GSC Now Supports Custom Annotations in Performance Charts
Google recently rolled out custom annotations, a long-awaited feature within Google Search Console (GSC) that lets you add your own contextual notes directly onto performance graphs. With this update, which was announced earlier this week, you can essentially turn your traffic charts into a living diary of what you actually did and when.
Why Google Is Introducing It
As Google explains it, many website owners make regular updates to their sites but often forget the exact timing later. This lack of context can make interpreting performance trends more difficult.
The new annotation feature fills that gap by letting you record what you did and when you did it. The ability to write a short note against a specific date means you can connect changes in organic traffic.
It is a simple addition but one that supports better analysis and clearer communication, especially for teams managing frequently updated websites.
Why Custom Annotation Matters
For years, SEOs and digital teams have relied on spreadsheets or external tracking tools to log site changes. Having this capability built directly into GSC is a practical improvement that keeps everything in one place.
A few examples, according to Google, where you might use custom annotations include infrastructure changes such as a site migration, SEO work, content strategy shifts, and external events that affect business performance such as holidays.
How To Add a Custom Annotation
It is quite straightforward. You simply open the Performance report, right click the chart on the date you want to mark and select Add Annotation. A small window will appear where you can type your note of up to 120 characters before saving it. Once added, the annotation appears as a small marker on your chart which you can click at any time to view or delete.
There are a few limits to note. You can create up to 200 annotations per property. Annotations also expire automatically after 500 days. All annotations are visible to anyone with access to the property.
What This Means for Irish Brands
For Irish businesses, this feature is particularly helpful because it supports clearer reporting and more confident decision making. If you are running seasonal campaigns, launching new products or making site improvements, you can now log each event at the moment it happens. Later, when reviewing your search performance, you will be able to connect those actions with the results far more easily.
It also encourages stronger collaboration. Agencies working with Irish clients can add notes when they deploy changes, while in house teams can document their own activity. Over time this creates a reliable timeline that shows how your search visibility evolved and why.