If you are looking for an email or chat referring to a specific date in your Gmail archive, you will need to refer to this simple search procedure. If the latter is not enough, advanced search criteria are shown at the end of the article that may help you solve the problem.
Steps
Step 1. Log into your Gmail account
At the top of the browser window there will be a search bar which is always visible within the Gmail web interface. If you are using a mobile device, you may need to tap the magnifying glass icon to access the search function.
Step 2. Search for an email sent or received after a specific date
To perform this step you will need to type the following command into the Gmail search bar: after: YYYY / MM / DD. It is mandatory to use the date format indicated and replace it with the one to search for. For example, you can use the command after: 2018/03/20 to search for all emails sent and received after March 20, 2018.
Alternatively, you can use the keyword newer instead of "after".
Step 3. Search for an email sent or received before a specific date
Following the same syntax of the previous search, it is very likely that you have already guessed which command to use: "before: YYYY / MM / DD". Also in this case it is mandatory to use the indicated date format and replace it with the one to be processed. Alternatively, you can use the keyword older instead of "before".
Step 4. Use both commands examined in the previous steps to refine your search
If you need to do a more precise search, you can use a combination of the "after:" and "before:" commands. For example, using the following search criteria after: 2018/03/29 before: 2018/04/05 the complete list of all emails sent or received in the time interval from 29 March 2018 to 5 April 2018 will be displayed.
Step 5. Use relative search criteria
If you need to search for emails sent or received in a recent period of time, you can also avoid using a precise date. In this case you can take advantage of the commands older_than or newer_than In the following way:
- Use the search string older_than: 3d to view all items older than 3 days;
- Use the search string newer_than: 2m to view all items sent or received in the last 2 months;
- Use the search string older_than: 12d newer_than: 1y to view all items older than 12 days, but newer than the last year.
Step 6. Use more complex and advanced search criteria
You can perform very targeted searches using ordinary search criteria combined with more advanced commands. Here are some examples:
- Use the search string after: 2018/01/01 before: 2018/31/12 sea holiday to view the list of all messages relating to the year 2018 in which the words "sea" and "vacation" are present;
- Use the search string newer_than: 5d has: attachment to view the complete list of all e-mails received or sent in the last 5 days that contain attachments;
- Use the search string before: 2008/04/30 from: Luca work to view all messages received by Luca in the period prior to 30 April 2008 in which the word "work" is present.
