Google Search Console (GSC) is an essential tool for website owners to monitor and improve their site’s performance. With the recent addition of Regex (Regular Expressions) in Google Search Console, analyzing data has become more efficient and precise. In this guide, we’ll explore how to use Regex in GSC with examples, practical use cases, and important Regex patterns.

1. What is Regex?

Regex (Regular Expression) is a sequence of characters that forms a search pattern. It is a powerful tool used for filtering and finding specific data.

In Google Search Console, Regex can be used to create flexible filters to analyze search queries and page performance.

Example: To filter search queries that contain either “contact” or “services”, you can use the pattern:

(contact|services)

2. Where to Use Regex in Google Search Console?

Google introduced Regex filters in two key areas:

Section	Where to Use Regex
Performance Report	Queries and Page filters
Search Analytics	Query and URL-level filters

You can use Regex in these sections to:

• Find specific search queries.
• Filter URLs matching a pattern.
• Analyze keywords effectively.

3. Key Regex Symbols and Their Meaning

Here’s a table of the most commonly used Regex symbols and their functions:

4. Practical Regex Examples for Google Search Console

Let’s go through important practical examples with explanations:

Use Case	Regex Pattern	Explanation
Find queries with “contact” or “services”	`(contact	services)`
Filter queries starting with “how to”	^how to	Matches queries beginning with “how to”
Find URLs ending with “.html”	\.html$	Matches URLs ending with .html
Exclude queries with “free”	^(?!.*free).*	Excludes queries containing “free”
Find queries containing numbers	.*\d.*	Matches queries with one or more digits

5. How to Use Regex in Queries and Filters

Follow these steps to apply Regex filters in Google Search Console:

1. Log in to Google Search Console.
2. Go to the Performance report.
3. Click on the + New filter option.
4. Select Query or Page.
5. Choose Custom (Regex).
6. Enter your desired Regex pattern.

For example:

• To find all search queries containing “blog” or “articles”, use:(blog|articles)

6. Examples Using www.riadahmmed.com

Let’s consider a website, www.riadahmmed.com, and see how we can use Regex to analyze data effectively.

Example 1: Filter Queries Containing “Design” or “Development”

Regex Pattern:

(design|development)

Result: This pattern will display queries like:

• “web design tips”
• “development tutorials”
• “learn design and development”

Example 2: Filter Pages Ending with “/services”

Regex Pattern:

\/services$

Result: This will filter URLs like:

• www.riadahmmed.com/services
• www.riadahmmed.com/contact/services

Example 3: Exclude Queries Containing “Free”

Regex Pattern:

^(?!.*free).*

Result: This will exclude any queries like:

• “free web development tools”
• “best free design software”

Example 4: Find Queries Starting with “How to”

Regex Pattern:

^how to

Result: This will filter queries such as:

• “how to start a blog”
• “how to design a website”
• “how to develop an app”

7. Tips for Using Regex Effectively

To get the most out of Regex in Google Search Console:

1. Use Simple Patterns: Start with simple Regex and refine as needed.
2. Test Regex First: Use tools like Regex101 to test your patterns before applying them.
3. Escape Special Characters: If you need to match symbols like ., $, or ?, use a backslash ().
4. Combine OR Conditions: Use | to match multiple terms in one pattern.
5. Avoid Overcomplicating: Keep patterns readable to avoid confusion.

Conclusion

Using Regex in Google Search Console allows you to analyze search queries and page performance with precision. Whether you’re looking to filter specific keywords, URLs, or exclude unwanted results, Regex is a powerful tool that can save you time and effort.

By applying the examples and tips provided above, you can unlock deeper insights into your website’s performance, just like we demonstrated with www.riadahmmed.com. Start experimenting with Regex today and take control of your data!