# Data windows and freshness

> How far back each source goes, which days count as settled, which time zone each source uses and how long results are cached.

MeasureScale reads your data live from Google, within each source's own window. It does not keep a long-term copy. This page explains which dates you can ask about and how fresh the answer is.

## Default date range

When you do not give dates, MeasureScale uses the **last 28 settled days**. A settled day is a day whose data Google has finished processing. Search Console and GA4 both settle about 3 days late.

To choose your own range, name the dates in your question.

## How far back each source goes

| Source | Earliest date | Time zone for a day |
|---|---|---|
| Search Console | 486 days ago, about 16 months | Pacific time (America/Los_Angeles) |
| GA4 | 425 days ago, about 14 months | The GA4 property's own time zone |

MeasureScale checks your dates before it asks Google. A start date before the earliest date returns an error. The error gives the earliest date allowed. Your assistant can then ask again with a valid range.

Search Console itself keeps only about 16 months of data. MeasureScale does not extend that history.

## Settled and fresh data

| Source | Last settled day | Latest day available |
|---|---|---|
| Search Console | 3 days ago | Yesterday |
| GA4 | 3 days ago | Depends on the property |

You can ask for days after the last settled day. Search Console answers then say they include fresh data. Fresh numbers can still change as Google processes them.

Every answer says which dates it used and the last settled day. See [what every answer includes](/concepts/response-contract/).

## Caching

MeasureScale caches Google responses for a short time. The cache makes repeat questions faster and protects your Google API quotas.

| Data | Kept for |
|---|---|
| Search Console, settled days | 72 hours |
| Search Console, fresh days | 1 hour |
| GA4, days older than 3 days | 24 hours |
| GA4, the last 3 days | 1 hour |

Cached entries are encrypted. They expire at the end of their time. The cache never becomes a store of history.

Every answer says whether it came live from Google or from the cache. An answer is live when MeasureScale asked Google at least once. It is cached when every part came from the cache.

## Row limits

Search Console returns at most 50,000 rows for each day and search type, sorted by clicks. It also hides rare queries to protect user privacy. When a request reaches a row limit, the answer says so. Each [methodology page](/#methodology) names the limit for its analysis. A capped result can miss some long-tail queries.