Skip to content

Date, time, and scheduling fields

Use these fields when the answer is a date, time, availability, booking, or calendar event. The detailed task guides are:

Date

Use Date when you need a calendar date but not a time of day.

SettingWhat it doesGuidance
Date formatControls the order in which the date is entered and displayed.Choose a format that matches your audience and state it clearly in the label when ambiguity is possible.
Default valuePre-fills a date. It can use relative values such as today, yesterday, now, +1d, +2d3w, or -3m.Use relative defaults only when they reduce routine work and cannot cause a misleading submission.
Required FieldRequires a date before submission.Use when the date is essential to process the request.
Custom error textExplains how to correct an invalid date.Example: Enter the event date in day/month/year format.

Avoid a default for dates such as date of birth, contract start date, or a requested appointment date. A prefilled value can easily be submitted by mistake.

Time

Use Time when you need a time of day without a date.

SettingWhat it doesGuidance
Time formatChooses the time format shown to the respondent.Use a consistent 12-hour or 24-hour format and make the timezone clear when people are in different regions.
Required FieldRequires a time before submission.Use only when a time is essential.
Custom error textExplains how to enter the time correctly.State the expected format if it may not be obvious.

For a date and time that must be available for booking, use an Appointment field rather than independent Date and Time fields.

Calendar

Use Calendar to show or collect events from one or more configured calendars. It is different from an Appointment field: Calendar presents calendar events, while Appointment is designed for choosing an available booking slot.

Calendar settings

SettingWhat it doesGuidance
Selected calendarsAttaches one or more existing calendars to the field.Attach only calendars appropriate for the form and audience. Review permissions before exposing internal schedules.
Manage calendarsOpens calendar management from the field chooser.Use with care; calendar management can affect other forms and users.
Default viewOpens the field in Day, Week, or Month view.Week is useful for scheduling; Month gives a broad overview; Day is best for detailed availability.
Read onlyPrevents respondent changes in the calendar field.Enable when the calendar is informational only.
Show view selectorLets respondents switch the calendar view.Keep it on when users benefit from changing their view; turn it off for a simpler, controlled experience.
Publish in cartAdds selected calendar events to the shopping cart.Use only with a configured payment flow and clear pricing.
Price / hourDefines the hourly price for calendar events added to the cart.Verify currency, duration, and payment behavior in a test form before publishing.
Cart titleSets the name shown for the calendar item in the cart.Use a customer-friendly name that includes the service being purchased.

Calendar test checklist

  • [ ] The right calendars are attached and no private calendar is exposed.
  • [ ] The initial Day, Week, or Month view suits the task.
  • [ ] Read-only behavior matches the intended respondent role.
  • [ ] If events can enter a cart, price, duration, title, currency, and payment behavior were tested end to end.

Appointment

Use Appointment for an availability-based booking experience. Respondents select a date and one of the available time slots.

Appointment settings

SettingWhat it doesGuidance
IntervalSets the length of each time slot in minutes. AbcSubmit accepts values from 1 to 60 minutes.Use a duration that includes the actual meeting plus any setup or buffer time.
Start hourSets the first available booking boundary.Set it to the beginning of the service day.
End hourSets the final booking boundary.Make sure the final slot leaves enough time for the full service.
Available daysEnables or disables each day of the week.Turn off days when appointments cannot be delivered.
Required FieldRequires a booking selection before submission.Keep required for a form whose purpose is to book an appointment.

The field’s visible times are presented in a 12-hour format. Confirm the displayed timezone and availability with a real test before sending a booking form to people in other regions.

Example

For 30-minute consultations from 09:00 to 17:00 on weekdays:

  1. Set Interval to 30.
  2. Set Start hour to 09:00.
  3. Set End hour to 17:00.
  4. Enable Monday through Friday and disable Saturday and Sunday.
  5. Preview the field and confirm that the first, last, and unavailable-day behavior match your schedule.

Build better forms with AbcSubmit.