What is the date format in SOQL?

Date fields use YYYY-MM-DD and DateTime fields use YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ssZ (UTC) or an offset such as +05:30. Write them without quotes: WHERE CloseDate > 2026-10-31 or WHERE CreatedDate >= 2026-10-06T00:00:00Z.

How does DAY_ONLY work in SOQL?

DAY_ONLY(dateTimeField) returns the date part of a DateTime field so you can compare it with a date, as in WHERE DAY_ONLY(CreatedDate) = 2026-10-06. It uses UTC, so wrap the field in convertTimezone() when the day should follow the user's time zone. In the SELECT list it only works with GROUP BY.

Does LAST_N_DAYS include today?

Yes. LAST_N_DAYS:n covers from midnight n days ago up to the current moment, including today. NEXT_N_DAYS:n starts tomorrow and does not include today.

Is there a BETWEEN operator in SOQL?

No. A query with BETWEEN fails with unexpected token. Write the range as two conditions: CreatedDate >= 2026-10-01T00:00:00Z AND CreatedDate < 2026-10-08T00:00:00Z.

Why does my SOQL date filter miss records from today?

Usually a time zone difference. Date literals such as TODAY use the running user's time zone, while DateTime values and DAY_ONLY() work in UTC. In my test DAY_ONLY(CreatedDate) split cases created on one local day across two dates; DAY_ONLY(convertTimezone(CreatedDate)) fixed it.

DATE Clause in SOQL: Filter Records by Date

To filter by date in SOQL, compare a Date or DateTime field with a value written without quotes (CloseDate > 2026-10-31, CreatedDate >= 2026-10-06T00:00:00Z) or with a date literal such as TODAY, LAST_N_DAYS:7 or THIS_MONTH. To compare a DateTime field with a plain date, wrap it in DAY_ONLY(), and add convertTimezone() when the day must follow the user’s time zone.

I ran every query below with the Salesforce CLI against a Salesforce Developer Edition org, including the four mistakes that produce most date errors. One test shows why a record created “yesterday” can disappear from a DAY_ONLY() filter, which few tutorials explain.

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