How to use Regex using Google Search Console

How to use Regex using Google Search Console

We are all well-known to the most effective architectural tool offered by Google which is Google Search Console. It lets you manage all the technicalities for your website. Inside GSC, there are several advanced features are available. One of them is Regex (Regular Expression). A few months back to assist users to find and analyze data depending upon the queries and pages Google rolled out a new feature called Regex in Google Seach Console. It also assists to filter data according to the user’s need.

regex in google search console

What are Regular Expressions (Regex) in GSC?

Basically, a regular expression or regex denotes a sequential set of characters which in return tries to define a search pattern.

How to use Regex:

In order to get the benefit of regex in Google Search Console, we can utilize the following steps to get started.

Step 1

Firstly, log on to the GSC dashboard and click on the performance tab as shown in the below screenshot:

gsc dashboard

Step 2: 

Next, we have used some custom filtering to find some queries as shown under:

gsc new
gsc quey
gsc queries
gsc custom regex
gsc filter

We have used “Custom Regex” for hunting down some of the intent-driven keywords which start with “WH” words such as under:

^(What|When|Where|Who|Whom|Which|Whose|Why|How)

Step 3:

By performing the above-mentioned step, we have obtained specific queries which have visibility on Google search and which only start with intent-driven queries / WH-queries. These queries are useful since they showcase the search terms for which Thatware already has good visibility and will help in tapping targeted audiences.

We have simply exported the list and applied a filter to sort based on “highest impression to lowest”.


Then we have segregated 30% of all the top queries. It is based on the last 3 months search data which have the highest impression. The list is shared as above:

Here’s what is Expected:

  1. Since the queries already have good visibility on “Google search”. So further optimizing them would help in boosting the SERP visibility as a whole.
  2. With the above point being said, this would help us in tapping a more targeted audience and at the same time would also help us in improving the organic traffic acquisition ratio as a whole.