Google adds new filter to Search Console performance reports

Google has introduced a major update to its Search Console platform, presenting a new search discussion forums filter as outlined in the performance reports.

Following the update, eligible websites can track how the results of their Google search discussion forums perform, highlighting a profound understanding of user-generated content visibility.

Google, in their post on LinkedIn on July 8, 2025, stated:

“Starting today, Search Console will show Discussion Forum rich results as a search appearance in the Performance reports.”

This update will focus on measurement, rather than new search capabilities. Publishers can now check impressions, clicks, rankings, and click-through rates precisely tied to forum-style content.

Earlier, such data was listed under larger categories like “Rich results” or “Web,” making it tough to separate the effect of structured forum markup.

To be eligible for this feature, structured data must be implemented by the websites using either the Discussion Forum Posting or social media Posting schema types.

These formats have been designed for platforms where users share perspectives through original posts and threaded replies.

According to Google, this specific markup is not aimed at being used with blog posts, product reviews, or Q&A-style content, because these require different data structures.

As per Search Engine Journal, the new Google Search Console filter allows publishers to evaluate individually the performance of user discussions, determine which threads generate the highest search traffic, and enhance the structure of forums based on engagement metrics.

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Google also has a recommendation of using Microdata or RDFa formats over JSON-LD for better working with large text blocks.

In addition, proper execution incorporates nested remarks under the original post and ensures pages are indexable and crawlable.

This step aligns with the broader push of Google to elevate community-driven content in search results.

In the discussion forums, Google is presenting forums such as Reddit and Quora, which are becoming significant in search results through features like “Perspectives” and better visibility for these platforms.

For webmasters and SEO professionals who run forums or community sites, this Google Search Console filter provides a great opportunity to enhance their strategies and improve their visibility.