Using GSC annotations
Mark important events like algorithm updates, content changes, or campaigns on the GSC Performance chart timeline to correlate actions with traffic changes.
Mark important events like algorithm updates, content changes, or campaigns on the GSC Performance chart timeline to correlate actions with traffic changes.
Annotations let you mark specific dates on the GSC Performance chart with notes about events that may have affected your search traffic. This makes it easy to correlate traffic changes with actions you’ve taken or external events like Google algorithm updates.
Connect Google Search Console and open the intended client's GSC Performance card. Before adding a note, confirm the date and source of the event. An annotation preserves context beside the chart; it does not change GSC data or prove that the event caused a ranking or traffic change.
Adding an annotation
Click the Annotate button in the GSC Performance card header.
Enter a title (required) – a short label for the event.
Add a description (optional) – more detail about what happened.
Select the date when the event occurred.
Choose a category:
Algorithm update – Google search algorithm changes.
Content change – Major edits to your content.
Technical change – Site migrations, redesigns, or infrastructure updates.
Campaign – Marketing campaigns or promotions.
Other – Anything else worth noting.
Click Save.
How annotations appear on the chart
Each annotation appears as a vertical reference line on the chart at the corresponding date. The line color and icon vary by category so you can quickly distinguish between different types of events. Hover over an annotation line to see its title and description in a tooltip.
Pre-populated algorithm updates
Rankability automatically includes major Google algorithm updates as system annotations (shown with a distinct icon). These cannot be edited or deleted but give you valuable context when reviewing traffic changes. If a traffic drop aligns with an algorithm update line, it’s a strong signal that the update may have affected your rankings.
Editing and deleting annotations
Click on an annotation in the chart tooltip to open the edit dialog. From there you can update the title, description, date, or category. To delete an annotation, use the delete option in the same dialog. System annotations (algorithm updates) cannot be modified.
User annotations are shared with teammates who can access the client. Edit incorrect details instead of creating a second note for the same event, and delete only duplicates or invalid entries so historical context remains auditable.
Annotations and granularity
When you switch between daily, weekly, and monthly chart views, annotations are automatically mapped to the nearest time bucket. An annotation on January 15 will appear at the start of the week (in weekly view) or the start of the month (in monthly view) that contains that date.
Best practices
Add annotations whenever you make significant content updates, site changes, or launch campaigns.
Review the pre-populated algorithm update lines when investigating traffic drops.
Use the description field to include links to related documents or tickets for future reference.
Annotations are shared across your team – they’re visible to everyone with access to the client.
Investigate a change
Add the event on the date it actually occurred and include the affected page, release, or campaign in the description.
Use a range with enough time before and after the event.
Match query, page, country, device, and date context when comparing GSC data.
Check whether the change affects one page/query or the broader property.
Use the annotation as a measurement anchor, then revisit after enough delayed GSC data is available.
Describe overlap with an algorithm update as correlation unless the evidence supports a stronger conclusion.
Common issues
Annotate is unavailable — Confirm GSC is connected, its performance card is loaded, and you can access the client.
The marker appears at the start of a week or month — This is expected bucket mapping. Switch to daily for the exact date.
A system annotation cannot be edited — Only user-created annotations are editable or deletable.
A new note is not visible — Check the date range, granularity, and selected client, then refresh once.
The event also affected onsite behavior — Add a separate GA4 annotation because the timelines are independent.
Related articles
Connecting and using Google Search Console — Overview of the GSC Performance card and its features.
Detecting content decay — Use annotations to measure a justified recovery action.
Finding low-hanging fruit opportunities — Mark material optimizations and review later search performance.
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