Can Perplexity search be restricted to recent sources?

Definition: Yes. As of 17 October 2026, Perplexity documents API filters that restrict search results by a relative recency window, an original publication date range, or a last-update date range. A recency window measures time backwards from the current date.

Key facts

• Perplexity's Search Date and Time Filters documentation distinguishes original publication dates from dates when content is modified.
• The Search API reference describes search_recency_filter as filtering by publication recency, with hour, day, week, month, and year values.
• The Agent API web search documentation places date and recency controls inside the web_search tool's filters object.

How recent are the predefined windows?

Perplexity's web search documentation maps hour to the past hour, day to the past 24 hours, week to the past 7 days, month to the past 30 days, and year to the past 365 days. The month and year options therefore have fixed day counts.

The following JSON fragment selects the weekly window in an Agent API request's tools array:

{
  "type": "web_search",
  "filters": {
    "search_recency_filter": "week"
  }
}

The same documentation permits combining date controls with search_domain_filter, which includes or excludes specified domains or URLs. Such a combination sets both the source scope and the time scope of the search.

How are exact date ranges specified?

Perplexity's date-filter guide defines search_after_date_filter and search_before_date_filter for original publication dates. Its example uses the following request fields for a publication window between March 1 and March 5, 2025:

{
  "search_after_date_filter": "3/1/2025",
  "search_before_date_filter": "3/5/2025"
}

These are request fields to combine with a search query. Dates use month/day/year order. The guide also shows a request containing only search_after_date_filter when the requirement is a publication cutoff without an upper bound.

For content maintained after its original publication, the corresponding fields are last_updated_after_filter and last_updated_before_filter. The guide defines these against modification dates. This distinction matters when a search concerns a maintained reference page: the chosen filter determines whether the request tests its original publication or its subsequent update.

Where are the filters sent, and how are results checked?

Perplexity's Search API quickstart describes structured, ranked web results for an application's own processing. It directs applications needing an answer with citations to the Agent API.

For the Search API, Perplexity's reference lists the filter names as request-body fields sent to https://api.perplexity.ai/search. The response contains a results array with titles, URLs, snippets, and optional date and last_updated fields. Checking those returned dates alongside the source page provides a practical review step for a time-bounded search.

Related terms

• Perplexity
• Perplexity Sonar
• Can I restrict a Perplexity Sonar answer to my domain?
• Article update dates

FAQ

Can I request only sources from the past week?

Yes. Set search_recency_filter to week; Perplexity's web search documentation defines that window as the past 7 days.

Can I filter for recently updated pages?

Yes. Use last_updated_after_filter for an update cutoff, adding last_updated_before_filter for an upper bound, as described in Perplexity's Search API reference.

Are these instructions for a setting in the Perplexity app?

The cited date-filter guide documents API parameters; it does not establish the availability of equivalent controls in the consumer app.

Sources

1. Perplexity, "Search Date and Time Filters", accessed 17 October 2026
2. Perplexity, "Search the Web", accessed 17 October 2026
3. Perplexity, "Web Search", accessed 17 October 2026
4. Perplexity, "Perplexity Search API", accessed 17 October 2026

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