Intro
Capture conversational feasibility queries in GSC so you can analyse demand framed as whether something can be done.
Use this regex to isolate can you searches in GSC when you want to measure conversational informational demand about feasibility or capability.
The Regex
How This Regex Works (Explained Simply)
.*
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.
\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 queries that begin with can you.
- Surfaces question formats that often map to AI-style or assistant-style search behaviour.
- Helps you identify topics where searchers want a quick yes-or-no answer plus guidance.
What it does not match
- can i use regex in gsc - This needs the broader variation because it uses can i.
- how to use regex in gsc - This is an instructional query rather than a can-you query.
Edge Cases
- This is narrow by design, so first-person versions do not match unless you add them.
- Conversational phrasing can overlap with support or tool queries, so check landing pages as well.
Example Matches Table
| Query | Match | Why |
|---|---|---|
| can you use regex in gsc | Match | Begins with can you, so it matches. |
| can you compare date ranges in gsc | Match | Starts with the exact grouped phrase. |
| can i use regex in gsc | No | This needs the broader variation because it uses can i. |
| how to use regex in gsc | No | This is an instructional query rather than a can-you query. |
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 conversational question demand in your query set.
- Find opportunities for FAQ content with direct answer formatting.
- Compare assistant-style phrasing against traditional search phrasing.
Pro Tips
- Expand to can i and can we if first-person phrasing matters in your market.
- Use this with FAQ pages to see whether answer-style content is gaining traction.
- Compare CTR against how-to queries because the SERP intent can differ significantly.
- Treat this as an early signal for conversational search behaviour.
Variations
Include first-person variants
Captures more natural-language question formats without losing intent.
Related Regex Recipes
Regex for Question Keywords
Use this regex to isolate question keywords in GSC and see how well your content captures query-led informational demand.
Regex for FAQ Queries
Use this regex to isolate FAQ-style query modifiers in GSC when users are looking for direct answers rather than long-form guidance.
CTA
Building query segments manually in GSC works for one-off checks, but it breaks down across multiple sites and stakeholders. Spicy Metrics keeps those segments organised and easy to monitor.
Scale segmentation in Spicy Metrics