How web index works
CatchAll searches a continuously updated web index, where each web page is recorded by the date it was discovered — not by the date of the event it describes. This means a web page discovered today can describe an event from six months ago. When you run a search, CatchAll looks at all web pages discovered within your date window, regardless of the events they cover. This also means that even a narrow search window can surface events outside that window, because recent web pages often reference older events.Search depth
Search depth is how far back in the index your search goes — for example, the last month or the last year. A simple way to think about it:- Search depth is the haystack — the set of web pages CatchAll looks through.
- Your query and validators are the needle — what you are looking for inside those pages.
What start_date and end_date control
Thestart_date and end_date parameters define your search window. They
control which web pages are searched, not which events are returned.
| Parameter | What it controls |
|---|---|
start_date | Earliest web page discovery date included in the search |
end_date | Latest web page discovery date included in the search |
Example
You are looking for AI startup funding rounds from early 2025. You set up your query and validators to match that event. The same event can be covered by multiple web pages discovered at different times. With a search window of last 30 days:| Web page | Discovery date | Included in search? |
|---|---|---|
| Reports a January 2025 funding round, discovered last week | Last week | ✅ Yes |
| Reports the same round, discovered in January 2025 | January 2025 | ❌ No |
Plan limits
Your plan sets the maximum search depth available to you, which determines the earlieststart_date you can request. If you request a date range beyond your
plan’s limit:
POST /catchAll/initializeadjusts the dates automatically and returns adate_modification_messageexplaining what changed.POST /catchAll/submitreturns a400error with a specific message.