Search Console Regex for Question Queries

Below are all 9 filters from our AI Overviews clicks guide, what each one is for, and the mistakes that make a regex return nothing.

Where the Regex Filter Is

1. Open Performance > Search results.
2. Click + Add filter and pick Query.
3. Choose Custom (regex).
4. Keep Matches regex, or pick Doesn't match regex to exclude.
5. Paste the pattern and click Apply.

Three rules from Google's filter help:

• RE2 syntax. Most common regex works. Lookaheads like (?=...) and backreferences do not.
• Partial match by default. A pattern can match anywhere in the query unless you start it with ^ or end it with $.
• Not case sensitive by default. Add (?-i) at the start if you need case to matter.

The 9 Filters

Paste each one on its own. The text after the pattern says what it finds.

1. Questions: ^(who|what|when|where|why|how|which|is|are|can|does|do|should|will) (with the space). The queries AI answers target most.
2. Long queries, 6+ words: ^(\S+\s+){5,}\S+$. Detailed, specific searches.
3. Very long queries, 10+ words: ^(\S+\s+){9,}\S+$. Chat-like searches, often AI Mode follow-ups.
4. How-to and meaning: (how to|meaning|definition|what is|explained|guide|tips|steps). "Teach me" searches.
5. Comparisons: ( vs |versus|compare|comparison|difference between|alternative|best ). "Help me choose" searches.
6. Buying and local: (buy|price|pricing|cost|cheap|deal|coupon|near me|open now|book|hire|quote). Searches that still send buyers.
7. Your brand: (northwind|north wind|nwoutdoors). Put in your own brand names and common typos.
8. Not brand: the same pattern as 7, with Doesn't match regex. Everything except brand.
9. Chatty, AI Mode style: ^(i |i'm |my |we |help me|can you|tell me|give me). Searches written like a message.

A query can sit in more than one group. That is fine. You are comparing how each group moved, not adding them up.

Search Console also has a built-in branded queries filter, rolled out to all eligible sites by March 11, 2026 (Search Central blog, November 2025). Use it if your property has it. Use filters 7 and 8 if it does not, or if you want to control the list yourself.

Why the Question Filter Ends with a Space

Without the space, ^(how|is|can) also matches "howard johnson hotel", "island tours" and "canon camera". The space after the word means the query must start with the whole word. You can use \b instead (^(who|what|how)\b), but a space is easier to see and to copy.

Two more question tricks:

• To catch questions that do not start with a question word, like "best time to visit iceland?", add |\?$ at the end, inside the brackets. Expect a small gain: most typed searches have no question mark.
• For other languages, swap the words. French: ^(qui|que|quoi|quand|où|pourquoi|comment|quel|quelle|est-ce) .

What to Do with Each Group

Run one filter at a time with Date > Compare (last 28 days vs the 28 days before) and all four metrics on. Then:

Mistakes That Make a Regex Return Nothing

1. Smart quotes or spaces pasted from a document. Retype the quotes and spaces in the box.
2. Escaping too much. You do not need \ before a space or a letter.
3. A lookahead. RE2 does not support (?=...) or (?!...). Use Doesn't match regex instead.
4. Matching the URL instead of the query. Check that you picked Query, not Page.
5. Very rare queries. Google hides some rare queries for privacy, so filtered totals can be lower than the unfiltered chart.