Date_Filtering_Guide

Purpose

Use this guide to set date filters correctly in GovTribe Search_* tools using plain dates or Elasticsearch date math. Use it when:

• users ask for time-bounded results such as last 30 days or due next week.

• setting any *_date_range field in a request payload.

• building broad award/IDV horizon scans that should be aggregation-first.

Construction Rules

Range Object Shape

• Date range objects should include both keys:

  • from

  • to

• If one side is open-ended, keep the key and set it to null.

Supported Date Values

• Use one of these value styles:

  • plain date values (example 2026-03-02)

  • Elasticsearch date math (example now-90d/d, 2026-01-01||+1M/d)

• Use fixed dates when reproducibility matters.

Field Selection Guide

• Use the date field that matches user intent:

  • award_date_range: award issue date.

  • posted_date: posting date.

  • due_date_range: response deadline.

  • ultimate_completion_date_range: completion horizon.

  • last_date_to_order_range: IDV ordering deadline.

  • estimated_solicitation_release_date_range: forecasted release timing.

  • anticipated_award_start_date_range: forecasted start timing.

• For broad award/IDV horizon scans, pair date windows with aggregations first.

Examples

Rolling 90-day federal award scan (agg-first): Tool: Search_Federal_Contract_Awards

{
  "query": "",
  "award_date_range": {
    "from": "now-90d/d",
    "to": "now/d"
  },
  "aggregations": ["top_awardees_by_dollars_obligated"]
}

Open-ended posted-date filter: Tool: Search_Federal_Contract_Opportunities

{
  "query": "",
  "posted_date": {
    "from": "2026-01-01",
    "to": null
  }
}

Future due-date window: Tool: Search_Federal_Contract_Opportunities

{
  "query": "",
  "due_date_range": {
    "from": "now/d",
    "to": "now+30d/d"
  }
}