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Ask for a date

Anna P Updated by Anna P

Use the Date Question block when you want to display date selection

Best for:

  • booking appointments
  • selecting delivery dates
  • entering birthdays
  • scheduling events

On supported channels, users can select the date from a calendar instead of typing it manually.

Set up:

After adding the block, click on it to open the settings panel. From there, you can customize the message displayed to users, choose the preferred date format, and select which field the date should be saved to. Below is an overview of each setting:

  1. Question text: here you will be able to set the text of the question adding a variable, bold text, hyperlink, etc:

  1. Format to save the date: here you can select the format of the date that you are going to save in the variable and you will also see todays date in that specific format:
Tip: Dates can be picked in different formats, but the only format that works in the Conditions block is YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY/MM/DD.
  1. Show date picker: this checkbox is checked by default. If You don't want to show the date picker you will need to uncheck it.

WhatsApp agents cannot display datepicker by default, so this option is not available. We recommend typing down the expected format for visitors to send the date.

Warning: Not showing the date picker means that, if you have availability settings, they won't be visible for the end-user. So, the best solution is to make it clear in the bot's messages. For example: “Please type your birth date. Only past dates allowed”
  1. Set available dates: allows to show availability in the date picker, but you also have the option to include or exclude the current date when setting available dates.

Here you have 3 options: Past dates only, Future dates only, and Custom Range:

  • All: let the user select between all the dates (past, present, and future dates):
  • Past dates only: allows the user to select only past dates from today, the future dates will be blocked:

  • When selecting past dates you will also have the option to include or exclude the current date:

  • Future days only: allows the user to select only future dates from today, the past dates will be blocked:

  • When selecting future dates you will also have the option to include or exclude the current date:

  • Custom range: allows you to create several date ranges (no limit) and also allows you to create open ranges:
  • Disable specific days: you can disable days of the week and you can combine it with the settings above:
  • Validation error message: you can customize the error message that will be shown in the chat.
First enable it in your settings> Custom System Messages:
  • Custom Help text Date block: By default, you will see "Please enter a valid date (@format), but you can customize the message through:

Settings > Custom System Message > Help text >Dates picker

  • Adding the variable @format is optional, but if you add it, the system will show the format.
  • To show the date picker in the Mobile device you must have activated the "Show a Date Picker" otherwise the visitors will have to write the date manually.

Channel compatibility:

For WhatsApp

This functionality is partially supported in WhatsApp:

  • It won't display a calendar to choose from, the user must type in the date.
  • It will validate if the input is correct, according to the format chosen in the block (ie. 2019/12/24).
  • It will display an error message if the date input is not correct.
  • The Set Available Dates feature (Past, Future, etc) is not compatible in WhatsApp.
Warning: Since it will not be possible to proceed before answering this block in the correct format, please make sure to select the right format and inform the user about it.
For a list of all the blocks and current functionalities with WhatsApp bots, please check here
For Facebook Messenger

This functionality is partially supported by Messenger:

  • It won't display a calendar to choose from, so it waits for input from the User.
  • It will validate if the input is correct, according to the format chosen in the block (ie. 2026/02/21 or 21/02/2026)
  • It will display an error message if the date input is not correct.
Warning: Since it will not be possible to proceed before answering this block in the correct format, please make sure to select the right format and inform the user about it.
You can check our Academy video here 💡

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