How to Filter Form Submissions by Date

Where to Find Date Filtering

Date filters are available on the submissions management page:

Auto Form Builder → Submissions

At the top of the page, the search and filter bar includes a date dropdown alongside form selection and sort options. Choose a date range and click Search & Filter to update the submissions list.

Step-by-Step: Filter Submissions by Date

1. Go to Auto Form Builder → Submissions.
2. Optionally select a status tab — Unread, Starred, Read, Spam, Trash, or All — to narrow by submission status first.
3. Open the date dropdown and choose a range — for example, Today, This Week, or Last 30 Days.
4. Optionally combine with other filters — select a specific form, enter a search keyword, or change the sort order.
5. Click Search & Filter.
6. Review the filtered results in the submissions table. Each row shows the submission date and time in the Submitted column.
7. Click Clear All to remove all active filters and return to the full submissions list.

Available Date Filter Options

Auto Form Builder provides nine preset date ranges:

All Time

Default view — shows every submission regardless of date. Select this to remove the date restriction without clearing other filters.

Today

Submissions received today, based on your WordPress site timezone (Settings → General → Timezone).

Yesterday

Submissions from the previous calendar day.

This Week

Submissions from the current week, Monday through Sunday.

Last Week

Submissions from the previous complete week (Monday through Sunday).

This Month

Submissions from the first day of the current month through today.

Last Month

Submissions from the entire previous calendar month.

Last 30 Days

Submissions from the past 30 days, including today. Useful for rolling monthly reviews.

Last 90 Days

Submissions from the past 90 days. Ideal for quarterly reporting and longer-term analysis.

How Date Filtering Works

Date filters use the submission timestamp — the date and time recorded when the form was submitted and saved to your database.

• Filtering is based on the created_at field stored with each submission
• Dates are calculated using your WordPress site timezone via current_time()
• Week ranges run Monday to Sunday
• Month ranges use calendar month boundaries (first day through last day)
• Last 30 Days and Last 90 Days count backward from today’s date

Each submission’s exact submission time appears in the Submitted column — date (e.g., “Apr 16, 2026”) and time (e.g., “2:30 PM”).

Combine Date Filters with Other Filters

Date filtering works alongside every other submissions filter:

Form Filter

Select a specific form to see date-filtered entries from that form only — for example, Contact Form submissions from Last 30 Days.

Status Tabs

Filter by status and date together — view Unread submissions from Today, or Starred entries from This Month. Status tab selection is preserved when you apply date filters.

Search

Search within a date range — find submissions containing a specific email, name, or keyword submitted in the Last 7 days (use This Week) or any other preset range.

Sort Order

Sort filtered results by Newest First, Oldest First, Form Name A–Z, or Form Name Z–A while keeping your date filter active.

Tag Filters

If you use the Entry Tags add-on, tag filters combine with date filtering for precise submission management.

Practical Date Filter Workflows

Daily Inbox Check

• Status tab: Unread
• Date filter: Today
• Review and mark new submissions as read

Weekly Lead Review

• Date filter: This Week
• Sort: Newest First
• Star important leads for follow-up

Monthly Report Preparation

• Form filter: Select the relevant form
• Date filter: Last Month
• Export entries via Settings → Import/Export for spreadsheet analysis

Clean Up Old Spam

• Status tab: Spam
• Date filter: Last 90 Days
• Bulk select and delete permanently

Find a Recent Submission

• Date filter: Last 30 Days
• Search: Enter the submitter’s email or name
• Open the matching submission for full details

Pagination and Filter Persistence

When results span multiple pages, your date filter stays active as you navigate. Pagination links preserve the current date filter, form filter, search query, status tab, and sort order in the URL.

Status tabs also keep your date filter when switching between Unread, Starred, Read, and other views — so you can move between status categories without losing your date range.

Exporting Date-Filtered Data

The submissions inbox date filter controls what you see in the admin table. To export submission data:

1. Go to Auto Form Builder → Settings → Import/Export.
2. Under Export Entries, select a form.
3. Choose CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML format.
4. Click Export Entries.

Export includes a timestamp for each entry. Filter by date in your spreadsheet application after export, or use the inbox date filter to review entries before exporting a specific form’s data.

Tips for Effective Date Filtering

• Verify your timezone — Date ranges follow your WordPress timezone under Settings → General. Confirm it matches your business location.
• Start broad, then narrow — Use Last 30 Days first, then add form or search filters to pinpoint entries.
• Use status tabs with dates — Combine Unread + Today for a focused daily workflow.
• Clear filters when done — Click Clear All to avoid wondering why your submission count looks low.
• Check empty states — If no results appear, the page shows a clear “No submissions found for these filters” message.
• Use Last 90 Days for housekeeping — Periodically review and archive or delete old entries from Read or Trash tabs.

Get Started with Free Submission Filtering

Date filtering with nine preset ranges, combined form/status/search filters, sort options, and pagination is included in the free Auto Form Builder plugin.

Install from WordPress.org:

https://wordpress.org/plugins/auto-form-builder/

Last updated: Last update 20 August

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