Configuring a Start & End Date Question

A Start & End Date question allows users to provide both a start date and an end date as part of a single response.

This question type is useful when collecting time periods such as employment history, project durations, membership terms, educational attendance periods, or program participation dates.

Adding a Start & End Date Question

1. Navigate to the desired section of your form.

2. Select Add Question.

3. Select Start & End Date from the Question Type dropdown.

4. Configure the available settings.

5. Select Save.

Configuration Options

Question Text

The question or prompt displayed to users.

Example:

• What were the dates of your employment?

• Please provide your project timeline.

• What were your dates of attendance at this institution?

Best Practice: Clearly explain the period users should provide.

Mandatory Field

Determines whether users must provide both a start date and an end date before submitting.

Enabled

• Users must enter both a start date and an end date.

Disabled

• Users may leave the question unanswered.

Important: When enabled, users are expected to provide a complete date range.

Required for Draft Submission

Determines whether users must provide a start date and end date before saving a submission as a draft.

Enabled

• Users cannot save a draft without completing the date range.

Disabled

• Users can save a draft and return later.

Note: This setting is typically used only when the date information is required early in the application process.

Help Hover Text

Additional instructions displayed when users hover over the help icon.

Example Uses:

• Enter the beginning and ending dates of your employment.

• Provide the dates your project was active.

• If the activity is ongoing, enter the current date as the end date unless otherwise instructed.

Best Practice: Use Help Hover Text to explain how users should enter dates and handle special situations such as ongoing activities.

Hide Question From Reviewers

Determines whether reviewers can view the question and response.

Enabled

• The question and selected dates are hidden from reviewers.

Disabled

• Reviewers can view the question and selected dates.

Common Uses:

• Internal administrative tracking

• Workflow-related information

• Data not relevant to evaluation

Hide Question From Submitters

Determines whether submitters can view the question.

Enabled

• The question is hidden from submitters.

• The question can still be viewed and completed by administrators, if applicable.

Disabled

• The question is visible to submitters.

Important: When using an E-Reference question type, this setting must be enabled. E-Reference questions are intended to be completed by reference providers and should not be visible to applicants.

Common Uses:

• E-Reference questions

• Internal administrator-only fields

• Workflow tracking information

• Administrative notes

Common Use Cases

Start & End Date questions are commonly used for:

• Employment History

• Volunteer Experience

• Project Timelines

• Program Participation Periods

• Educational Attendance

• Membership Terms

• Research Activities

• Internship Placements

Start & End Date vs. Date Range

While both question types collect a period of time, Start & End Date is commonly used for historical or user-provided timelines such as employment or project history.

Start & End Date vs. Month & Year

For example, employment history often requires a Start & End Date, while graduation information may only require a Month & Year.

Best Practices

• Use Start & End Date when collecting a complete timeline or duration.

• Clearly indicate what period users should provide.

• Use Help Hover Text to explain how to handle ongoing activities or approximate dates.

• Consider whether reviewers need access to the date information before making it visible.

• If only a single date is required, consider using a Date Picker instead.

• If the exact day is not important, consider using Month & Year instead.

Important Notes

• Users are expected to provide both a start date and an end date.

• This question type is ideal for collecting timelines, durations, and historical date ranges.

• Use clear instructions when collecting ongoing activities or future dates to ensure consistent responses.