Forms

Date and time pickers in a form

A date typed into a text box is a guess about format. A date field gives a picker, stores a real date and sorts correctly in your spreadsheet, which is the difference between a booking list and a puzzle.

Create a form with OneCraftThe date and time fields, their formats, and how the answers sort

A date of birth field on a published form showing the date picker — A date field, so the answer is a real date rather than typed text.

Two separate fields

Date and time are separate components. That is usually what you want, because most bookings ask for a day and a window rather than a precise instant, and a respondent choosing them separately makes fewer mistakes than one combined control. Put them side by side on a classic form so they read as one question.

Formats

The date field has a display format setting, so you can show the order your audience expects rather than the one your machine defaults to. The time field switches between a 12 hour and a 24 hour clock. Neither changes what is stored, only what people read, so switching the format later does not break the answers you already have.

Ask for a window, not a minute

If you are collecting a preference rather than a fixed slot, a dropdown of windows beats a time picker. Morning, afternoon and evening gets you an answer you can schedule around. A time picker gets you 9:07am, which is not a real request and cannot be honoured.

Second choices save a phone call

Any form asking for a preferred date should ask for a second choice. It is one extra field, it costs the respondent five seconds, and it removes an entire round of back and forth when the first choice is taken.

How it works, in three steps

Step 1
Add a date field and set its format
Choose the display format your respondents read naturally. The stored value is unaffected.
Step 2
Add a time field or a window dropdown
Use a time picker for exact slots and a dropdown of windows for preferences.
Step 3
Ask for a second choice
One more date field removes most of the follow-up email on a booking form.

The full walkthrough with screenshots is in the guide Every form field and when to use it.

Limits worth knowing

There is no calendar availability or slot booking. The field collects a preference, it does not check a diary.
No minimum or maximum date range on the picker.
Date and time are separate fields, not one combined control.
No time zone handling. If your respondents are in several, ask for the zone.

See it on a finished piece

Conference registration form

11 fields

Course enrolment form

24 fields

Wedding RSVP form

8 fields

Questions people ask

Can I stop people picking a date in the past?

Not on the picker. Say the earliest date in the field description, and check it when you process the booking.

Does it handle time zones?

No. If your respondents are spread across zones, add a dropdown asking which one they mean.

Will dates sort properly in my spreadsheet?

Yes. A real date is stored regardless of the display format you chose, so sorting works.

Make your own form

The button opens the generator with this use case already described. Change the wording to match yours, generate, then edit anything you like.

Create a form with OneCraft