How to Send Date in Email Form in WordPress (Beginner’s Guide)

Ever tried setting up a WordPress contact form, only to realise the date you asked visitors to pick never shows up in your email? Frustrating, right? If you’re running bookings, events, or even a simple appointment form, missing that detail can be a disaster.

The good news? You don’t need to be a coder or hire a developer. With a few clicks and the right setup, you can add a date field to your WordPress forms and make sure it lands neatly in your inbox every single time. Let’s break it down step by step.

Why Dates Matter in Contact Forms

Think about it. If you’re a freelancer scheduling client calls, a salon taking bookings, or a blogger running a webinar, dates are everything. Without them, you’ll be sending endless emails back and forth asking, “When are you free?” That’s wasted time.

Adding a date picker or field in your WordPress form lets users pick their slot and instantly sends that info to you. It saves confusion, makes you look professional, and keeps your inbox organised.

What Does It Mean to Send a Date in an Email Form?

When someone fills a form on your site, the data doesn’t just stay on your page, it’s sent to you via email. That’s why we call it form data. If your form has a date field, the visitor picks a date, and ideally, you should see that same date in the notification email.

Example:

A visitor fills:
Name: Sarah
Email: sarah@email.com
Date: 22/09/2025

Your inbox should show:

Simple. But only if you’ve set it up correctly.

How to Write a Date in Email Format

Before you add the field, let’s clear a common confusion, date formats vary. In the UK and much of the world, people use DD/MM/YYYY. In the US, it’s usually MM/DD/YYYY.

So if you’re running an international site, it’s smart to:

• Stick to one format throughout your forms and emails.

• Use clear labels like “Date (DD/MM/YYYY)” so users know what’s expected.

• Avoid formats like “22-9-25” that might confuse your visitors.

Consistency keeps you and your readers on the same page.

Adding a Date Field in WordPress Forms

There are many WordPress form plugins, but the most popular (and free) one is Contact Form 7. Others like WPForms, Fluent Forms, and Formidable Forms also work.

Here’s how to do it in Contact Form 7:

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard → Contact → Add New.

2. In the form editor, click Date to insert a date field.

3. Example shortcode it generates:

Here, booking-date is the field name. The asterisk (*) means it’s required.

4. Save the form and copy the shortcode to any page/post.

Now your form has a calendar-style date picker. Easy!

Sending Form Data (Including Dates) to Email in WordPress

Adding the date field isn’t enough, you need to tell WordPress to include it in the email template.

1. In Contact Form 7, open your form.

2. Go to the Mail tab.

3. Add your field tag (for example [booking-date]) in the email body where you want it to appear.

Like this:

Hit save. Now when a visitor selects a date, you’ll see it in your inbox.

Adding Time Along With Date

Sometimes, a date alone isn’t enough, you need a specific time. For example, if you’re taking hair salon appointments, “22nd September” won’t cut it. You need “22nd September, 3:00 PM.”

Here’s what you can do:

• In Contact Form 7, add a time field:

• Update your Mail tab to include:

Now, you’ll have both fields arriving in your email.

Troubleshooting: When Dates Don’t Show in Emails

Sometimes, the date field doesn’t appear. Here’s why:

1. Forgot to add field tag in the Mail tab – If you only added the field in the form but not in the email template, it won’t show up.

2. Wrong field name – If your shortcode says [date-123] but in Mail tab you typed [date], it won’t match.

3. Plugin conflicts – Rare, but sometimes other plugins mess with Contact Form 7. Try disabling suspicious ones to test.

4. Caching issues – Clear your cache (both plugin and browser) if changes don’t appear.

Quick fix: always test your form after editing.

Pro Tips for Bloggers & Small Businesses

• Label clearly – Instead of just “Date,” use “Choose your appointment date.”

• Test your form – Fill it out yourself to confirm the email works.

• Format matters – Stick with YYYY-MM-DD if you want universal clarity.

• Mobile users – Date pickers sometimes behave differently on phones. Always check your form on mobile.

• Use an AI Reword Tool like Paraphrasing Tool to polish your form instructions and make them clear for beginners.

Conclusion

Getting a date field to work in your WordPress form is simpler than most beginners think. Add the field, connect it in the Mail tab, test it, and you’re good to go. No coding. No headaches. Just smooth, professional-looking forms that save you time and keep your visitors happy.

So go ahead, add that date field today and make your forms work smarter for you.