A method for controlling the distance between two tool components of an extrusion machine for the continuous manufacture of profiles from a moldable extrusion material, comprising the following steps: - determining or defining a first distance value between a first tool component and a distance measuring device, - storing the first distance value in a control and/or regulating device, - approaching and feeding a second tool component to the stationary first tool component until the second tool component abuts against the first tool component; - displacing the second tool component, which abuts against the first tool component, by a first adjustment track stored in the control and/or regulating device, and thereby forming a gap between the first tool component and the second tool component with a base gap width; - initial operation of the extrusion machine and at that, feeding the extrusion material into the extrusion machine to the first tool component and molding the extrusion material into the profile; - further determining further distance values between the first tool component and the distance measuring device in the molding operation of the extrusion machine, - forming a distance difference value from the first distance value minus one of the further distance values, - calculating an actual value of a gap width between the first tool component and the second tool component, wherein the distance difference value is subtracted from the value of the base gap width, - determining, whether the actual value of the gap width is within a value range stored in the control and/or regulating device with a lower target value of the gap width and an upper target value of the gap width, - displacing the second tool component away from the first tool component if the gap width falls below the lower target value, or displacing the second tool component towards the first tool component if the gap width exceeds the upper target value. - determining or defining a first distance value between a first tool component and a distance measuring device, - storing the first distance value in a control and/or regulating device, - approaching and feeding a second tool component to the stationary first tool component until the second tool component abuts against the first tool component; - displacing the second tool component, which abuts against the first tool component, by a first adjustment track stored in the control and/or regulating device, and thereby forming a gap between the first tool component and the second tool component with a base gap width; - initial operation of the extrusion machine and at that, feeding the extrusion material into the extrusion machine to the first tool component and molding the extrusion material into the profile; - further determining further distance values between the first tool component and the distance measuring device in the molding operation of the extrusion machine, - forming a distance difference value from the first distance value minus one of the further distance values, - calculating an actual value of a gap width between the first tool component and the second tool component, wherein the distance difference value is subtracted from the value of the base gap width, - determining, whether the actual value of the gap width is within a value range stored in the control and/or regulating device with a lower target value of the gap width and an upper target value of the gap width, - displacing the second tool component away from the first tool component if the gap width falls below the lower target value, or displacing the second tool component towards the first tool component if the gap width exceeds the upper target value.