Compare Performance Between Periods
analytics.compareRead-only
Compare Search Console clicks, impressions, CTR, and average position between two date ranges for a chosen dimension (query, page, country, device). Identifies performance shifts and flags data limits.
Instructions
Compare Search Console performance metrics (clicks, impressions, CTR, average position) between two distinct date ranges (Period A vs Period B) for a selected dimension (query, page, country, device). Pagination metadata flags when either period reached the local 100,000-row safety ceiling; Search Console itself may still return only top data.
Input Schema
TableJSON Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| site_url | Yes | The Search Console property identifier, exactly as returned by sites.list. Two formats exist: domain properties use 'sc-domain:example.com'; URL-prefix properties use the full URL including protocol and trailing slash, e.g. 'https://www.example.com/'. Passing the wrong format returns a permission error even when the user owns the site — call sites.list first if unsure. | |
| dimension | No | The dimension to compare performance for. Defaults to query. | query |
| end_date_a | Yes | End date of Period A (recent, YYYY-MM-DD) | |
| end_date_b | Yes | End date of Period B (previous, YYYY-MM-DD) | |
| start_date_a | Yes | Start date of Period A (recent, YYYY-MM-DD) | |
| start_date_b | Yes | Start date of Period B (previous, YYYY-MM-DD) |
Output Schema
TableJSON Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| pagination | Yes | ||
| comparisons | Yes |