DateTime Field for Gravity Forms

The GravityWP DateTime Field add-on adds a dedicated Date/Time field to Gravity Forms. It allows users to enter both a date and a time in one field instead of using separate inputs.

This is useful for forms where the exact date and time matter, such as appointments, bookings, scheduling forms, event forms, and deadline-based workflows.

The field also includes Not before and Not after settings, so you can control the earliest and latest allowed value. These settings support merge tags, which makes it possible to create dynamic date and time rules based on other fields in the same form.

DateTime Field for Gravity Forms showing a field with the date and time picker open on the front end — The DateTime Field lets users choose both the date and time in one Gravity Forms field.

The DateTime Field gives you one field for collecting:

a date
a time

Instead of asking users to complete separate date and time inputs, you can collect one combined value in a simpler format.

Submitted values use this format:

YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

Example:

2026-04-10 10:00:00

DateTime Field for Gravity forms limits

The field includes a Date/Time Limits section in its field settings.

You can use:

Not before to set the earliest allowed date and time
Not after to set the latest allowed date and time

These settings are useful when a form should only accept values inside a specific date and time window.

Examples:

only allow bookings from 9:00 AM onward
stop users from choosing a date after a deadline
make sure an end date and time cannot be earlier than a start date and time

DateTime Field settings in Gravity Forms showing Not before and Not after date and time limits — Use Not before and Not after to control the earliest and latest allowed date and time values.

Using DateTime Field fixed limits

You can enter a fixed value directly into Not before or Not after.

Example:

Not before: 2026-04-08 09:00:00
Not after: 2026-04-09 17:00:00

With these settings:

2026-04-08 08:00:00 is rejected
2026-04-09 18:00:00 is rejected
values inside the range are accepted

When a submitted value is outside the allowed range, the field shows a clear validation message.

Example messages:

Please enter a date/time on or after 2026-04-08 09:00:00.
Please enter a date/time on or before 2026-04-09 17:00:00.

Using merge tags in limits

The Not before and Not after settings support merge tags.

This makes it possible to create dynamic rules based on another field in the same form.

A common example is a form with:

Start Date and Time
End Date and Time

In this setup, you can set the End Date and Time field’s Not before value to the merge tag for Start Date and Time.

That means the form will only accept an end value that is equal to or later than the selected start value.

Example

Field setup:

Start Date and Time
End Date and Time

End field setting:

Not before: merge tag for Start Date and Time

Behavior:

Start: 2026-04-10 10:00:00
End: 2026-04-10 09:00:00
Result: rejected
Start: 2026-04-10 10:00:00
End: 2026-04-10 11:00:00
Result: accepted

Gravity Forms DateTime Field validation error when the End Date and Time is earlier than the Start Date and Time — An Entry showing a validation error when the end date and time is earlier than the start date and time

DateTime Field for Gravity Forms – Validation behavior

The DateTime Field validates submitted values against the configured limits.

Values outside the allowed range are blocked during submission, and the form shows a clear validation error under the field.

This applies to both:

fixed limits
merge-tag-based limits

That makes the field useful for workflows where the order of date and time values matters.

When to use this field

The DateTime Field is a good fit when your form needs one combined date and time value.

Common use cases include:

appointment requests
booking forms
event scheduling
registration windows
start and end scheduling
deadline-based forms

Notes

The field uses one combined date and time input.
The limit settings support both fixed values and merge tags.
Submitted values use the format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS.

DateTime Field for Gravity Forms – FAQ

Can I use this field for booking forms?

Yes. The field is useful for booking and scheduling forms because it collects both date and time in one input and supports allowed date and time ranges.

What is the difference between Not before and Not after?

Not before sets the earliest allowed value.
Not after sets the latest allowed value.

Can I use another field as the minimum allowed value?

Yes. You can use a merge tag from another field to define the minimum allowed value for a DateTime field.

What happens if the submitted value is outside the allowed range?

The form shows a validation error and blocks submission until the value matches the configured range.

What format does the submitted value use?

Submitted values use this format:
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

DateTime Field for Gravity forms limits Using DateTime Field fixed limits Using merge tags in limits DateTime Field for Gravity Forms - Validation behavior When to use this field Notes DateTime Field for Gravity Forms - FAQ Not before

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