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which regex syntax does Search Console use?

RE2. Matching is partial and case-insensitive by default.

### Can I filter for AI Mode queries with regex?

No. Search Console doesn't label AI Mode queries. Question-style or long-query regex is only a proxy for conversational searches.

### Is the AI-powered configuration available to everyone?

Google made it available to everyone in early 2026 after a limited test, but the help page still calls it experimental. Check your own property.

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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-filters-regex-comparisons