Google Search Console bug causes data display issues, company confirms fix
Google confirms and resolves a Search Console performance report bug that initially showed zero traffic data for October 28, affecting global users.
Search marketers and website owners worldwide experienced a concerning start to their Monday when Google Search Console's performance reports displayed almost no data for October 28, 2024. The issue, which affected users globally, was confirmed as a technical bug by Google officials and was resolved by 1:00 PM Eastern Time.
According to Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Roundtable, the bug manifested in the performance report interface, showing near-zero traffic data for the current day across numerous Search Console properties. The anomaly became apparent in the early morning hours of October 28, triggering widespread concern among digital marketing professionals and webmasters.
The issue affected several key metrics in the Search Console interface:
- Total clicks
- Total impressions
- Average CTR (Click-Through Rate)
- Average position data
Daniel Waisberg, Search Advocate at Google, acknowledged the issue on social media, stating, "That's an issue on our side, we're working to fix it!" According to the provided documentation, John Mueller from Google later elaborated on LinkedIn, confirming that the team was actively investigating the problem.
The sequence of events unfolded as follows:
- 6:05 AM ET: Initial reports of the bug emerged
- 7:30 AM ET: Google officially confirmed the issue
- 1:00 PM ET: Google implemented a fix by adjusting the reports to no longer display current-day data by default
The resolution involved modifying the Search Console's default behavior to stop displaying same-day data automatically. According to search marketing experts monitoring the situation, this change effectively prevented the alarming zero-traffic displays that had caused concern earlier in the day.
Industry impact
The temporary reporting issue affected various sectors:
Affected Metrics
- Performance report data
- Real-time traffic statistics
- Daily comparison capabilities
- Historical data visualization
According to the documented conversations, several prominent SEO professionals reported the issue, including:
Data Verification
Prior to the fix, users observed the following patterns in their Search Console accounts:
- Regular historical data remained intact
- Only current-day metrics showed anomalous readings
- Previous months' data maintained accuracy
- Weekend data from October 26-27 appeared unaffected
Key Facts
- Event Date: October 28, 2024
- Initial Report Time: 6:05 AM ET
- Resolution Time: Approximately 1:00 PM ET
- Affected System: Google Search Console Performance Reports
- Geographic Scope: Global
- Data Impact: Current-day metrics only
- Resolution Method: Removal of same-day data display by default