Google Search Console does not keep your data forever. Google documents the window in one sentence: "Search Console keeps data for the last 16 months." Every day, the oldest day in the Performance report falls off the end of that window. Clicks, impressions, CTR and position for that day disappear from the Search Console UI and from the Search Analytics API at the same time.
The calculator above does the calendar arithmetic. Pick any day and it shows the last day Google should still serve it, the first day it should be gone, and how long you have left. Below that is your current window month by month, so you can see which month is expiring next. It runs entirely in your browser. There is no login, nothing is sent to SiteLine, and it does not read your Search Console account.
How to use the calculator
- Pick a date. It defaults to today. Use the day a campaign launched, the start of last year's peak season, the week a migration went live, or any other day you will want to compare against later.
- Read the expiry. "Last day in Search Console" is the date 16 calendar months later. "Gone from" is the day after, when that date has aged out of the window.
- Check the status. If the day is still inside the window, you get the number of days left. If it is already outside, the calculator says so. That data has very likely been deleted by Google already.
- Scan the window table. Each row is a month of data that Search Console holds today, with the dates it starts and finishes dropping out. The oldest month is usually already partly gone.
Want to keep a year-over-year comparison? Find the prior-year side of the comparison in the table. That is your deadline for copying it.
How the 16-month window works
The window rolls one day at a time. It is not a fixed block that resets each year. On 6 October 2026, the oldest day Search Console should still return is about 6 June 2025. On 7 October 2026, 6 June 2025 is gone and 7 June 2025 becomes the oldest. Nothing warns you. The date picker simply stops earlier.
The calculator uses calendar months, the way Google describes the limit. A day near the end of a long month expires on the same date as the last day of a shorter month 16 months later. For example, 29, 30 and 31 October 2026 all drop out when February 2028 ends.
Treat the dates as close estimates, not timestamps. Google does not publish the exact cutoff time, and the window is measured in Google's own timezone (Pacific Time) rather than yours. Expect the boundary to land within a day or so of the date shown.
The newest end of the window has a different gap. Google publishes Performance data about two to three days late and keeps revising recent days for a while after that. A day you enter as "today" is not in Search Console yet. It shows up in a few days, and its expiry is still 16 months from the day itself.
What happens when a day expires
When a day drops out of the window, Google stops serving it everywhere you would normally look:
- The Performance report. You cannot select that date in the range picker.
- The Search Analytics API. Requests for that date return no rows. So do Looker Studio, Sheets add-ons and most dashboards, because they all read the same API.
- Comparisons. A year-over-year view in month 17 has an empty prior year. It is not zero clicks. Google simply has nothing left to report.
There is no setting that extends the window and no support request that restores it. Re-verifying the property or reconnecting a tool does not bring old days back either. Each new connection only sees what Google still holds that day. The details are in Search Console's 16-month limit. When a specific day falls out of the window is in when does Google delete Search Console data?.
How to keep Search Console data past 16 months
The only way to have a day after Google deletes it is to copy it while it is still inside the window. Your options:
- Export now. The UI download is capped at 1,000 rows per table, so it is a sample, not an archive. Exporting more than 1,000 rows covers the API routes around that.
- BigQuery bulk export. This works from the day you switch it on. It does not backfill the days before that. BigQuery vs a hosted archive compares the two.
- A hosted archive. SiteLine imports the 16 months Google still holds when you connect, then keeps every later day while you subscribe. Best Search Console history tools compares it with Looker Studio, CSVs and DIY warehouses.
Whichever you choose, do it before the month you care about reaches the "gone from" date above. Connecting the day after it expires is too late. Connect Google Search Console to SiteLine walks through the read-only setup. Year-over-year in Search Console explains how to report honestly when the prior year has already gone.
FAQ
When does Google Search Console data expire?
Each day expires about 16 months after the date itself. Google documents that Search Console keeps data for the last 16 months, so data for 6 October 2026 should be available until about 6 February 2028 and gone from about 7 February 2028.
Is the 16-month limit exact?
It is close, not exact. Google states the window in months and does not publish a precise cutoff time. It also counts days in Pacific Time. Use the calculator's dates as a guide and copy anything important well before its deadline.
Can I recover Search Console data older than 16 months?
No. Once a day has aged out, Google no longer serves it in the UI or the API, and no tool can fetch it again. The only copies that exist are ones someone made before it expired: an export, a BigQuery table, or an archive.
Does reconnecting a tool or re-verifying the property reset the window?
No. Every new connection sees the same rolling 16 months Google holds that day. Disconnecting an archive and reconnecting later gives you a newer, shorter copy, not the old one back.
Why does today's date not show in Search Console yet?
Google publishes Performance data about two to three days late and revises recent days after that. Today is inside the window, but it has not been published yet. Its expiry is still counted from the day itself.
Does the calculator need access to my Search Console account?
No. It only does date arithmetic in your browser. It never connects to Google and does not send anything to SiteLine.
How do I keep my Search Console data beyond 16 months?
Copy it while it is still inside the window. CSV exports are capped at 1,000 rows, BigQuery bulk export only covers days after you switch it on, and SiteLine backfills the 16 months Google still holds and then keeps every later day while you subscribe.