ZipLeads Date, Time, and Date & Time fields give you more flexibility when you collect dates and times through Forms, Surveys, and Quizzes. You choose whether people enter a date, a time, or both. You can also set the format, default values, and allowed ranges to suit your needs. These controls help cut down on invalid entries and keep submitted information consistent. You can use these fields in your existing Forms, Surveys, and Quizzes without rebuilding them.
What is the Date & Time field in ZipLeads?
The Date & Time field is a customisable input that lets you collect a date only, a time only, or a date and time together. Each type has settings that control how people enter information, including display formats, allowed ranges, and default values. Picking the right type means you only collect the information your business needs.
There are three collection types:
Date: Collect a calendar date without a time. Great for birthdays, renewal dates, event dates, and deadlines.
Time: Collect a time without a date. Great for preferred contact times, business hours, and availability.
Date & Time: Collect a date and a time together. Great for event preferences, scheduled follow-ups, and other information that needs both.
The Date field and the Time and Date & Time field types work in both new and existing Forms, Surveys, and Quizzes.
Key benefits of Date, Time, and Date & Time fields
These fields give you more control over how dates and times are collected. This helps you standardise responses and reduces manual corrections. By choosing the right input type and restrictions, you make the form easier to fill in and your data more accurate.
Flexible data collection: Collect a date, a time, or both, depending on what you need.
Better input validation: Limit which dates and times can be selected, so responses stay within the ranges you want.
Customisable date formats: Choose the date format and separator that suit you.
Flexible time formats: Show time in either 24-hour or AM/PM format.
Date & Time field
The Date & Time field combines date and time collection in one input. It's useful when people need to give both for the same event or activity, such as a preferred follow-up date and time. Combining them lets you manage date and time restrictions together and keeps things simple.
These settings are available:
Setting | Description |
Date Format | Choose how the date is shown: MM.DD.YYYY, YYYY.MM.DD, or DD.MM.YYYY. |
Date Separator | Choose a hyphen (-), forward slash (/), or full stop (.) to separate the parts of the date. |
Time Format | Choose between 24-hour and AM/PM time formats. |
Default Time | Choose None, Current, or Custom to set the default time. |
Allowed Date Range | Allow any date, future dates only, past dates only, or dates within a set range. |
Available Days | Choose which days of the week people can select. |
Allowed Time Range | Set the range of times people can select. |
Picker Settings | Set up the calendar and time picker options, including turning off picker popups so people can type the value in. |
For example, a service enquiry form could use a Date & Time field to collect a customer's preferred follow-up date and time, limited to your business's available days and hours.
General field settings
General settings control how Date, Time, and Date & Time fields look and behave in Forms, Surveys, and Quizzes. Clear labels, placeholders, and field properties help people understand what to enter and make sure the field collects what you need.
After you add a Date & Time element to the builder, select it to open the General tab in the right sidebar.
Setting | Description |
Field Type | Choose whether the field collects Date, Time, or Date & Time information. |
Label | Enter the name shown above the field so people know what to enter. |
Label Alignment | Change the label's position or keep the form's default alignment. |
Placeholder | Enter hint text that shows inside the field before a value is entered. |
Short Label | Add an optional short label for extra context. |
Query Key | See the field's unique query key, which identifies the field. |
Field Width | Set the field's width as a percentage of the available form space. |
Required | Make the field mandatory before the form can be submitted. |
Hidden | Hide the field from people filling in the form when needed. |
Advanced Settings | Open extra field properties, including relevant custom field settings. |
Important: You can't change the Date, Time, or Date & Time collection type after the custom field has been saved. Make sure you pick the right type before saving.
How to set up Date, Time, and Date & Time fields
Adding and setting up the Date & Time element makes sure people enter information in the right format and within the allowed ranges. You can add the field to new or existing Forms, Surveys, and Quizzes, and customise it in the right sidebar.
Go to Sites in your ZipLeads account and select Forms, Surveys, or Quizzes.
Create a new Form, Survey, or Quiz, or open an existing one in the builder.
In the left sidebar, select Quick Add and find Date & time under Other Elements.
Drag and drop the Date & time element where you want it on the canvas.
Select the field you added and open the General tab in the right sidebar.
Under Select what this field should collect, choose Date, Time, or Date & time, depending on what you want people to enter.
Set the Label, Placeholder, Field Width, and any other properties you need. Turn on Required if people must fill in the field.
Open the Field settings tab and set the date and time options for your field type, such as formats, separators, default values, allowed ranges, available days, and picker behaviour.
Check your setup and click Save in the top-right corner of the builder. Remember, you can't change the field type after the custom field is saved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does adding a Date & Time field automatically book an appointment in a ZipLeads calendar?
No. The Date & Time field collects a person's preferred date and time, but it doesn't book an appointment. To book appointments, you need to use a calendar.
Q: Can I change a Date field to a Time or Date & Time field after saving it?
No. You can't change the collection type after the custom field has been saved. If you need a different type, create a new custom field.
Q: Can I reuse an existing Date, Time, or Date & Time custom field?
Yes. If the custom field is available for the selected object and builder, you can add it from Add Object Fields without creating a duplicate.
Q: Does limiting the selectable dates also control when a Form, Survey, or Quiz accepts submissions?
No. Date restrictions only control which dates people can enter in the field. When submissions are accepted is managed separately in the relevant scheduling settings.
Q: Can I collect more than one preferred date or time from one person?
Yes. Add several Date, Time, or Date & Time fields with different labels, such as First Preference and Second Preference, to collect separate answers.