Google Search Console has a bug with its API when filtering on the searchAppearance dimension. This bug occurs when using the notEquals or notContains operators, it will only return rows with the excluded value, instead of excluding those rows.
Supposedly, this is a known bug, at least according to the Google Webmaster Help thread, where Google Product Expert, Mihai Aperghis, replied to the complaint saying:
Thanks for reporting this Max, I can confirm this is indeed happening, and it looks like it's a bug.
Here is how Max Peters explained the bug in the thread:
I'm experiencing an issue with the Google Search Console API when using filters on the "searchAppearance" dimension.When applying "notContains", and "notEquals", the API returns only rows where searchAppearance is the value I'm trying to exclude, instead of excluding it.
I’ve attached sample outputs below:
- notEquals_JOB_DETAILS
- equals_JOB_DETAILS
Both return the same results, which shouldn't happen. The notEquals result should include data from all other search appearances except JOB_DETAILS.
This behaviour occurs both when using the Search Console API directly and when using the Search Analytics for Sheets plugin. This suggests it's not an issue with how I'm calling the API.
This seems to be either:
- a bug in how notEquals/notContains are being processed for searchAppearance, or
- a misunderstanding in how these filters are intended to work for this dimension.
Any clarification or confirmation would be greatly appreciated.
This is a report from April, and Google has not yet fixed the issue or responded to the issue here.
Either way, if you are using the Search Console API and filtering this way, you should be aware of this.
Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.
Update: Martin Splitt from Google said on LinkedIn "It's being looked into."
