Managing event timelines, registrations, and submissions requires meticulous control over your forms’ date settings. The Advanced Datepicker add-on for Ninja Forms transforms this task for WordPress site owners. With this enhancement, you can now define specific date ranges, effectively blocking any past and future dates directly within your forms.
In this guide, we’ll dive into the latest enhancements to the Advanced Datepicker add-on: the “SET FIRST SELECTABLE DATE” and “SET LAST SELECTABLE DATE” options. These tools are your best allies in curbing last-minute sign-ups for any booking or event form you create.
By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have mastered the techniques to transform a simple booking form into the ultimate early bird registration tool for WordPress.
How to enforce a date range with the Advanced Datepicker add-on
To unlock the date-blocking features, you’ll need to install and activate the Advanced Datepicker add-on first. This step will upgrade the basic Date/Time field (included in Ninja Forms Core for free) and enhance it with advanced date/time features.
Step 1: Add the Date/Time field to your WordPress form
Navigate to Ninja Forms, and select an existing form to edit or start a new one by clicking “Add New.”
From the form builder, drag and drop the “Date/Time” field into your form. Click on the date field to access its settings. With the Advanced Datepicker enabled, your Date/Time field can now access the Date/Time Restriction Settings.
Step 2: Set the First Selectable Date
Look for the “SET FIRST SELECTABLE DATE” field. When clicked, this field displays a date picker that allows you to specify the earliest date participants can select, which is perfect for opening registrations.
As you can see, choosing a specific date automatically blocks earlier dates, which prevents attendees from enrolling too early.
Now that you’ve learned how to block past dates, how can you also block future dates to set a clear end to the registration period? In step 4, we’ll show you how to block future dates.
Step 3: Set the Last Selectable Date
To block future dates from being selected, click on the “SET LAST SELECTABLE DATE” field. Similar to step 3, clicking this field will open a date picker. This provides access to choose the end date for your range, thereby blocking all succeeding dates.
Use this feature to mark the end of registration or early bird pricing.
Step 4: Customize and test your WordPress form
After setting your date range, customize other form settings, such as email notifications or submission messages. Preview your form to ensure the date range works as expected, and make any necessary adjustments.
Beyond date ranges: Discover additional uses for Ninja Forms’ Advanced Datepicker
Setting a date range for event organizers ensures that registrations only occur within the planned period. It simplifies managing early bird pricing and regular registration deadlines, making event logistics effortless. Incorporating a date range into your WordPress forms is crucial for:
- Ensuring accurate event registrations: Limit attendee sign-ups to specific dates within your event planning schedule.
- Facilitating early bird registrations: Open your form submissions early with a set start date, encouraging prompt engagement.
- Preventing last-minute submissions: Establish a deadline to aid your logistical and planning efforts.
With the Advanced Datepicker add-on for Ninja Forms, setting a date range in your WordPress form becomes simple.
How to create appointment booking forms.
Healthcare professionals, consultants, and service providers can define a date range to control their booking slots according to their availability, ensuring clients schedule appointments only during specific times. Our guide on incorporating a date-time picker into your forms covers everything from adding a date-time picker field and creating a booking form to setting variable pricing based on the appointment date.
Managing event submissions.
Educational institutions and organizations can leverage date ranges to manage applications, grant proposals, or contest entry submissions, ensuring everything is submitted within the set timeframe. Find out how to restrict user submissions using the Date/Time field to maintain order and efficiency in the process.
Take your WordPress event forms further with the Advanced Datepicker add-on from Ninja Forms
Beyond setting date ranges, the Advanced Datepicker add-on opens up a world of possibilities to enhance your form interactions:
- Manually enabling or disabling selectable dates.
- Restrict selectable times of the day and set precise time intervals.
- Limiting submissions by date and time for exclusive offers or registrations.
- Implementing Conditional Logic for dynamic form responses.
- Automating appointment notifications to streamline your scheduling.
Ready to Take Control?
With precise date range settings courtesy of the Advanced Datepicker add-on, your WordPress forms can become more powerful and efficient tools for managing your site’s needs. Explore the Advanced Datepicker add-on now and elevate your forms with Ninja Forms.
