On 17 November 2025, Google Search Console added custom chart annotations to its performance reports. This feature lets you leave a short note on a specific date in the performance chart, so you can record events such as a site migration, theme change, campaign launch or Google update in the same place as your traffic data. Notes can be up to 120 characters, a property can have up to 200 notes, and everyone with access to the property can see them.
In this article we explain how to add notes, their limits and the most useful use cases for e-commerce sites.
Why do custom chart annotations matter?
The performance chart shows changes in traffic but not why they happened. When you look at a drop or rise months later, it's hard to remember what you did on that date; the information usually stays scattered across emails, project tools or team members' memories. Notes bring "what happened and when" next to the data and speed up analysis.
How do you add a note?
Open the Performance report in Search Console.
Right-click the date on the chart where you want to add a note and select Add annotation.
Check the date and write your note of up to 120 characters.
Save. The note appears as a small marker on the chart; click the marker to view or delete the note.
Limits you need to know
Character limit: each note can be up to 120 characters. Keep it short and descriptive.
Number of notes: a property can have up to 200 custom notes.
Retention: notes older than 500 days are deleted automatically. For long-term records, it's useful to keep notes in a separate document too.
Visibility: everyone with access to the property sees the notes. Don't write personal or sensitive information.
Difference from system notes: Search Console's own notes showing data processing issues (system annotations) are separate; custom notes are only the records you add.
Use cases for e-commerce sites
Site migration or theme change: structural changes such as moving to Shopify from another platform or publishing a new theme.
Technical SEO work: bulk redirects, sitemap changes, speed improvements.
Content updates: refreshed category copy, bulk meta description updates, a new blog series.
Google updates: start dates of core and spam updates.
Campaigns and seasons: Black Friday, holiday periods, major sale campaigns.
Outages: dates when the site was unreachable or checkout issues occurred.
Tips for using notes efficiently
Set a standard format. Using a prefix such as "TECH: 301 redirects uploaded" or "CONTENT: 40 category texts updated" makes notes easy to scan.
Only note important events. Because of the 200-note limit, focus on events that can affect traffic rather than small changes.
Assign responsibility within the team. Clarifying who adds notes prevents gaps in the records.
We explain query groups, another new Search Console feature, in our Query Groups article, and basic setup in our Search Console setup guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can everyone see Search Console notes?
Only users with access to the relevant Search Console property can see the notes. All of these users see the same notes.
Do notes appear in comparison view?
Notes appear on the chart regardless of the filters you choose; however, they're not shown in comparison mode or the 24-hour view.
Is this the same as Google Analytics annotations?
No. Google Analytics 4 has its own annotation feature. If you use both tools, adding important events to both improves consistency in your analysis.
Let's track your SEO together
Keeping regular notes is one of the simplest ways to measure the impact of SEO work accurately. If you'd like to track your site's SEO performance together, get in touch through our SEO and GEO consulting page.
