Google Search testing ‘before’ and ‘after’ date filter commands, removes ‘sorted by date’

Google.com has long allowed users to filter search results by time from general increments to setting a “custom date range.” The search engine is now testing a new “before:” and “after:” command to filter right from the search box.

On all platforms, Search users can filter results by past hour, 24 hours, week, month, and year. A “Custom date range” option is available on the desktop web to set the exact “from” and “to” range.

Two new commands allow you to filter right from the search box, and can be used in conjunction together. This new implementation brings precise filters to the Android and iOS apps, as well as the mobile web without Google having to create a custom date picker UI.

The before: & after: commands return documents before & after a date. You must provide year-month-day dates or only a year. You can combine both. For example:

[avengers endgame before:2019]

[avengers endgame after:2019-04-01]

[avengers endgame after:2019-03-01 before:2019-03-05]

Just entering a year will automatically translate that into full dates at the beginning or end of the year. Another nuance is the ability for Search to recognize both dashes and slashes when inputting dates.

More power user notes! You can use either dashes or slashes in dates. Both of these are valid:

2018-12-31
2018/12/31

You can also use a single digit for month or day, so all of these are valid:

2019-3-1
2019-3-12
2019-03-01

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) April 9, 2019

Meanwhile, Google wants to remove the date display that appears next to the 10 blue links when using these tools today as it is hard to determine when a site on the web was published or updated. This is due to the lack of a standard, while some sites provide no dates at all.

There is an exception for news results given that articles are often clearly labeled. Additionally, Google has removed the sort-by-date option for all results — save for news — given a lack of use. These new “before:” and “after:” commands are still in beta testing, but are widely rolled out today with Google looking for feedback.

We make the best estimates we can on dates, but with our existing tools or our new commands, you might find dates that are incorrect or imprecise. You can learn more about how we estimate dates here, along with advice for site owners: https://t.co/IrxCTtbwQT

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) April 9, 2019

Within news search, sort-by-date is very useful. That’s because we often have good confidence about the dates associated with stories. Sort-by-date works there because the dates are meaningful and valid…. pic.twitter.com/GizY7zfNpO

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) April 9, 2019