Adding context to your Search Console data with custom annotations  |  Google Search Central Blog  |  Google for Developers

11/17/25
Source: Google Search Central Blog. Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of Introducing Custom Annotations in Google Search Console Performance Reports

The new Custom Annotations feature in Google Search Console allows users to add personalized notes directly onto performance charts, enhancing data context. This tool helps track SEO efforts and website changes by visually marking key events like site migrations or content updates. It simplifies understanding fluctuations in search traffic by linking them to specific actions or external events. Overall, it empowers smarter, more informed decisions based on search data trends.

Optimixed’s Overview: Enhance Your SEO Insights with Google Search Console’s Custom Annotation Tool

What Are Custom Annotations?

Custom Annotations are a new feature integrated into the Google Search Console performance reports that enable users to add brief, contextual notes directly onto their search performance charts. This acts like a personal journal embedded within your data, providing clear reference points for any changes or events that might impact your website’s search visibility.

Key Benefits of Using Custom Annotations

  • Improved Data Context: Attach notes about infrastructure changes, SEO optimizations, or content shifts to specific dates on your performance charts.
  • Tracking SEO Efforts: Easily monitor the impact of new plugins, agency collaborations, or targeted content strategies by marking when these actions occurred.
  • Correlation with External Events: Highlight dates of holidays or business events to understand their influence on search traffic.
  • Collaborative Transparency: All users with access to the Search Console property can see annotations, fostering a shared understanding of site performance factors.

How to Add Annotations

Simply right-click on any point in your performance chart and select “Add annotation”. You can then enter a note of up to 120 characters along with the exact date. These annotations will appear clearly on your graph, helping visualize when specific changes or events took place.

Best Practices and Considerations

  • Avoid including sensitive personal information since annotations are visible to all users with access to the property.
  • Use concise, descriptive notes to maintain clarity in your data analysis.
  • Leverage annotations to build a historical record of your SEO activities and external influences.

By utilizing Custom Annotations, website owners and SEO professionals can gain deeper insights and make more informed decisions, streamlining the process of analyzing search performance data within Google Search Console.