### [How to Compare Two Dates in the Same Form](https://wpforms.com/developers/how-to-compare-two-dates-in-the-same-form/)

**Published:** August 25, 2021
**Author:** Editorial Team

**Excerpt:** This tutorial will show you how to use a PHP snippet to compare two dates from within the same form. 

**Content:**

## Introduction

Would you like to compare two dates inside the same form? Using a small PHP snippet you can easily take two dates and compare them inside the same form. In this tutorial, we’re going to a PHP snippet that will take two date pickers inside the same form.

## Creating the form

First, we’ll need to set up our form. We’re going to create a form and add our fields including the two **Date** form fields that are set to the **Date** format.

![create your form and add your fields including your 2 date fields](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/wpforms-compare-dates-create-form.jpg)

Once you’ve added these fields, be sure to set them to **Date Picker** on the **Advanced** tab.

![set the date field to use the date picker for both fields](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/wpforms-select-date-picker-compare-dates.jpg)

If you need any help in creating your form, [please review this documentation](https://wpforms.com/docs/creating-first-form/ "How to Create Your First Form").

## Adding the snippet to compare two dates

Before adding the snippet, you’ll need to locate the form ID and both field IDs for the **Date** fields you’ve just added to your form.

If you need any help in finding these ID numbers, [please see this tutorial](https://wpforms.com/developers/how-to-locate-form-id-and-field-id/ "How to Locate Form ID and Field ID").

When you’ve got these IDs you can add the following snippet to your site.

```

/**
 * Compare 2 dates inside the same form.
 *
 * @link  https://wpforms.com/developers/how-to-compare-two-dates-in-the-same-form/
 */

function wpf_dev_compare_dates( $fields, $entry, $form_data ) {
      
    // Optional, you can limit to specific forms. Below, we restrict output to
    // form #731.
    if ( absint( $form_data[ 'id' ] ) !== 731 ) {
        return $fields;
    }
      
	// 3 is the ID of date 1 field
	$date_1 = $fields[3][ 'unix' ]; 
	
	// 4 is the ID of date 2 field
	$date_2 = $fields[4][ 'unix' ]; 
	
	// If date 2 is earlier of the same as time 1
	if ( $date_2 process->errors[ $form_data[ 'id' ] ][ 'header' ] = esc_html__( 'The pickup date should not be earlier than the order date.', 'plugin-domain' );
	}
	
}
add_action( 'wpforms_process', 'wpf_dev_compare_dates', 10, 3 );
```

If you’re not sure where or how to add custom snippets to your site, [please check out this tutorial](https://wpforms.com/developers/how-to-add-custom-php-or-javascript-for-wpforms/ "How to Add Custom PHP or JavaScript for WPForms").

The way the snippet works is it will only execute on the form ID **731**, then it will look for the **Date** field ID of **3** and the **Date** field ID of **4** and assign those to the variables $date\_1 and $date\_2 so that it can check if **$date\_2** is less than or equal to **$date\_1**, if it is it will display an error above the second **Date** field showing that this date can’t be earlier than the other.

![the error message will appear above when the snippet to compare two dates fails](https://wpforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/wpforms-comparing-two-dates.jpg)

And that’s all you need to compare two dates inside the same form! Would you like to provide some functionality for an age restriction to your form as well? Check out our tutorial on [How to Provide an Age Restriction on the Datepicker Form Field](https://wpforms.com/developers/how-to-provide-an-age-restriction-on-the-datepicker-form-field/ "How to Provide an Age Restriction on the Datepicker Form Field").

## Related

Action Reference: [wpforms\_process](https://wpforms.com/developers/wpforms_process/ "Using the wpforms_process action")

**Categories:** Tutorials

**Tags:** PHP

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