WooCommerce Calendar Datepicker: Taming Time for Your Customers
WooCommerce provides a robust platform for selling anything online, but sometimes the default features don’t quite fit your specific needs. One common challenge is customizing the calendar datepicker, particularly if you need to restrict available dates or adjust the date format. Maybe you’re selling event tickets and only want certain dates to be bookable, or perhaps you’re offering a delivery service and need to exclude weekends.
This guide will walk you through adjusting the WooCommerce calendar datepicker, making it intuitive and user-friendly, even if you’re a complete beginner. We’ll cover various scenarios, from basic adjustments to more advanced customizations, all explained in plain language.
Why Customize the WooCommerce Datepicker?
Before we dive into the how-to, let’s understand *why* you might want to customize the datepicker. Here are a few common reasons:
- Availability Management: Let’s say you’re running a bed and breakfast. You need to prevent bookings on dates you’re already fully booked or during your annual holiday. A customized datepicker can clearly display available dates, preventing overbooking and customer disappointment.
- Lead Time Requirements: If you sell products that require processing time (like personalized items), you might need to prevent customers from selecting dates that are too soon. For example, you might need a minimum of 3 days notice.
- Weekend Exclusions: Delivery services often exclude weekends. By disabling weekend dates in the datepicker, you can ensure accurate delivery scheduling and avoid promising deliveries you can’t fulfill.
- Promotional Periods: Highlighting specific dates to indicate special offers. Imagine you offer discounts on event tickets for specific shows. A customized datepicker can help display this information.
- Date Format Consistency: Ensuring the date format displayed in the datepicker matches your store’s overall design and preferred regional format.
- Booking dates for accommodation
- Choosing delivery dates for products
- Selecting a date for a service appointment
Understanding the WooCommerce Datepicker
The WooCommerce datepicker, usually powered by JavaScript libraries like jQuery UI Datepicker, is the interface your customers use to select a date for various purposes, such as:
By default, it presents a standard calendar view. To customize it, we’ll primarily use PHP and potentially some JavaScript, depending on the complexity of the adjustments.
Adjusting the Datepicker: Simple Examples with PHP
Let’s start with some straightforward adjustments using PHP. These examples will typically involve adding code to your theme’s `functions.php` file (or a custom plugin for best practice). Always back up your website before making any code changes!
#### 1. Setting a Minimum and Maximum Date
This is useful for setting lead times or restricting bookings to a specific range.
add_filter( 'woocommerce_form_field_args', 'customize_datepicker_fields', 10, 3 );
function customize_datepicker_fields( $args, $key, $value ) {
if ( isset( Learn more about How To Add The Contact Information In Woocommerce $args[‘type’] ) && $args[‘type’] == ‘date’ ) {
$args[‘min’] = date(‘Y-m-d’); // Minimum date is today. Use date( ‘Y-m-d’, strtotime( ‘+3 days’ ) ); for 3 days from today
$args[‘max’] = date(‘Y-m-d’, strtotime( ‘+3 months’ ) ); // Maximum date is 3 months from now
}
return $args;
}
Explanation:
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- `add_filter(‘woocommerce_form_field_args’, ‘customize_datepicker_fields’, 10, 3);` This line hooks into the WooCommerce form field arguments, allowing us to modify the date field settings.
- `customize_datepicker_fields` is the function we’ve created to make the adjustments.
- `if ( isset( $args[‘type’] ) && $args[‘type’] == ‘date’ ) { … }` This ensures we only apply the changes to datepicker fields.
- `$args[‘min’] = date(‘Y-m-d’);` Sets the minimum selectable date to today. `date(‘Y-m-d’)` gets the current date in the required format. We can use `strtotime()` to modify it.
- `$args[‘max’] = date(‘Y-m-d’, strtotime( ‘+3 months’ ) );` Sets the maximum selectable date to 3 months from today.
Real-life example: If you sell custom cakes, you might set a minimum date of 3 days from today to allow for baking and decorating time.
#### 2. Disabling Specific Dates (e.g., Weekends)
This example disables weekend dates (Saturday and Sunday). This example needs more steps.
- Enqueue a JavaScript File: First, create a new JavaScript file (e.g., `datepicker-custom.js`) and place it in your theme’s directory (or a subdirectory).
- JavaScript code within the JS file: Inside `datepicker-custom.js`, add the following JavaScript code:
jQuery(function($) {
$(document).ready(function() {
// Find all datepicker inputs
$(‘input[type=”date”]’).each(function() {
var $this = $(this);
// Attach the datepicker to the input
$this.datepicker({
beforeShowDay: function(date) {
var day = date.getDay();
// Disable Saturdays (6) and Sundays (0)
return [(day != 0 && day != 6)];
}
});
});
});
});
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- Enqueue the script in functions.php
function enqueue_custom_datepicker_script() { wp_enqueue_script( 'custom-datepicker', get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . '/datepicker-custom.js', array( 'jquery', 'jquery-ui-datepicker' ), null, true ); wp_enqueue_style( 'jquery-ui-css', '//code.jquery.com/ui/1.12.1/themes/smoothness/jquery-ui.css', array(), '1.12.1' ); } add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'enqueue_custom_datepicker_script' );
Explanation:
- `beforeShowDay` is a function that is called before each day is displayed in the datepicker.
- Inside `beforeShowDay`, we get the day of the week (0 for Sunday, 6 for Saturday).
- `return [(day != 0 && day != 6)];` returns an array. The first element is a boolean indicating whether the date should be selectable (true) or disabled (false).
Real-life example: A delivery company might disable weekend dates since they don’t operate on Saturdays and Sundays. This prevents customers from scheduling deliveries on days they aren’t available.
Important note: Depending on your theme and other plugins, you might need to adjust the selector `input[type=”date”]` to target the specific datepicker input fields you want to customize. Examine the HTML source code to find the correct selector.
#### 3. Changing the Date Format
WooCommerce, by default, uses a specific date format. You might need to change this to match your store’s regional settings or aesthetic preferences. This often requires JavaScript customization, especially if the date is being displayed dynamically.
Since the date format is related to the JQuery datepicker, we can modify the date formatting from our custom JS File.
Modify `datepicker-custom.js` to include the `dateFormat` option:
jQuery(function($) {
$(document).ready(function() {
// Find all datepicker inputs
$(‘input[type=”date”]’).each(function() {
var $this = $(this);
// Attach the datepicker to the input
$this.datepicker({
dateFormat: ‘dd-mm-yy’, // Change to your desired format (e.g., mm/dd/yy, yy-mm-dd)
beforeShowDay: function(date) {
var day = date.getDay();
// Disable Saturdays (6) and Sundays (0)
return [(day != 0 && day != 6)];
}
});
});
});
});
The `dateFormat` option is crucial to adjusting the date format. The format codes are:
- `yy`: Four-digit year (e.g., 2023)
- `mm`: Two-digit month (e.g., 01 for January, 12 for December)
- `dd`: Two-digit day of the month (e.g., 01, 31)
- `m`: One or two-digit month (e.g., 1 for January, 12 for December)
- `d`: One or two-digit day of the month (e.g., 1, 31)
Real-life example: If you’re selling internationally, you might need to adjust the date format to match the local conventions of your target market. For instance, in Europe, `dd-mm-yy` is a common format, while in the US, `mm/dd/yy` is more prevalent.
Advanced Customization: Using Plugins
For more complex customizations, you might consider using a WooCommerce plugin dedicated to datepicker management. These plugins often provide a user-friendly interface for managing restrictions, blackout dates, and other advanced features, without requiring you to write code.
A few popular plugins for datepicker customization include:
- WooCommerce Bookings (Official WooCommerce Extension): Best for booking systems.
- Bookly: Bookly is a widely used plugin to automate online booking.
- Plugins offering booking and appointment functionalities: Some of these also include advanced datepicker functionalities.
Key Takeaways
- Backup your website before making any code changes. This is crucial in case something goes wrong.
- Use a child theme: Avoid modifying your parent theme’s files directly. A child theme allows you to make customizations without losing them when the parent theme is updated.
- Test thoroughly: Always test your changes on a staging environment before applying them to your live site.
- Consider using a plugin for complex customizations: Plugins can simplify the process and provide a user-friendly interface.
- Prioritize user experience: Make sure your datepicker customizations are intuitive and easy to understand for your customers. Clear communication about availability and restrictions is key.
By understanding the WooCommerce datepicker and utilizing the techniques outlined in this guide, you can create a more efficient and user-friendly booking experience for your customers, ultimately leading to increased sales and customer satisfaction. Remember to start with simple customizations and gradually progress to more advanced techniques as you gain experience. Good luck!
