# Search Console adds brand filters

> Google Search Console now auto-classifies branded vs non-branded queries using AI, catching misspellings, abbreviations, and product names.

Published: 2026-03-17
URL: https://daniliants.com/insights/search-console-adds-brand-filters/
Tags: google-search-console, branded-search, query-filters, brand-monitoring, seo-analytics, competitor-tracking

---

## Summary

Google Search Console now has built-in AI-powered brand filters that classify branded vs non-branded queries automatically, including misspellings, abbreviations, and product names. The feature replaces manual regex-based brand filtering but has notable gaps - it misses some branded items and may include competitor names.

## Key Insight

- The filter uses AI classification, so it catches variations you'd miss with regex: one-word/two-word forms, hyphenated versions, abbreviations, misspellings, product names, and even founder names.
- Key gaps: it missed a founder's book title and included competitor names and client case studies as "branded" - so don't trust it blindly.
- Data availability starts from 21 February 2026 onward only.
- Actionable diagnostic: if your branded term average position isn't #1 or CTR is below 50%, competitors are likely bidding on your brand or ranking "Alternative to [You]" content.
- You can now annotate marketing campaigns directly on Performance charts (right-click) to correlate branded search lifts with campaign timing - useful for attribution when direct tracking is unclear.
- Regional brand comparison is now trivial: filter by branded queries + add country filter, or compare two countries side by side.