---
title: "JQuery Calendar Colored Dots, Highlights & Labels Example | Mobiscroll"
component: "Calendar"
framework: "jQuery"
library_version: "6.1.5"
url: "https://demo.mobiscroll.com/jquery/calendar/dots-colors-labels"
---

# Colored Dots, Highlights & Labels - jQuery Calendar demo

Mark calendar dates with colored dots, background highlights, or text labels — for specific dates, date ranges, or recurring rules. For jQuery or jQuery Mobile.

- [Live demo](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/jquery/calendar/dots-colors-labels)
- [View code on GitHub](https://github.com/acidb/mobiscroll-demos-jquery/tree/main/src/demos/datepicker/calendar/dots-colors-labels)
- This demo in other frameworks: [JavaScript](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/javascript/calendar/dots-colors-labels.md), [Angular](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/angular/calendar/dots-colors-labels.md), [React](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/react/calendar/dots-colors-labels.md), [Vue](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/vue/calendar/dots-colors-labels.md)

## Description

You can highlight days, mark them with colored dots, add labels or completely color the background of the days using the [`marked`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/datepicker/api#opt-marked), [`colors`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/datepicker/api#opt-colors) and [`labels`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/datepicker/api#opt-labels) options. This offers means to add more information to the calendar that could be valuable to users. While you can use the `colors` along with `marked` and `labels`, the latter two are mutually exclusive because they get rendered in the same place on the UI.

You can add them as `exact dates`, `ranges` or specify `recurring rules`. The `recurring` object supports [different ways to describe the rules](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/jquery/calendar/recurring-values).

The passed date-times can also contain timezone data which requires a [`timezonePlugin`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/datepicker/api#opt-timezonePlugin) to be interpreted correctly. [Check out how timezones work](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/jquery/calendar/setting-the-picker-timezone) in the calendar.

Use the [`onPageLoading`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/datepicker/api#event-onPageLoading) lifecycle event to load the data runtime. You can [learn about lifecycle events](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/jquery/calendar/event-hooks) and places where to drop logic to customize the experience.

**Looking to show event data and use multiple labels?** [Check out the event calendar →](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/jquery/eventcalendar/event-labels)

## What this demo shows

- This inline examples demonstrate different ways how to hilight or mark dates on the date picker calendar. 
- **Header navigation** The month and year label in the top left opens a month and year picker. The blue previous and next arrow buttons on the right navigate between months.
- **Month view** A fixed weekday header displays abbreviated day names from Sunday through Saturday, with the dates arranged in a grid below it.
- **Month navigation** The month can be changed by clicking and dragging the calendar left or right.
- **Day cell states** Hovering a day highlights the day number with a gray background. Selecting a day highlights the day number with a blue background. The current date is highlighted by default and remains blue when the user selects another date.
- **Adjacent months** Dates from the previous and next months appear with a muted style. Selecting one navigates the calendar to the corresponding month. 
- **Background and highlight settings** The `Set the background & highlight specific or recurring dates` panel contains two switches, both disabled by default. `Show cell backgrounds` adds rectangular background colors to configured dates, while `Show highlighted days` adds circular background colors.
- **Marked days and label settings** The `Marked days & labels are mutually exclusive` panel provides three options. `Show marked days` is selected by default and displays one or more colored dots below configured dates. `Show labels` displays colored labels below configured dates. `Don't show marked days and labels` hides both dots and labels.

## Best for

- **Availability calendars** Highlight available, unavailable, or limited-availability dates in booking and reservation flows.
- **Deadlines and milestones** Mark due dates, release dates, or other important dates while users choose a date.
- **Status indicators** Use colored dots to show one or more compact statuses without replacing the date number.
- **Date-specific context** Use labels when short text provides more useful context than a marker alone.
- **Recurring schedules** Apply consistent visual cues to repeating dates, such as weekly service days or recurring availability.

## Tutorial

### Set the background & highlight specific or recurring dates

- [ ] Show cell backgrounds
- [ ] Show highlighted days

### Marked days & labels are mutually exclusive

- (x) Show marked days
- ( ) Show labels
- ( ) Don't show marked days and labels

```js
 marked: [
    { 
        date: '2026-10-02T00:00', 
        color: '#46c4f3'
    }, { 
        date: '2026-10-10T00:00', 
        color: '#7e56bd'
    }, { 
        date: '2026-10-13T00:00', 
        color: '#f13f77'
    }, { 
        date: '2026-10-13T00:00', 
        color: '#89d7c9'
    }, { 
        date: '2026-10-21T00:00', 
        color: '#ffc400'
    }, { 
        date: '2026-10-21T00:00', 
        color: '#8dec7d'
    },{ 
        recurring: { 
            repeat: 'yearly', month: 4, day: 1
        },
        color: 'ffc400'
    }
]
```

With "Show labels":

```js
 labels: [
    { 
        date: '2026-10-02T00:00', 
        textColor: '#46c4f3',
        text: 'Ana BD'
    }, { 
        date: '2026-10-03T00:00', 
        textColor: '#7e56bd',
        text: 'Concert'
    }, { 
        date: '2026-10-08T00:00', 
        color: '#52a064',
        text: 'Trip'
    }, { 
        date: '2026-10-16T00:00', 
        color: '#8dec7d',
        text: 'Math exam'
    }, { 
        date: '2026-10-24T00:00', 
        color: '#f8b042',
        text: 'Party'
    },{ 
        recurring: { 
            repeat: 'yearly', month: 5, day: 1
        },
        color: 'red',
        title: 'Christmas'
    }
]
```

With "Don't show marked days and labels":

```js

```

## API used in this demo

- [`theme`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/datepicker/api#opt-theme) - option
- [`themeVariant`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/datepicker/api#opt-themeVariant) - option
- [`controls`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/datepicker/api#opt-controls) - option
- [`display`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/datepicker/api#opt-display) - option
- [`marked`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/datepicker/api#opt-marked) - option
- [`colors`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/datepicker/api#opt-colors) - option
- [`labels`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/datepicker/api#opt-labels) - option

## Code

### JS

```js
mobiscroll.setOptions({
  theme: 'ios',
  themeVariant: 'light'
});

$(function () {
  $('#demo-marked')
    .mobiscroll()
    .datepicker({
      controls: ['calendar'],
      display: 'inline',
      marked: [
        { recurring: { repeat: 'yearly', month: 5, day: 1 }, color: '#ffc400' },
        { recurring: { repeat: 'yearly', month: 12, day: 24 }, color: '#ffee00' },
        { recurring: { repeat: 'yearly', month: 12, day: 25 }, color: 'red' },
        { date: '2026-11-04T00:00' },
        { date: '2026-08-13T00:00' },
        { date: '2026-10-02T00:00', color: '#46c4f3' },
        { date: '2026-10-06T00:00', color: '#7e56bd' },
        { date: '2026-10-11T00:00', color: '#7e56bd' },
        { date: '2026-10-19T00:00', color: '#89d7c9' },
        { date: '2026-10-28T00:00', color: '#ea4986' },
        { date: '2026-10-13T00:00', color: '#7e56bd' },
        { date: '2026-10-13T00:00', color: '#f13f77' },
        { date: '2026-10-13T00:00', color: '#89d7c9' },
        { date: '2026-10-13T00:00', color: '#8dec7d' },
        { date: '2026-10-21T00:00', color: '#ffc400' },
        { date: '2026-10-21T00:00', color: '#8dec7d' },
        { start: '2026-11-15T00:00', end: '2026-11-18T00:00', color: '#f4511e' },
      ],
    });

  $('#demo-colored')
    .mobiscroll()
    .datepicker({
      controls: ['calendar'],
      display: 'inline',
      colors: [
        { recurring: { repeat: 'yearly', month: 12, day: 8 }, background: '#9ccc65' },
        { recurring: { repeat: 'yearly', month: 5, day: 1 }, background: 'red' },
        { recurring: { repeat: 'yearly', month: 12, day: 24 }, background: '#fff568' },
        { recurring: { repeat: 'yearly', month: 12, day: 25 }, background: '#e88080' },
        { date: '2026-11-04T00:00', background: '#cfd8dc' },
        { date: '2026-12-24T00:00', background: '#9575cd' },
        { date: '2026-08-13T00:00', background: '#d4e157' },
        { date: '2026-09-06T00:00', background: '#f4511e' },
        { date: '2026-11-06T00:00', background: '#46c4f3' },
        { date: '2026-11-22T00:00', background: '#7e56bd' },
        { date: '2026-09-11T00:00', background: '#46c4f3' },
        { date: '2026-09-29T00:00', background: '#7e56bd' },
        { date: '2026-10-02T00:00', background: '#46c4f3' },
        { date: '2026-10-03T00:00', background: '#7e56bd' },
        { date: '2026-10-11T00:00', background: '#f13f77' },
        { date: '2026-10-19T00:00', background: '#8dec7d' },
        { date: '2026-10-28T00:00', background: '#ea4986' },
        { start: '2026-11-15T00:00', end: '2026-11-18T00:00', text: 'Conference', background: '#f4511e' },
      ],
    });

  $('#demo-labels')
    .mobiscroll()
    .datepicker({
      controls: ['calendar'],
      display: 'inline',
      labels: [
        { recurring: { repeat: 'yearly', month: 12, day: 25 }, title: 'Christmas', color: '#f48fb1' },
        { recurring: { repeat: 'yearly', month: 1, day: 1 }, title: 'New year' },
        { recurring: { repeat: 'yearly', month: 12, day: 1 }, title: 'Meeting', color: '#ffc400' },
        { date: '2026-11-04T00:00', text: 'Spa day', color: '#cfd8dc' },
        { date: '2026-12-24T00:00', text: 'BD Party', color: '#9ccc65' },
        { date: '2026-08-13T00:00', text: 'Exams', color: '#d4e157' },
        { date: '2026-09-06T00:00', text: 'Trip', color: '#f4511e' },
        { date: '2026-11-06T00:00', color: '#46c4f3', text: 'Pizza Night' },
        { date: '2026-11-22T00:00', color: '#7e56bd', text: 'Beerpong' },
        { date: '2026-09-11T00:00', color: '#46c4f3', text: 'Anniversary' },
        { date: '2026-09-29T00:00', color: '#7e56bd', text: 'Pete BD' },
        { date: '2026-10-02T00:00', color: '#46c4f3', text: 'Ana BD' },
        { date: '2026-10-03T00:00', color: '#7e56bd', text: 'Concert' },
        { date: '2026-10-11T00:00', color: '#f13f77', text: 'Trip' },
        { date: '2026-10-19T00:00', color: '#8dec7d', text: 'Math exam' },
        { date: '2026-10-28T00:00', color: '#ea4986', text: 'Party' },
        { start: '2026-11-15T00:00', end: '2026-11-18T00:00', text: 'Conference', color: '#f4511e' },
      ],
    });
});
```

### HTML

```html
<div class="mbsc-grid">
    <div class="mbsc-row">
        <div class="mbsc-col-sm-12 mbsc-col-md-4">
            <div class="mbsc-form-group">
                <div class="mbsc-form-group-title">Marked days</div>
                <div id="demo-marked"></div>
            </div>
        </div>
        <div class="mbsc-col-sm-12 mbsc-col-md-4">
            <div class="mbsc-form-group">
                <div class="mbsc-form-group-title">Colored days</div>
                <div id="demo-colored"></div>
            </div>
        </div>
        <div class="mbsc-col-sm-12 mbsc-col-md-4">
            <div class="mbsc-form-group">
                <div class="mbsc-form-group-title">Labels</div>
                <div id="demo-labels"></div>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>
```

## Implementation notes

- Use `controls: ['calendar']` and `display: 'inline'`.
- **Marked days**: pass an array to `marked`, each entry with `date` (or a `recurring` rule) and `color` - renders as one or more small colored dots below the date. Multiple entries can share the same `date` to show several dots.
- **Cell backgrounds / highlighted days**: pass an array to `colors`, each entry with `date` (or `recurring`) and either `background` (rectangular cell background color) or `highlight` (circular highlight around the day number) - an entry can set both on the same date.
- **Labels**: pass an array to `labels`, each entry with `date` (or `recurring`), `text`, and `color`/`textColor` - renders a colored text label below the date.
- `marked`, `colors`, and `labels` can each be set/cleared independently via `setOptions`. `marked` and `labels` both render below the day number and would visually compete for space if combined, though nothing prevents setting both directly via the API.
- All three options (`marked`, `colors`, `labels`) accept a `recurring` object instead of a fixed `date` for repeating entries, e.g. `{ recurring: { repeat: 'yearly', month: 5, day: 1 } }`.

## Run it in your project

1. If not signed up yet, or don't own a license, you can [start a free trial](https://mobiscroll.com/starttrial).

2. Clone the repository:

   ```
   git clone https://github.com/acidb/mobiscroll-demos-jquery.git
   ```

3. If not installed yet, install the Mobiscroll CLI from NPM:

   ```
   npm install -g @mobiscroll/cli
   ```

4. Config Mobiscroll - open a terminal window in the root directory and run:

   ```
   mobiscroll config jquery
   ```

5. Install dependencies - open a terminal window in the root directory and run:

   ```
   npm install
   ```

6. Run the project:

   ```
   npm run dev
   ```

On a trial, add `--trial` to the config command: `mobiscroll config jquery --trial`.

Running a demo locally requires a Mobiscroll trial or a license; setup is per framework at https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/getting-started/installation

## Related demos

- Previous: [Week & Month Views](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/jquery/calendar/week-to-month.md) - Show week and month calendar view in a JQuery date picker — add a header view switcher so users can toggle between layouts.
- Next: [Scroll Direction, Week Numbers & Outer Days](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/jquery/calendar/month-change-direction-week-numbers-outer-days.md) - Configure a JQuery calendar date picker — set horizontal or vertical month scrolling, show week numbers, and control whether outer days appear.