diff --git a/mediacloud/api.py b/mediacloud/api.py
index d514d91..0abc39a 100644
--- a/mediacloud/api.py
+++ b/mediacloud/api.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import importlib.metadata
 import logging
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union
+import warnings
 
 import requests
 
@@ -61,11 +62,13 @@ def _query(self, endpoint: str, params: Optional[Dict] = None, method: str = 'GE
             r = self._session.post(endpoint_url, json=params, timeout=self.TIMEOUT_SECS)
         else:
             raise RuntimeError(f"Unsupported method of '{method}'")
-        if r.status_code != 200:
-            raise RuntimeError(f"API Server Error {r.status_code}. Params: {params}")
+        if r.status_code != 200: 
+            message = r.json()["note"]
+            raise RuntimeError(f"API Server Error {r.status_code}. MESSAGE: {message}. PARAMS: {params}")
         return r.json()
 
 
+
 class DirectoryApi(BaseApi):
 
     PLATFORM_ONLINE_NEWS = "online_news"
@@ -136,6 +139,16 @@ class SearchApi(BaseApi):
     def _prep_default_params(self, query: str, start_date: dt.date, end_date: dt.date,
                              collection_ids: Optional[List[int]] = [], source_ids: Optional[List[int]] = [],
                              platform: Optional[str] = None):
+
+        if isinstance(start_date, dt.datetime):
+            start_date = start_date.date()
+            warnings.warn("start_date was passed as datetime, but expected as date, and has been recast")
+
+        if isinstance(end_date, dt.datetime):
+            end_date = end_date.date()
+            warnings.warn("end_date was passed as datetime, but expected as date, and has been recast")
+
+
         params: Dict[Any, Any] = dict(start=start_date.isoformat(), end=end_date.isoformat(), q=query,
                                       platform=(platform or self.PROVIDER))
         if len(source_ids):
diff --git a/mediacloud/test/api_search_test.py b/mediacloud/test/api_search_test.py
index 434bbd2..8b9327f 100644
--- a/mediacloud/test/api_search_test.py
+++ b/mediacloud/test/api_search_test.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import os
 import time
 from unittest import TestCase
-
+import pytest
 import mediacloud.api
 
 COLLECTION_US_NATIONAL = 34412234
@@ -323,3 +323,26 @@ def test_negation_source(self):
         assert not_count > 0
         assert not_count < all_count
         assert minus_count == not_count
+
+class SearchErrorHandlingTest(TestCase):
+    #New test cases for how the api handles bad input and errors from the server. 
+
+    START_DATE = dt.date(2024, 1, 1)
+    END_DATE = dt.date(2024, 1, 30)
+    START_DATETIME = dt.datetime(2024, 1, 1)
+    END_DATETIME = dt.datetime(2024, 1, 30)
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self._mc_api_key = os.getenv("MC_API_TOKEN")
+        self._search = mediacloud.api.SearchApi(self._mc_api_key)
+
+    def test_datetime(self):
+        query = "biden"
+        result_via_date = self._search.story_count(query=query, start_date=self.START_DATE, end_date=self.END_DATE,
+                                        collection_ids=[COLLECTION_US_NATIONAL])['relevant']
+
+        with pytest.warns(UserWarning):
+            result_via_datetime = self._search.story_count(query=query, start_date=self.START_DATETIME, end_date=self.END_DATETIME,
+                                            collection_ids=[COLLECTION_US_NATIONAL])['relevant']
+
+        assert result_via_date == result_via_datetime