---
schema_version: "1"
id: 0160d58740f147969e297b15d8c18f71d8fc3c9df9f168e5ec672a91c2345ce3
title: Continuous Dates
collection: tableau
version: next
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/tableau/next/en-us/public/desktop/dates_continuous.md
canonical_url: https://help.tableau.com/v0.0/public/desktop/en-us/dates_continuous.htm
source_site: help.tableau.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: aa7c066b3d2df66563f4581a9870cee30fcbb1c3c5cee64bb2f90d2cc6d3ccd5
description: Understand continuous dates that create an axis, versus discrete date parts that create labels.
---
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# Continuous Dates

By default, dates come into the view as a discrete field. Date parts (such as year or month) can be used like any other discrete field and create labels in the view.

However, you can change dates to continuous if you choose. Select one of the Continuous date options on the field's context menu to use date truncations (such as March 2020 or 25/03/2022) instead of date parts. Continuous dates create an axis in the view.

<table style="width: 100%;">
                    <colgroup><col>
                    <col>
                    </colgroup><tbody>
                        <tr>
                            <td>Discrete date part</td>
                            <td>Continuous date truncation</td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td>
                                <img src="https://help.tableau.com/v0.0/public/desktop/en-us/Img/date_level_date_part.png" alt="dropdown menu with the following date options highlighted: year, quarter, month, day, and more."> </td>
                            <td>
                                <img src="https://help.tableau.com/v0.0/public/desktop/en-us/Img/date_level_date_value.png" alt="dropdown menu with the following date values highlighted: year, quarter, month, week number, day, and more."> </td>
                        </tr>
                    </tbody>
                </table>

## Change the default

To make a given date field continuous by default, right-click (control-click on Mac) the field in the Data pane and select Convert to Continuous. The field turns green and defaults to a continuous date when used in the view. To revert to discrete again, right-click (control-click on Mac) the field in the Data pane and select Convert to Discrete.

## See also

For more information on the impact of using a continuous or discrete field, refer to [Dimensions and Measures, Blue and Green](https://help.tableau.com/v0.0/public/desktop/en-us/datafields_typesandroles.htm).