To schedule a form is to set the date and time it starts taking entries and the moment it stops, so you never have to remember to switch it on at midnight. It suits event registrations, seasonal offers, early-bird prices and applications with a deadline. This guide is ideal for beginners and for teams running anything with a start and an end date. We cover open and close dates, time zones, the closed message and a few seasonal ideas, with a setup in WordPress in about 5 minutes.
The short version
- Opens sets when a form starts taking entries; Closes sets when it stops.
- Times follow your site’s time zone, set in WordPress.
- A closed form shows your own message wherever it sits on the site.
- Combine dates with a limit on entries for events with a capacity.
When should a form open and close on its own?
| Use | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Early-bird tickets | Launch day, 9 am | 14 days later |
| Summer camp sign-up | March 1 | When it is full, or June 1 |
| Job applications | When the job is posted | The deadline, 11:59 pm |
| Holiday gift orders | November 1 | December 18, for delivery in time |
| A seasonal form for a sale | Friday, midnight | Monday, midnight |
With form open and close dates, a form deadline is never missed. A seasonal form can go on your page early, showing a message such as Applications open on March 1, and open by itself at exactly the right moment.
How to schedule a form, step by step
- Open the form in Echo Forms with Signature, and its Scheduling tab.
- Set Opens: the date and time the form starts taking entries, or leave it blank to open now.
- Set Closes: when it stops, or leave it blank to stay open.
- Write the Message when closed, such as Registration for the spring workshop is full. Join the waiting list at hello@yourstudio.com.
- Check your site’s time zone under WordPress’s Settings > General.
- Save, then view the page before and after the open time on a test copy.
The scheduling and limits guide shows each setting. Anyone part-way through filling it in when it closes is told it has closed when they press send.
Why does the time zone matter?
Because the times follow your site’s time zone, which may differ from your web host’s or your own when you travel. A deadline of 11:59 pm that runs on the wrong zone can close a form 5 hours early. WordPress’s General settings documentation shows where to set it. We check it once on every new site, because it takes 30 seconds and saves a lot of apologies.
How do dates work with a limit on entries?
Set both. With Limit total submissions, the form also closes once it has enough entries, such as 40 places on a workshop. Whichever comes first, the date or the limit, closes it, and the same message shows. Our limit form entries guide covers capacity in more detail.
Can you close a form by hand?
Yes, and that is free. The Active switch on the forms list closes a form everywhere at once without deleting it, and every copy says it is not accepting submissions. Scheduling with Signature just does it for you, on time, even at 3 am on a Sunday. See all features for the rest of the form settings, which take about 10 minutes to learn.
To schedule a form takes about 5 minutes and saves a late-night switch on and off for every campaign. Set the open and close times, check the time zone, and write a closed message that tells people what to do next.
Forms that open and close themselves
Scheduling and limits come with Echo Forms Signature, from $49.99 a year.
