Google Search Console now lets you select several countries at once in the Performance report, so you can see combined Google Search traffic for a group of markets in one view. Google announced the update on October 6, 2026.
What changed in the Search Console Performance report
Google Search Central announced the update on LinkedIn on October 6, 2026. Google said it is changing the Performance report filters so site owners can analyze traffic patterns across countries and devices more easily, and that anyone operating in several countries can now view combined Google Search traffic.
Until now, Google’s help documentation told site owners to use a comparison, limited to two items, to see more than one country, device, Search type or Search appearance. Search Engine Watch called the update helpful for businesses in several countries, since it removes the need to combine separate reports by hand.
How to group countries in Search Console
You can group countries in four steps. Button labels may differ slightly by account or interface version.
- Open Search Console, choose your property, and go to Performance > Search results.
- Open the Country filter: click + Add filter, or click the existing country filter to edit it.
- Tick every country you want in the group, for example the United States and Canada.
- Click Update. The chart, totals and tables now show combined clicks, impressions, CTR and average position for the whole group.
From there, add a device, query or page filter on top, or open the Countries tab to see how each market contributes to the combined total.
Before and after: what the update saves you
The update replaces manual country-by-country totals with one filter. The “Before” column follows Google’s own help page, which may not yet reflect the change.
| Task | Before | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Total search traffic for a region, such as US + Canada | Filter one country at a time and add the figures yourself | Tick both countries and read one combined total |
| Report on a multi-country client | Export each country, then merge the files | One filtered view for the whole market group |
| See several countries and devices together | Comparison only, limited to two items | Google says the update makes cross-country and cross-device analysis easier |
| Check one market inside the group | Filter that country | Same, using the Countries tab or a single-country filter |
Practical ways to use the multi-country filter
These are suggested uses based on how the filter works, not Google guidance.
- Regional market groups. Group the US, UK, Canada and Australia to size English-language demand, or group several EU markets to see a region’s organic traffic in one number.
- Client reporting. Give each market cluster one row in a monthly report instead of one row per country.
- Paid and organic alignment. Select the same countries a Google Ads campaign targets, then compare organic clicks and impressions for that footprint with paid results.
- International SEO checks. After an hreflang, redirect or site-structure change, watch whether a market group’s clicks move together or one country drags the total.
- AI feature visibility. Google’s Search generative AI performance reports, announced on June 3, 2026, include a country dimension. Google’s update post does not say whether multi-country selection reaches those reports, so test it before you promise clients that view.
Limits and open questions
Google’s announcement is short, and the coverage reviewed for this article leaves several details open.
- Selection limit. Neither Google’s post, as quoted by Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Watch, nor those articles say how many countries you can tick at once.
- Other reports and tools. The coverage does not say whether the Discover and News reports, the Search Analytics API or Looker Studio connectors support country groups. Check each one before you rely on it.
- Blended metrics. Average position and CTR across a group mix markets with different results pages and different search behavior. A flat combined position can hide one country gaining and another slipping.
- Sanity check. Group clicks should roughly match the sum of the single-country figures. If they don’t, filter each country on its own and look for the gap.
For decisions about a single market, keep using that country’s own numbers alongside the combined view.
Frequently asked questions
Can you select multiple countries in Google Search Console?
Yes. Since Google’s October 6, 2026 update, the country filter in the Performance report accepts several countries and shows their combined Google Search traffic.
How do you combine countries in the Performance report?
Open Performance > Search results, open the Country filter, tick the countries you want, and click Update.
Who announced the multi-country filter, and when?
Google Search Central announced it on LinkedIn on October 6, 2026. Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Watch both reported it the same day.
What could you do before the update?
You could filter to one country, or use a comparison limited to two items, according to Google’s help documentation. Anything larger meant combining data yourself.
Does the filter work for Google’s generative AI performance reports?
The announcement coverage does not say. Those reports have their own country dimension, so test the filter there before you use it in client reporting.
Does grouping countries affect rankings?
No. It changes how you view your data in Search Console, not how your pages appear in Google Search.
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