Separate current reference lookups from publication date restrictions

src/agent_tools/web_tools.py

@@ -231,18 +231,8 @@ class WebSearchTool:
         if not query:
             query = raw.split("\n")[0].strip()
         if time_filter is None:
-            q_lc = query.lower()
-            if any(kw in q_lc for kw in (
-                "today", "latest", "breaking", "this morning", "right now",
-                "currently", "current events", "what's happening", "what is happening",
-            )):
-                time_filter = "day"
-            elif any(kw in q_lc for kw in ("this week", "past week", "recent news", "last few days")):
-                time_filter = "week"
-            elif any(kw in q_lc for kw in ("this month", "past month")):
-                time_filter = "month"
-            elif " news" in q_lc or q_lc.startswith("news ") or q_lc.endswith(" news"):
-                time_filter = "week"
+            from src.search_intent import inferred_search_publication_window
+            time_filter = inferred_search_publication_window(query)
         loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
         if progress_cb:
             await progress_cb({
@@ -254,7 +244,7 @@ class WebSearchTool:
                 results = await asyncio.wait_for(
                     loop.run_in_executor(
                         None,
-                        lambda: searxng_search_results(query, max_pages),
+                        lambda: searxng_search_results(query, max_pages, **({'time_filter': time_filter} if time_filter else {})),
                     ),
                     timeout=30,
                 )
@@ -283,7 +273,7 @@ class WebSearchTool:
                 results = await asyncio.wait_for(
                     loop.run_in_executor(
                         None,
-                        lambda: searxng_search_results(query, max_pages),
+                        lambda: searxng_search_results(query, max_pages, **({'time_filter': time_filter} if time_filter else {})),
                     ),
                     timeout=12,
                 )

src/clean_agent_preview.py

@@ -3490,15 +3490,19 @@ def preserve_requested_web_recency(name, args, *, user_text='', prior_search_int
     if (current_intent
             and not re.search(r'\b(?:latest|recent|current|today|news|updates?|20\d{2})\b', query, re.I)):
         query = f'{query} latest {current_year}'
-    if current_intent and not normalized.get('time_filter'):
-        if re.search(r'\b(?:version|release|driver)\b', user, re.I):
-            normalized['time_filter'] = 'year'
-        elif re.search(r"\btoday(?:'s)?\b", user, re.I):
-            normalized['time_filter'] = 'day'
-        elif re.search(r'\brecent\b', user, re.I):
-            normalized['time_filter'] = 'month'
-        else:
-            normalized['time_filter'] = 'week'
+    from src.search_intent import inferred_search_publication_window, reference_lookup_without_date_window, requested_search_publication_window
+    requested_window = requested_search_publication_window(user)
+    if requested_window:
+        normalized['time_filter'] = requested_window
+    elif reference_lookup_without_date_window(user):
+        # A model-generated publication cutoff must not hide still-current
+        # reference pages when the user did not ask for recent publications.
+        normalized.pop('time_filter', None)
+        normalized.pop('freshness', None)
+    elif not normalized.get('time_filter'):
+        window = inferred_search_publication_window(user)
+        if window:
+            normalized['time_filter'] = window
     normalized['query'] = query
     return normalized
 

src/search_intent.py

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+"""Shared publication-recency semantics for query repair and search execution."""
+import re
+
+
+def reference_lookup_without_date_window(text: str) -> bool:
+    """Current reference information need not have been published recently."""
+    reference = re.search(
+        r'\b(?:documentation|docs|manuals?|guides?|reference|installation|configuration)\b'
+        r'|\bprivacy\s+(?:features|settings|protections)\b', text, re.I,
+    )
+    publication = re.search(
+        r'\b(?:published|publication|announced|released|news|headlines|recent|today|yesterday)\b'
+        r'|\b(?:this|last|past)\s+(?:\d+\s+)?(?:days?|weeks?|months?|years?)\b'
+        r'|\b(?:since|after|before|between|during)\b|\b20\d{2}\b', text, re.I,
+    )
+    return bool(reference and not publication)
+
+
+def requested_search_publication_window(text: str) -> str | None:
+    """Recognize explicit named publication windows."""
+    if re.search(r'\b(?:today|yesterday|this morning|right now)\b', text, re.I):
+        return 'day'
+    for unit, value in [('week', 'week'), ('month', 'month'), ('year', 'year')]:
+        if re.search(rf'\b(?:this|past|last)\s+{unit}\b', text, re.I):
+            return value
+    return None
+
+
+def inferred_search_publication_window(text: str) -> str | None:
+    """Infer publication recency, not freshness of every requested fact."""
+    requested = requested_search_publication_window(text)
+    if requested:
+        return requested
+    if reference_lookup_without_date_window(text):
+        return None
+    if re.search(r"\b(?:current events|what(?:'s| is) happening)\b", text, re.I):
+        return 'day'
+    if re.search(r'\b(?:news|neews|headlines|breaking|latest developments)\b', text, re.I):
+        return 'week'
+    if re.search(r'\brecent\b', text, re.I):
+        return 'month'
+    return None

src/tool_schemas.py

@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ FUNCTION_TOOL_SCHEMAS = [
                 "properties": {
                     "query": {"type": "string", "description": "Search query"},
                     "command": {"type": "string", "description": "Search query in text command form"},
-                    "time_filter": {"type": "string", "enum": ["day", "week", "month", "year"], "description": "Optional freshness filter for news/latest/today queries"}
+                    "time_filter": {"type": "string", "enum": ["day", "week", "month", "year"], "description": "Optional publication-date window for recent articles/news. Omit for current documentation, manuals, or features unless the user specifies a publication window."}
                 },
                 "required": []
             }