Date is a question type for collecting a calendar date from a candidate — a start date, a birth date, or a certification expiry, for example. You choose the format candidates see and type in; behind the scenes, every answer is stored the same way, so exports and integrations always receive a consistent date.
What It Does
A Date question asks candidates to enter a calendar date. When you create the question, choose a Date format — this controls how candidates type their answer and how it's displayed back to you.
Format | What candidates see |
DD-MM-YYYY (default) | Day first — for example, 25-12-1990. |
MM-DD-YYYY | Month first — for example, 12-25-1990. |
YYYY-MM-DD | Year first — for example, 1990-12-25. |
A Data Map is available, but only date-type candidate attributes appear in the list — this keeps date answers from landing in the wrong kind of field by mistake. A Timer can also be set. A Date question can't be used as a source for conditional logic between questions.
Note: Changing a question's date format later doesn't rewrite answers candidates already submitted — each answer keeps the format it was answered in.
Why it helps
Standardizing dates across integrations — every export and integration receives the same, unambiguous format.
Matching the format to your audience — show candidates the date order they expect.
Avoiding invalid entries — candidates can't submit an impossible or incomplete date.
How It Looks for the Candidate
Careers page and landing page
Candidates see a text box with the chosen format shown as a placeholder (for example, DD-MM-YYYY). As they type, the separators appear automatically, and a calendar icon opens a date picker for the same result. An incomplete or impossible date (like 31-02-1990) shows a validation message and blocks Continue until it's corrected.
📷 SCREENSHOT / GIF PLACEHOLDER
Screenshot of the careers apply page showing a Date question mid-entry, with the format placeholder and calendar icon visible.
Chat (WhatsApp, SMS, Messenger)
The question includes a reminder of the expected format and an example (for example, "Please reply with the date in the format DD-MM-YYYY, for example 25-12-1990"). Candidates can separate the numbers with dashes, slashes, dots, or spaces. Anything that isn't a valid date in that format gets a reminder, and the question is asked again.
AI interview agent
The AI interview agent understands natural dates ("10 de enero de 2000") as well as numeric ones typed in the question's format, and reminds the candidate of the expected format if a reply isn't recognized as a date.
How It Looks in Talkpush
Go to Campaign Settings > Questions inside the campaign.
Click Add Question.
Select Date from the Question Type dropdown and choose a Date format: DD-MM-YYYY, MM-DD-YYYY, or YYYY-MM-DD.
Turn on Data Map and choose a date-type candidate attribute, if needed.
Click Save to use it for this campaign only, or Save as Template to add it to the shared Question Template Library.
Note: The same setup is available from the Question Template Library (Templates > Questions) — it's the same question editor, just reached from a different tab.
In the Candidate Profile, the Screening tab and the Attributes panel show the date in the format the question was set up with. Date attributes filled in by other means, like imports, keep their own display style.
Q: What format do exports and integrations receive? A: They always receive the standard ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD), regardless of the format shown to candidates.
Q: Can I use a Date answer as an Autoflow trigger? A: Yes — once mapped to a candidate attribute, it works like any other date attribute for Autoflow. It just can't be used as a source for conditional logic between questions. |
