# Month picker

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

---

## What This Field Does

A Month Picker captures a year and month only (YYYY-MM), deliberately
avoiding day-level precision. It is particularly valuable for historical
documentation where exact dates are unknown or meaningless — preventing
the common error of inventing precision where none exists. Use it for
field seasons, publication dates, approximate dates of disturbance, or
any temporal data where month-level granularity is appropriate.

## 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 **Month picker** card. Then click the
**ADD FIELD** button in the lower right.

```{screenshot} field-types-design/month-picker-01-add-field.png
:alt: Adding a Month 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/month-picker-02-configured.png
:alt: Month 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

- **Use when day-level precision is unnecessary or misleading** —
  "Season of fieldwork", "Month of last survey", "Approximate date
  of disturbance". This avoids the epistemological error of recording
  a specific day when only the month is known.
- **Watch for Excel misinterpretation** — Excel may interpret "2024-03"
  as "3rd March 2024" rather than "March 2024". Always import
  Month Picker data as a text column to preserve the intended format.
- **Consider using Uncertainty plus Annotation** to let
  collectors note whether the month is exact or approximate
  (e.g., "probably March" vs "definitely March") or specify
  a timeframe within the month (e.g., "late March").