Monday, November 17, 2025
We're always looking for new ways to help you understand your data and make smarter decisions when it comes to Google Search. That's why we're happy to announce a new feature within the Search Console performance reports: Custom annotations.
This feature is designed to empower you to add your own contextual notes directly to your performance charts. Think of it as a personal notebook for your Search data.
There are many ways to improve your website's performance on Google Search, whether it's optimizing content, fixing technical issues, or responding to search trends. But sometimes, it can be tough to remember exactly when you made a specific change, or when something that affects your search traffic happened.
Custom annotations help bridge that gap, making it easier to track your SEO efforts. Here are a few examples on when you'd use custom annotations:
- Infrastructure changes like updating a template or a site migration
- SEO efforts like implementing a new plugin or hiring an agency
- Changing content to focus on different user intents
- External events that affect your business like a holiday
Adding an annotation is straightforward. You can right-click on your performance chart, select "Add annotation," and write down your note (up to 120 characters) along with a specific date. These annotations appear directly on your chart, providing a clear visual reference point for your data.
Note that everyone with access to your Search Console property will be able to see your custom annotations, so it's a good practice to not include any sensitive personal information.
We're excited about the potential of annotations to make your data analysis more efficient and impactful. We invite you to give it a try in Search Console and let us know what you think! Your feedback is invaluable as we work to build the most helpful tools for everyone, you can also share your comments on LinkedIn or post in the Google Search Central Community.