Intro
Isolate branded navigational searches where users are clearly trying to reach a specific site destination.
Use this regex to surface branded navigational demand in GSC when users are trying to reach the site, dashboard, or app directly.
The Regex
How This Regex Works (Explained Simply)
()
Parentheses group terms together so GSC treats them as one unit. That is what lets one regex cover several query variants in a single filter.
|
The pipe means OR. GSC will match any term on either side of the pipe, which is useful for variants, modifiers, or alternative phrases.
.*
Dot-star means any characters can appear here. In GSC it is commonly used when you want to allow extra words before or after a core phrase.
^
The caret anchors the regex to the start of the query. Use it when you want to match terms only if they appear first in GSC.
+
The plus sign means one or more of the previous token. It helps when a term can repeat but still needs to be present at least once.
\s
Backslash-s matches a whitespace character. It is useful when spacing can vary between query formats.
\b
Backslash-b marks a word boundary. It helps stop short terms from matching inside longer words in GSC queries.
GSC regex is case-insensitive by default, so capital letters do not need separate variants. GSC also uses partial matching by default, so the regex can match part of a longer query unless you anchor it with ^ or $.
What This Regex Does
- Matches brand queries with clear navigation-style modifiers.
- Helps separate destination intent from branded research or support intent.
- Shows whether navigational demand is growing after launches or product changes.
What it does not match
- spicy metrics pricing - This is branded commercial intent, not navigation intent.
- seo dashboard website - Destination language is present, but the brand is missing.
Edge Cases
- Some navigational queries are just the raw brand name. Those will live in the core brand recipe instead.
- If users search for the domain directly, consider a URL-style variation.
Example Matches Table
| Query | Match | Why |
|---|---|---|
| spicy metrics dashboard | Match | Starts with the brand and a destination-style modifier. |
| spicymetrics website | Match | Contains the joined brand plus a navigational modifier. |
| spicy metrics pricing | No | This is branded commercial intent, not navigation intent. |
| seo dashboard website | No | Destination language is present, but the brand is missing. |
How to Use This in Google Search Console
- Open Performance and go to Search results.
- Click Add filter and choose Query.
- Select Custom (regex).
- Paste the regex and click Apply.
When to Use This
- Measure destination intent separately from research intent.
- Check whether homepage or app changes affect navigational clicks.
- Segment core navigational demand before reviewing CTR trends.
Pro Tips
- If users search for URL fragments or sub-brands, add them as grouped modifiers.
- Do not mix navigational intent with support or pricing if you want cleaner branded analysis.
- Compare this segment against login and support segments to understand where users are trying to go.
Variations
Add platform phrasing
Captures one more destination-style modifier for product-led brands.
App and dashboard only
Useful when you only care about product-entry navigation queries.
Related Regex Recipes
Regex for Brand + Login Queries
Use this regex to isolate branded account-access intent and keep it separate from support or pricing demand.
Regex for Brand Queries
Use this regex to isolate branded demand in GSC when users search for your brand with or without spaces.
Regex for Brand + Support Queries
Use this regex to isolate branded support intent and keep it separate from pricing, demo, or login queries.
CTA
Regex is only the first step. The real bottleneck is turning manual filters into a repeatable workflow your team actually uses. Spicy Metrics helps you move from ad hoc filtering to operational SEO workflows.
Move beyond manual regex work