Fastest Way to Limit Google Search Results by Date
A well-formulated Google search can yield the most relevant results in a matter of seconds. But the problem with the results that are considered the most relevant to your search query is that they are not always the most recent results for a given topic.
This happens to me all the time. I constantly search Google for personal finance information, but numbers for things like tax rates can change annually. If I don’t get recent and relevant results, it takes me much longer to get the information I need.
This is why I am very happy with this advice from Reddit users familytreebeard . You can add time limits for your search directly from the text box. Here’s what to do:
You can filter any range of years using “before: <year>” and “after: <year>” in any search. Much faster than clicking the Tools menu and manually selecting time frames.
The thread talks about using this technique when looking for software or programming information that can change a lot in just a few years.
Let me show you how helpful this is. Last week, when I wrote about automating credit card payments , I mentioned the maximum late payment fees that a credit card issuer can charge.
My initial search to determine the current limits was unsuccessful:
The first result that came up was correct … in 2010. I knew that the rules have changed since then, so it took longer to determine the most recent limits.
Here’s the first result I got today when I added a time limit to my search:
Now we are preparing. Even though the dedicated page was updated in December 2019, it contains the information I need for 2020.
This is not a substitute for your diligence and careful analysis of search results. But if you do a lot of searches, when you want results from a specific period of time, or just want the latest information, this is the quickest way to get to them.