Date filtering

Use date filters when a GovTribe MCP search request needs a time-bounded cohort, such as recent awards, upcoming response deadlines, open ordering windows, or forecasted release dates.

Date range shape

Most date range filters use an object with from and to keys:

{
  "award_date_range": {
    "from": "2026-01-01",
    "to": null
  }
}

Keep both keys in the request. Set an open-ended side to null.

Date values

Use fixed dates when the result should be reproducible, such as 2026-03-02. Use date math when the request is intentionally relative to run time, such as now-90d/d, now/d, or now+30d/d.

Choosing a date field

Pick the date field that matches the user's intent, then confirm the field exists on the selected MCP tool page.

For aggregation-first scans, apply the date filter before requesting aggregations so the rollup summarizes the intended cohort.

Common date tasks

Federal transaction periods and award cohorts

On Search federal transactions MCP tool, use transaction_date_range for transaction activity and transaction_effective_date_range for the stored effective date. Use award_date_range to select the immediate parent's award-date cohort where that date is available. These dates answer different questions: a 2025 modification to a 2022 award can match a 2025 transaction period while falling outside a 2025 award cohort.

Transaction date-range bounds are inclusive. Date-only values include the first and final calendar days in UTC; explicit ISO timestamps preserve their time and offset. A transaction without the selected date does not match that range. Historical transaction and effective dates can differ, so choose the stored date that matches the question.

FY2024 runs from October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024. This request summarizes prime contract transaction activity in that fiscal year. It does not restrict results to awards first issued in FY2024. See Aggregations and leaderboards for signed amount interpretation.

Tool: Search_Federal_Transactions

{
  "transaction_types": ["contract_award", "contract_idv"],
  "transaction_date_range": {
    "from": "2023-10-01",
    "to": "2024-09-30"
  },
  "aggregations": ["dollars_obligated_stats"],
  "per_page": 0
}

Recent records

Use recent windows for questions about what changed, posted, or awarded recently. Use date math when the answer should always be relative to the time the agent runs.

Tool: Search_Federal_Contract_Awards

{
  "award_date_range": {
    "from": "now-90d/d",
    "to": "now/d"
  },
  "fields_to_return": ["govtribe_id", "name", "award_date", "dollars_obligated"],
  "sort": {
    "awardDate": "desc"
  }
}

Upcoming deadlines

Use due-date filters for bid, proposal, application, or response deadlines. A future from value avoids closed records when the user is asking what they can still act on.

Tool: Search_Federal_Contract_Opportunities

{
  "due_date_range": {
    "from": "now/d",
    "to": "now+30d/d"
  },
  "fields_to_return": ["govtribe_id", "name", "due_date", "federal_agency"],
  "sort": {
    "dueDate": "asc"
  }
}

Completion and recompete windows

Use current_completion_date_range on federal contract award records when the user asks about the current completion date. Use ultimate_completion_date_range when the question is about the latest possible completion date across options or extensions.

Tool: Search_Federal_Contract_Awards

{
  "current_completion_date_range": {
    "from": "now/d",
    "to": "now+12M/d"
  },
  "fields_to_return": [
    "govtribe_id",
    "name",
    "completion_date",
    "ultimate_completion_date",
    "awardee",
    "contracting_federal_agency"
  ],
  "sort": {
    "completionDate": "asc"
  }
}

Forecast timing

Use forecast-specific date fields when the user asks about expected solicitation release timing or anticipated award start timing.

Tool: Search_Federal_Forecasts

{
  "estimated_solicitation_release_date_range": {
    "from": "now/d",
    "to": "now+6M/d"
  },
  "fields_to_return": [
    "govtribe_id",
    "name",
    "estimated_solicitation_release_date",
    "estimated_award_start_date",
    "federal_agency"
  ],
  "sort": {
    "estimated_solicitation_release_date": "asc"
  }
}

Vendor and certification dates

Use vendor date filters for registration, renewal, recent-award activity, and SBA certification timing.

Tool: Search_Vendors

{
  "vendor_sba_hubzone_expiration_date_range": {
    "from": "now/d",
    "to": "now+6M/d"
  },
  "sba_certifications": ["HUBZone"],
  "fields_to_return": [
    "govtribe_id",
    "name",
    "uei",
    "sba_cert_hubzone_expiration_date"
  ]
}

Examples

Aggregation over a date-bounded award cohort:

Tool: Search_Federal_Contract_Awards

{
  "award_date_range": {
    "from": "now-12M/d",
    "to": "now/d"
  },
  "aggregations": ["dollars_obligated_stats"],
  "per_page": 0
}

Open-ended posted-date filter:

Tool: Search_Federal_Contract_Opportunities

{
  "posted_date": {
    "from": "2026-01-01",
    "to": null
  },
  "fields_to_return": ["govtribe_id", "name", "posted_date", "due_date"]
}

Fixed-date state and local opportunity window:

Tool: Search_State_And_Local_Contract_Opportunities

{
  "due_date_range": {
    "from": "2026-05-01",
    "to": "2026-05-31"
  },
  "state_ids": ["VA"],
  "fields_to_return": ["govtribe_id", "name", "due_date", "state"]
}

Related articles

• MCP tools: Review the exact date filters supported by each search tool.
• Aggregations and leaderboards: Use date-bounded cohorts for rollups, rankings, and KPI summaries.
• Search federal contract awards: Review award-date, current completion-date, and ultimate completion-date filters.
• Search federal contract opportunities: Review posted-date and due-date filters on a federal opportunity search tool.
• Search vendors: Review vendor registration and certification date filters.