# Date picker

_How to add and configure a Date picker field in the Notebook Editor._

---

## What This Field Does

A Date Picker captures a date without a time component, storing it in
YYYY-MM-DD format. Use it for administrative and observational records
where the time of day is irrelevant — such as excavation dates, permit
expiry dates, scheduled revisit dates, or any temporal data where
adding a time component would constitute false precision.

## Adding the Field

To add this field, open the
[ADD A FIELD dialog](../shared-settings/adding-a-field.md), navigate to the
**DATE & TIME** tab, and click the **Date picker** card. Then click the
**ADD FIELD** button in the lower right.

```{screenshot} field-types-design/date-picker-01-add-field.png
:alt: Adding a Date Picker — the DATE & TIME tab in the ADD A FIELD dialog
:align: right
:width: 100%
```

## Configuring the Field

Click the field's **grey header bar** to expand it and see its settings.
For an overview of the settings shared by all fields — including Label,
Helper Text, Field ID, and the field toolbar — see
[Field Identity](../shared-settings/field-identity.md) and
[Field Toolbar](../shared-settings/field-toolbar.md).

Give the field a meaningful Label, review the auto-populated
Field ID, and add any desired Helper Text.

```{screenshot} field-types-design/date-picker-02-configured.png
:alt: Date Picker configuration in the {{Notebook}} Editor
:align: right
:width: 100%
```

### Shared Field Options

Configure any of the shared field options as needed.

For settings shared across all field types — including Required,
Annotation, Uncertainty, Conditions, Copy value to new records,
and Display in child records — see
[Field Options](../shared-settings/field-options.md).

## Tips

- **Better than Date/Time with Now for historical or future dates**
  (e.g., "Scheduled revisit date", "Date of last disturbance") where
  the time component is meaningless. The calendar picker interface
  helps users navigate to the correct date visually.
- **No timezone complications** — because only the date is stored
  (YYYY-MM-DD), there is no risk of timezone-related data corruption.
  This makes Date Picker safe for any project regardless of how many
  timezones the team spans.
- **If you also need the time, use Date/Time with Now instead.** Do
  not pair a Date Picker with a separate time field — use a single
  Date/Time with Now field for combined date-and-time capture.