diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/executor.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/executor.test.ts
index 7ab974dc8d82b..99819eca3c26e 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/executor.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/executor.test.ts
@@ -882,6 +882,282 @@ describe('es_query executor', () => {
       expect(mockSetLimitReached).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
       expect(mockSetLimitReached).toHaveBeenCalledWith(false);
     });
+
+    it('should log messages for hits with out-of-range dates for search source', async () => {
+      const epoch = Date.now();
+      const oneYear = 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 365;
+      const dateEarly = new Date(epoch - oneYear).toISOString();
+      const dateStart = new Date(epoch - 1000).toISOString();
+      const dateMiddle = new Date(epoch - 500).toISOString();
+      const dateEnd = new Date(epoch).toISOString();
+      const dateLate = new Date(epoch + oneYear).toISOString();
+
+      function getTimeRange() {
+        return { dateStart, dateEnd };
+      }
+
+      mockFetchSearchSourceQuery.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        parsedResults: {
+          results: [
+            {
+              group: 'all documents',
+              count: 3,
+              hits: [
+                { _source: { '@timestamp': dateEarly, value: 1 } },
+                { _source: { '@timestamp': dateMiddle, value: 2 } },
+                { _source: { '@timestamp': dateLate, value: 3 } },
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+        truncated: false,
+        query: 'the query would go here',
+      });
+
+      const executorOptions: ExecutorOptions<EsQueryRuleParams> = {
+        ...defaultExecutorOptions,
+        getTimeRange,
+        params: {
+          ...defaultProps,
+          searchType: 'searchSource',
+          timeField: '@timestamp',
+        },
+      };
+      await executor(coreMock, executorOptions);
+
+      const allLogCalls = loggerMock.collect(logger);
+      const messages: string[] = [];
+      for (const parms of allLogCalls.error) {
+        const message = parms.shift();
+        messages.push(`${message}`);
+      }
+
+      expect(messages).toEqual([
+        `For rule 'test-rule-id', the hit with date '${dateEarly}' from field '@timestamp' is outside the query time range. Query: <\"the query would go here\">. Document: <{\"_source\":{\"@timestamp\":\"${dateEarly}\",\"value\":1}}>`,
+        `For rule 'test-rule-id', the hit with date '${dateLate}' from field '@timestamp' is outside the query time range. Query: <\"the query would go here\">. Document: <{\"_source\":{\"@timestamp\":\"${dateLate}\",\"value\":3}}>`,
+      ]);
+      expect(allLogCalls).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+        Object {
+          "debug": Array [],
+          "error": Array [
+            Array [
+              Object {
+                "tags": Array [
+                  "query-result-out-of-time-range",
+                ],
+              },
+            ],
+            Array [
+              Object {
+                "tags": Array [
+                  "query-result-out-of-time-range",
+                ],
+              },
+            ],
+          ],
+          "fatal": Array [],
+          "info": Array [],
+          "log": Array [],
+          "trace": Array [],
+          "warn": Array [],
+        }
+      `);
+    });
+
+    it('should log messages for bad start / end dates for search source', async () => {
+      function getTimeRange() {
+        return { dateStart: 'x', dateEnd: 'y' };
+      }
+
+      mockFetchSearchSourceQuery.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        parsedResults: {
+          results: [
+            {
+              group: 'all documents',
+              count: 1,
+              hits: [{ _source: { '@timestamp': new Date().toISOString() } }],
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+        truncated: false,
+        query: 'the query would go here',
+      });
+
+      const executorOptions: ExecutorOptions<EsQueryRuleParams> = {
+        ...defaultExecutorOptions,
+        getTimeRange,
+        params: {
+          ...defaultProps,
+          searchType: 'searchSource',
+          timeField: '@timestamp',
+        },
+      };
+      await executor(coreMock, executorOptions);
+
+      const allLogCalls = loggerMock.collect(logger);
+      const messages: string[] = [];
+      for (const parms of allLogCalls.error) {
+        const message = parms.shift();
+        messages.push(`${message}`);
+      }
+
+      expect(messages).toEqual([
+        `For rule 'test-rule-id', hits were returned with invalid time range start date 'x' from field '@timestamp' using query <"the query would go here">`,
+        `For rule 'test-rule-id', hits were returned with invalid time range end date 'y' from field '@timestamp' using query <"the query would go here">`,
+      ]);
+      expect(allLogCalls.error).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+        Array [
+          Array [
+            Object {
+              "tags": Array [
+                "query-result-out-of-time-range",
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+          Array [
+            Object {
+              "tags": Array [
+                "query-result-out-of-time-range",
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+        ]
+      `);
+    });
+
+    it('should log messages for hits with out-of-range dates for query dsl', async () => {
+      const epoch = Date.now();
+      const oneYear = 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 365;
+      const dateEarly = new Date(epoch - oneYear).toISOString();
+      const dateStart = new Date(epoch - 1000).toISOString();
+      const dateMiddle = new Date(epoch - 500).toISOString();
+      const dateEnd = new Date(epoch).toISOString();
+      const dateLate = new Date(epoch + oneYear).toISOString();
+
+      function getTimeRange() {
+        return { dateStart, dateEnd };
+      }
+
+      mockFetchEsQuery.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        parsedResults: {
+          results: [
+            {
+              group: 'all documents',
+              count: 3,
+              hits: [
+                { _source: { '@timestamp': dateEarly, value: 1 } },
+                { _source: { '@timestamp': dateMiddle, value: 2 } },
+                { _source: { '@timestamp': dateLate, value: 3 } },
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+        truncated: false,
+        query: 'the query would go here',
+      });
+
+      const executorOptions: ExecutorOptions<EsQueryRuleParams> = {
+        ...defaultExecutorOptions,
+        getTimeRange,
+        params: {
+          ...defaultProps,
+          searchType: 'esQuery',
+          timeField: '@timestamp',
+        },
+      };
+      await executor(coreMock, executorOptions);
+
+      const allLogCalls = loggerMock.collect(logger);
+      const messages: string[] = [];
+      for (const parms of allLogCalls.error) {
+        const message = parms.shift();
+        messages.push(`${message}`);
+      }
+
+      expect(messages).toEqual([
+        `For rule 'test-rule-id', the hit with date '${dateEarly}' from field '@timestamp' is outside the query time range. Query: <\"the query would go here\">. Document: <{\"_source\":{\"@timestamp\":\"${dateEarly}\",\"value\":1}}>`,
+        `For rule 'test-rule-id', the hit with date '${dateLate}' from field '@timestamp' is outside the query time range. Query: <\"the query would go here\">. Document: <{\"_source\":{\"@timestamp\":\"${dateLate}\",\"value\":3}}>`,
+      ]);
+      expect(allLogCalls.error).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+        Array [
+          Array [
+            Object {
+              "tags": Array [
+                "query-result-out-of-time-range",
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+          Array [
+            Object {
+              "tags": Array [
+                "query-result-out-of-time-range",
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+        ]
+      `);
+    });
+
+    it('should log messages for bad start / end dates for query dsl', async () => {
+      function getTimeRange() {
+        return { dateStart: 'x', dateEnd: 'y' };
+      }
+
+      mockFetchEsQuery.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        parsedResults: {
+          results: [
+            {
+              group: 'all documents',
+              count: 1,
+              hits: [{ _source: { '@timestamp': new Date().toISOString() } }],
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+        truncated: false,
+        query: 'the query would go here',
+      });
+
+      const executorOptions: ExecutorOptions<EsQueryRuleParams> = {
+        ...defaultExecutorOptions,
+        getTimeRange,
+        params: {
+          ...defaultProps,
+          searchType: 'esQuery',
+          timeField: '@timestamp',
+        },
+      };
+      await executor(coreMock, executorOptions);
+
+      const allLogCalls = loggerMock.collect(logger);
+      const messages: string[] = [];
+      for (const parms of allLogCalls.error) {
+        const message = parms.shift();
+        messages.push(`${message}`);
+      }
+
+      expect(messages).toEqual([
+        `For rule 'test-rule-id', hits were returned with invalid time range start date 'x' from field '@timestamp' using query <"the query would go here">`,
+        `For rule 'test-rule-id', hits were returned with invalid time range end date 'y' from field '@timestamp' using query <"the query would go here">`,
+      ]);
+      expect(allLogCalls.error).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+        Array [
+          Array [
+            Object {
+              "tags": Array [
+                "query-result-out-of-time-range",
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+          Array [
+            Object {
+              "tags": Array [
+                "query-result-out-of-time-range",
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+        ]
+      `);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('tryToParseAsDate', () => {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/executor.ts b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/executor.ts
index 5e23bf9498ec5..6f84e73118ec4 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/executor.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/executor.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  */
 import { sha256 } from 'js-sha256';
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
-import { CoreSetup } from '@kbn/core/server';
+import { CoreSetup, Logger } from '@kbn/core/server';
 import { isGroupAggregation, UngroupedGroupId } from '@kbn/triggers-actions-ui-plugin/common';
 import {
   ALERT_EVALUATION_THRESHOLD,
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ import {
 } from '@kbn/rule-data-utils';
 
 import { AlertsClientError } from '@kbn/alerting-plugin/server';
+import { get } from 'lodash';
+import type * as estypes from '@elastic/elasticsearch/lib/api/typesWithBodyKey';
+
 import { ComparatorFns } from '../../../common';
 import {
   addMessages,
@@ -71,7 +74,7 @@ export async function executor(core: CoreSetup, options: ExecutorOptions<EsQuery
   let latestTimestamp: string | undefined = tryToParseAsDate(state.latestTimestamp);
   const { dateStart, dateEnd } = getTimeRange(`${params.timeWindowSize}${params.timeWindowUnit}`);
 
-  const { parsedResults, link, index } = searchSourceRule
+  const { parsedResults, link, index, query } = searchSourceRule
     ? await fetchSearchSourceQuery({
         ruleId,
         alertLimit,
@@ -122,6 +125,19 @@ export async function executor(core: CoreSetup, options: ExecutorOptions<EsQuery
     const alertId = result.group;
     const value = result.value ?? result.count;
 
+    // check hits for dates out of range
+    if (!esqlQueryRule) {
+      checkHitsForDateOutOfRange(
+        logger,
+        ruleId,
+        result.hits,
+        params.timeField,
+        dateStart,
+        dateEnd,
+        query
+      );
+    }
+
     // group aggregations use the bucket selector agg to compare conditions
     // within the ES query, so only 'met' results are returned, therefore we don't need
     // to use the compareFn
@@ -231,6 +247,84 @@ export async function executor(core: CoreSetup, options: ExecutorOptions<EsQuery
   return { state: { latestTimestamp } };
 }
 
+// diagnostic to help solve a puzzle of sometimes returning documents
+// not matching the expected time range; usually kql using ccs.
+function checkHitsForDateOutOfRange(
+  logger: Logger,
+  ruleId: string,
+  hits: Array<estypes.SearchHit<unknown>>,
+  timeField: string | undefined,
+  dateStart: string,
+  dateEnd: string,
+  query: unknown
+) {
+  if (!timeField) return;
+
+  const epochStart = new Date(dateStart).getTime();
+  const epochEnd = new Date(dateEnd).getTime();
+  const messageMeta = { tags: ['query-result-out-of-time-range'] };
+
+  const messagePrefix = `For rule '${ruleId}'`;
+  const usingQuery = `using query <${JSON.stringify(query)}>`;
+  const hitsWereReturned = 'hits were returned with invalid time range';
+
+  let errors = 0;
+  if (isNaN(epochStart)) {
+    errors++;
+    logger.error(
+      `${messagePrefix}, ${hitsWereReturned} start date '${dateStart}' from field '${timeField}' ${usingQuery}`,
+      messageMeta
+    );
+  }
+
+  if (isNaN(epochEnd)) {
+    errors++;
+    logger.error(
+      `${messagePrefix}, ${hitsWereReturned} end date '${dateEnd}' from field '${timeField}' ${usingQuery}`,
+      messageMeta
+    );
+  }
+
+  if (errors > 0) return;
+
+  const outsideTimeRange = 'outside the query time range';
+
+  for (const hit of hits) {
+    const dateVal = get(hit, `_source.${timeField}`);
+    const epochDate = getEpochDateFromString(dateVal);
+
+    if (epochDate) {
+      if (epochDate < epochStart || epochDate > epochEnd) {
+        const message = `the hit with date '${dateVal}' from field '${timeField}' is ${outsideTimeRange}`;
+        const queryString = `Query: <${JSON.stringify(query)}>`;
+        const document = `Document: <${JSON.stringify(hit)}>`;
+        logger.error(`${messagePrefix}, ${message}. ${queryString}. ${document}`, messageMeta);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+function getEpochDateFromString(dateString: string): number | null {
+  let date: Date;
+  try {
+    date = new Date(dateString);
+  } catch (e) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const time = date.getTime();
+  if (!isNaN(time)) return time;
+
+  // if not a valid date string, try it as a stringified number
+  const dateNum = parseInt(dateString, 10);
+  if (isNaN(dateNum)) return null;
+
+  const timeFromNumber = new Date(dateNum).getTime();
+  if (isNaN(timeFromNumber)) return null;
+
+  return timeFromNumber;
+}
+
 export function getValidTimefieldSort(
   sortValues: Array<string | number | null> = []
 ): undefined | string {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_es_query.ts b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_es_query.ts
index fdff3356faab7..b51de616587d9 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_es_query.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_es_query.ts
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ export async function fetchEsQuery({
       sourceFieldsParams: params.sourceFields,
     }),
     link,
+    query: sortedQuery,
     index: params.index,
   };
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_esql_query.ts b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_esql_query.ts
index 5ecb258b0579f..59686220bb3b6 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_esql_query.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_esql_query.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ export async function fetchEsqlQuery({
 
   return {
     link,
+    query,
     numMatches: Number(response.values.length),
     parsedResults: parseAggregationResults({
       isCountAgg: true,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_search_source_query.ts b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_search_source_query.ts
index e0f6613fb5a10..13689b135cd4d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_search_source_query.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/stack_alerts/server/rule_types/es_query/lib/fetch_search_source_query.ts
@@ -69,11 +69,8 @@ export async function fetchSearchSourceQuery({
     alertLimit
   );
 
-  logger.debug(
-    `search source query rule (${ruleId}) query: ${JSON.stringify(
-      searchSource.getSearchRequestBody()
-    )}`
-  );
+  const searchRequestBody: unknown = searchSource.getSearchRequestBody();
+  logger.debug(`search source query rule (${ruleId}) query: ${JSON.stringify(searchRequestBody)}`);
 
   const searchResult = await searchSource.fetch();
 
@@ -98,6 +95,7 @@ export async function fetchSearchSourceQuery({
       sourceFieldsParams: params.sourceFields,
     }),
     index: [index.name],
+    query: searchRequestBody,
   };
 }