# Default Date

**URL:** <https://community.glideapps.com/t/default-date/33476>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Created:** [October 22, 2021, 7:38pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/default-date/33476 "2021-10-22T19:38:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kyan\_Lynch](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/kyan_lynch/32/28521_2.png) [@Kyan\_Lynch](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Kyan_Lynch)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 7:38pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/default-date/33476/1 "2021-10-22T19:38:33Z")

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This seems simple, but an issue I routinely encounter is wanting to set a default date/date-time in the date picker. Usually, I want the default to be “now”, but I also want users to occasionally change the entry based on a few use cases. Currently, there is the ability to set a “placeholder” which is counter-productive, as it tricks users into thinking that a date has been entered when one hasn’t.

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**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 7:45pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/default-date/33476/2 "2021-10-22T19:45:33Z")

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You can already set the default date to Now with a date picker in a form.

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**Author:** ![Kyan\_Lynch](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/kyan_lynch/32/28521_2.png) [@Kyan\_Lynch](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Kyan_Lynch)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 7:49pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/default-date/33476/3 "2021-10-22T19:49:59Z")

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Oh, I see. I am talking about the Date Picker when used on a regular screen, not a form screen. I created a custom form using “new screen” to allow for additional functions.

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**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 7:55pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/default-date/33476/4 "2021-10-22T19:55:10Z")

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Custom forms are attached to real columns, unlike native forms which hold the data in a temporary space until you click on submit. Native forms always assume a clean start when opening the form. Custom forms, on the other hand, are a bit of a workaround. Because it’s pulling data from columns, having a default setting doesn’t really make sense as it could overwrite an existing value.

Instead, you should call a set column action when opening the custom form, which can clear all columns to get a fresh empty form, or in some cases, you can set the date to the current date and time using the date/time special value in the set column action.

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**Author:** ![system](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/system/32/53398_2.png) [@system](https://community.glideapps.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 7:55pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/default-date/33476/5 "2021-10-23T19:55:28Z")

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