The many ways to use the new Date field options in Writer!

The many ways to use the new Date field options in Writer!

With the all-new date field options, you can forget about manually calculating your past, present and future dates and leave it all to Writer to automatically calculate it for you.

1. To insert today's date:
If you're writing a letter, you'll likely want to include the current date to show the day it was sent. However, since you could be drafting the letter today but sending it a week later, it's important that your date field updates automatically to the current date.  To do this go to Fields > Date > Dynamic Today's Date. 




2. To display a future or past date:

Future date
Say you're drafting a payment reminder letter to let your subscribers know that the payment deadline has been extended 25 days from the original due date. Instead of calculating the extended due date manually, you can simply input +25 and Writer will automatically input the date into your letter.

To do this, go to Create Custom Date Field. In the Preset date value field, enter your original due date (let's say it's 06/29/2021). 
Now to convert this due date to the extended date, all you have to do is add 25 days in the (+)Add days option below. Writer will then automatically calculate this date for you.



Past date

Similarly, if you wanted to include a past date from your original due date, you can just enter the days you want to subtract from your original due date. To do this, go to Create Custom Date Field. In the Preset date value field, enter your original due date (we'll use 06/29/2021 again).

Now to convert this due date to the past date, all you have to do is enter the number of days or month(s) you want in the (-)Subtract days option below. In this case say it's 25 days. Writer will then automatically calculate this date for you.



3. To create a named date field and reuse it
throughout the document:
Now let's say you want to use the extended date field from example 1 in multiple places in a document, so that if you changed the settings for one of these extended date fields it would affect all the other fields as well.

To do this, go to Create Custom Date Field and create the extended date field like how it's shown in example 1. After you've created the field, go to Date >  Custom Autofields > Extended due date and place the fields wherever necessary in the document. Now if you were to change the settings for one of these fields (if perhaps you want to change the extended date field from 25 to 30 days), then this change would be reflected in every other field in the document as well. 




4 (a). To add business dates during document merge:
Payment due dates, submission deadlines, and meeting dates often take place on business days and exclude weekends. To calculate only business dates during document merge, click the settings icon next to Manage Fields and click Configure next to the Date merge field. Now add or subtract the number of days you want, then check the Exclude option and select Weekends.




4 (b). To add business dates for new merge date fields:
If you wanted to create a new merge date field (like an extended date field which is 25 days from your original date) that excludes weekends, go to Create Field.




Now, add the name of the field and choose the format as Date. Click Configure under the Value option.




Select the field value as your original date (as your extended date will be 25 days after). Now enter 25 in the (+) Add days option, then check the Exclude option and select Weekends.




4 (c). To add business dates for particular date fields: 
To add business dates for particular date fields, click on the date field in the template you want to change and the choose the Change for this instance alone option.



Select the Configure option and add or subtract the days you want, then check the Exclude option and select Weekends. 







Like the update? Let us know what you think of this feature in the comments below, and follow us on Twitter to catch all the latest Writer news first.

    Access your files securely from anywhere

        Zoho FSM Video Tutorials


              All-in-one knowledge management and training platform for your employees and customers.






                                    Zoho Developer Community




                                                          • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                          • Digest


                                                          • Functions


                                                          • Meetups


                                                          • Kbase


                                                          • Resources


                                                          • Glossary


                                                          • Desk Marketplace


                                                          • MVP Corner


                                                          • Word of the Day


                                                          • Ask the Experts



                                                                    • Sticky Posts

                                                                    • Free webinar: Zoho Sign for Microsoft apps

                                                                      Hello, Did you know Zoho Sign works right inside the Microsoft apps you already use? A signature request shouldn't mean leaving Teams for another tab, or downloading an Outlook attachment just to sign it. Zoho Sign integrates with Microsoft 365, Teams,
                                                                    • Introducing the Learning Hub by Zoho Sign | Free self-learning resources

                                                                      We're excited to launch the Learning Hub, a free, self-paced learning platform designed to help you get the most out of Zoho Sign. Whether you're just getting started or looking to explore advanced features, you can access courses, guides, and resources
                                                                    • Important changes to note for Zoho Sign users in Saudi Arabia

                                                                      Dear Zoho Sign users, If your Zoho Sign account is hosted in our Saudi Arabia data centre, here's an important update on digital signature certificates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. What's changing Going forward, the "Sign via Zoho Sign" option will


                                                                    Manage your brands on social media



                                                                          Zoho TeamInbox Resources



                                                                              Zoho CRM Plus Resources

                                                                                Zoho Books Resources


                                                                                  Zoho Billing Resources

                                                                                    Zoho Projects Resources


                                                                                      Zoho Sprints Resources


                                                                                        Qntrl Resources


                                                                                          Zoho Creator Resources



                                                                                              Zoho CRM Resources

                                                                                              • CRM Community Learning Series

                                                                                                CRM Community Learning Series


                                                                                              • Kaizen

                                                                                                Kaizen

                                                                                              • Functions

                                                                                                Functions

                                                                                              • Meetups

                                                                                                Meetups

                                                                                              • Kbase

                                                                                                Kbase

                                                                                              • Resources

                                                                                                Resources

                                                                                              • Digest

                                                                                                Digest

                                                                                              • CRM Marketplace

                                                                                                CRM Marketplace

                                                                                              • MVP Corner

                                                                                                MVP Corner









                                                                                                  Design. Discuss. Deliver.

                                                                                                  Create visually engaging stories with Zoho Show.

                                                                                                  Get Started Now


                                                                                                    Zoho Show Resources

                                                                                                      Zoho Writer

                                                                                                      Get Started. Write Away!

                                                                                                      Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                                                                                                        Zoho CRM コンテンツ


                                                                                                          Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


                                                                                                              ご検討中の方





                                                                                                                        • Recent Topics

                                                                                                                        • Hide Inactive Social Sign-In Providers from Login Screen

                                                                                                                          Hello Zoho Team, We hope you are doing well. Currently, Zoho One allows admins to configure security policies and enable or disable Social Sign-In options for third-party providers such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Yahoo, Twitter, Facebook,
                                                                                                                        • Forms data export bug

                                                                                                                          The export csv with a password has changed for the worst. It is less secure by not allowing complex passwords. Just last week and the last year (at least) I was able to use a complex, secure password. Export CSV moreover doesn't even work if I use a simple
                                                                                                                        • How does Zoho handle the daylight savings time change in Alberta?

                                                                                                                          Alberta has just made the decision to get rid of daylight savings. This means that as of November 1, 2026 we remain on UTC-6 year-round. We have timing errors in meetings scheduled after that For example, we scheduled meetings in late November at 9:00
                                                                                                                        • Zoho Projects - Linking CRM Deals to Projects via API without sending customer contact email invitation to project portal

                                                                                                                          We are using the Zoho CRM and Zoho Projects APIs to automatically create a project in Zoho Projects and then associate that project with the relevant Deal in Zoho CRM. The API process is working in that the project is created successfully and appears
                                                                                                                        • Shared Mailbox in iOS app

                                                                                                                          Hi, On the desktop I am using a Shared mailbox for our company's general mailbox that somebody else should be able to view. In the iOS app however I can't find it? Old sources on the internet says this isn't possible but that can't be right? Somebody
                                                                                                                        • Issues with Zoho Insights and email template web links

                                                                                                                          Is anyone else out there having the same issue we're experiencing? When we send out an email template, Zoho insights is converting the URLs from the URL we insert in to the template in to one of the form https://mailer1.zohoinsights.com/ocgeturl/2d6f.327230a?l=0ed7f050-5b31-11eb-a1a...
                                                                                                                        • UCP: Why We Killed the Multi-Portal Mess and Simplified Customer Self-Service

                                                                                                                          Let's talk about the multi-portal mess nobody wants to admit that it exists. Your customer needs an invoice from one app, wants a ticket update from another, and has a project waiting in a third, each behind its own login, its own UI, its own "was it
                                                                                                                        • Object-level edit permissions

                                                                                                                          Hi, we are currently running into a limitation with permissions inside larger workspaces. Our use case is a central Analytics workspace that contains many tables, Query Tables, reports and dashboards used by different teams. We would like to allow certain
                                                                                                                        • inventory removal at packing list or shipment.

                                                                                                                          currently our system is set to remove inventory at invoice. This is creating an inventory nightmare? Is it possible to change the settings to remove the item from inventory at either the packing slip stage or shipping the item.
                                                                                                                        • Item description is not displayed

                                                                                                                          I added the item description while importing the new item through the bulk item Excel sheet, and the import was completed successfully. However, I cannot see the description in the item details under Inventory. Could anyone please advise how to make the
                                                                                                                        • Shared inbox unable to see replies

                                                                                                                          Hi we are a small company me and someone else, we have a shared inbox for our sale@ and contact@ however we have this issue where by if i reply to an email or the other person reply to the email, it does not show it to them and therefore we end up replying
                                                                                                                        • Record Payment - Auto Populate Amount as payments are selected

                                                                                                                          When recording payments you have the option of clicking on "Pay in Full" next to the bill which automatically adds the total at the bottom of the page next to "Amount used for payments" but this should also auto populate / update the total at the top
                                                                                                                        • Can't set conditional layout rule on lookup field in Zoho CRM

                                                                                                                          Namaskaram Zoho CRM team, Usually any fields of module except mandatory fields can be hide using conditional layout rules. But that can't be set on lookup fields event that is not a mandatory fields. Many users are in need of that. Crafted with ❤️ Zoho
                                                                                                                        • [Request] Pivot filter date option : from set date to relative value ie from 01Jan to LastMonth

                                                                                                                          I don't think I can currently do this... but it's worth asking if it's possible. My use case is concerning annual leave which is calculated from the beginning of the calendar year (01Jan) then each month I want to have details of leave taken etc... In
                                                                                                                        • Need to be able to apply layout rules to 'Multi Pick List'

                                                                                                                          Currently, we are unable to apply layout rules to fields that are 'Multi Pick List'. This means we have to instead use checkbox fields, but they are inefficient. For example, we use the Multi Pick List to list our products. However, we're unable to apply
                                                                                                                        • Announcing the new SKILL.md for Zoho CRM and the updated OAS repository!

                                                                                                                          We are introducing a new zoho-crm skill to make working with Zoho CRM Developer tools (like APIs, functions, widgets, client scripts, queries etc) easier and faster, with the help of AI in your preferred AI harness like Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VSCode
                                                                                                                        • My "trigger" panel disappear from my workflow ...

                                                                                                                          Hello, I want to add a trigger to an email sequence, but the "trigger" panel has disappeared when I want to modify ...I used a predefined template to create this sequence, is that because of that? Thank you. I have attached a screenshot to you
                                                                                                                        • Workflow Automation Not Triggering

                                                                                                                          My Zoho CRM workflow sometimes doesn’t trigger when a record is updated, even though the workflow criteria appear to be met. What should I check to find out why the workflow is being skipped?
                                                                                                                        • How can I add a Custom Field (or Customer_name) to a picklist?

                                                                                                                          Our workflow is Shopify-->SO -->Picklist-->Package-->Shipment. We would like to have the Picklist template to include a custom field "Customer_Notes" (we have created this field already). This way we get alerted when a customer has notes on their account.
                                                                                                                        • AI Calling

                                                                                                                          Hi, does anyone have experience or any thoughts on AI Calling. Getting AI to make calls on behalf of your company. We are looking into it, but are finding it difficult to get info and providers that can assist.
                                                                                                                        • Zoho Sheet as KB Document

                                                                                                                          It would be nice if Zia Agents could take Zoho Sheets as part of the knowledge base. The use case here is that it's infinitely easier for humans to maintain a spreadsheet table than any .md / TAML / JSON document. For situations where humans are responsible
                                                                                                                        • Ask the Experts: Five-hour live Q&A session with Zoho WorkDrive product experts

                                                                                                                          Have questions about WorkDrive 5.0? Let’s talk! We recently launched Zoho WorkDrive 5.0, packed with powerful updates to help your team work smarter, stay secure, and get more value from your business content. From content-centric workflows and AI-powered
                                                                                                                        • Automating CRM backup storage?

                                                                                                                          Hi there, We've recently set up automatic backups for our Zoho CRM account. We were hoping that the backup functionality would not require any manual work on our end, but it seems that we are always required to download the backups ourselves, store them,
                                                                                                                        • Zoho Community Digest - September 2026 | Part 3

                                                                                                                          Hi everyone, and welcome back! Zoho CRM launches PRM for partner management, Bigin builds this year's Apple AI updates into the app, and Snapchat is now a connected channel in Zoho Social. There are also three notices worth reading, including WhatsApp
                                                                                                                        • Change from OST to PST on Windows 10/11 Using Free Method

                                                                                                                          There is an advantage in converting OST files to PST format if you need to access your Outlook data on a different computer, want to keep a local copy, or are trying to recover items from an old Outlook profile. The good point is that users of Windows
                                                                                                                        • ERROR: This user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details

                                                                                                                          I can add new user for mail, i received message error about; This user is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details Try creating user name; instagram@eficaztecnologia.com.br
                                                                                                                        • Support for Custom Fonts in Zoho Recruit Career Site and Candidate Portal

                                                                                                                          Dear Zoho Recruit Team, I hope you're doing well. We would like to request the ability to use custom fonts in the Zoho Recruit Career Site and Candidate Portal. Currently only the default fonts (Roboto, Lato, and Montserrat) are available. While these
                                                                                                                        • Ability to filter services and parts based on a field in the Work Order

                                                                                                                          Hell FSM team, We have a customer with 2 value streams using Zoho FSM. Each value stream uses different products, at different price point. Currently, all of the products are accessible when creating a work order and modifying a service appointment, which
                                                                                                                        • SubTotaks for Item Headers in Estimates

                                                                                                                          Hi, Apparently, one can add Item Headers in Estimates in Zoho Books. Is this feature like an Estimate section with a SubTotals for each Item Header/Section? Or is the Item Header just a Title and cannot be SubTotalized? Thank You
                                                                                                                        • Sync of products and orders between Zoho Inventory, Zoho Books and Shopify

                                                                                                                          Good Day I migrated from QuickBooks to Zoho Books and Zoho Inventory at the beginning of this year. The migration team assisted with importing my data, but I am currently experiencing multiple issues affecting syncing between Shopify and Zoho. 1. SKU
                                                                                                                        • Best practices for importing phone numbers

                                                                                                                          I've recently found a problem with my phone provider, integrated with Zoho CRM, where a phone number that starts with 00 instead of + won't work. The problem has no solution: they tell me to replace all 00 with + I've always preferred using 00 instead
                                                                                                                        • Copy + Paste in Notes: Text color and text background are not retained

                                                                                                                          I've recently started using Zoho Notebook as an Evernote replacement. When copying and pasting text within Zoho Notes, I notice that the formatting of the text (text color and background color) is not retained when pasting. Only the attributes "Bold"
                                                                                                                        • Add Comprehensive Accessibility Features to Zoho Writer

                                                                                                                          Hello Zoho Writer Team, We hope you are doing well. We would like to submit a feature request to enhance Zoho Writer with a full set of accessibility tools, similar to the accessibility options already available in the Zoho Desk agent interface. 🚧 Current
                                                                                                                        • MAKING ENTRY TIME MORE USER FRIENDLY AND FASTER O PREVENT TAB TIME

                                                                                                                          I AM CURIOUS TO KNOW IF WE CAN MAKE IT MORE USER FRIENDLY WHILE MAKING BILLS , I MAJORLY USE OVER DESKTOP SO I AM SUGGESTING TO REMOVE TAB TIME WHILE ENTERING BILL OR MAKING INVOICE DIRECT JUMP TO ONLY REGULAR PARTS OF THE BILL . YOURS RAKESH 782866
                                                                                                                        • Email Forwarding to Zoho Desk Failing After Migration from Gmail to Outlook (Microsoft)

                                                                                                                          We recently migrated from Gmail to Microsoft Outlook. Since the migration date, emails sent by our customers are no longer being received by Zoho Desk. I tried setting up the email forwarding rules in Outlook similar to what we had in Gmail, but it still
                                                                                                                        • Shopify B2B Integration: Option to Match Customers by Company Name

                                                                                                                          It would be great if the Shopify integration could include Company Name as a customer matching option. At the moment customers can only be matched by: Email Name Email and Name Phone For businesses using Shopify B2B, the company is often the customer
                                                                                                                        • Free Methods to Convert PST to MBOX on Mac & Windows

                                                                                                                          Converting PST files to MBOX is often needed when moving Outlook mailbox data to email clients such as Thunderbird, Apple Mail, or other MBOX-supported applications. The process can be different on Windows and macOS, and free methods may involve several
                                                                                                                        • Zoho Payroll: Product Updates - Q3, FY2026

                                                                                                                          Over the past quarter, Zoho Payroll has added several updates to make payroll easier to process, configure, and manage. The most notable improvements cover bank integrations, reimbursement support, payslip enhancements, employee exit documentation, payroll
                                                                                                                        • Print checks for owner's draw

                                                                                                                          Hi.  Can I use Zoho check printing for draws to Owner's Equity?  This may be a specific case of the missing Pay expenses via Check feature.  If it's not available, are there plans to add this feature?
                                                                                                                        • Deliver exceptional customer experience with Field Service Management in Zoho Service Plus

                                                                                                                          The advent of automation and personalization in the AI era has raised customer expectations exponentially for faster resolution of issues with less tolerance to friction in the process. Fast, accurate, and intelligent service that understands customer
                                                                                                                        • Next Page