Excel TODAY Function
Summary
The Excel TODAY function returns the current date, updated continuously when a worksheet is changed or opened. The TODAY function takes no arguments. You can format the value returned by TODAY using any standard date format. If you need current date and time, use the NOW function.
Purpose
Get the current date
Return value
A serial number representing a particular date in Excel.
Syntax
=TODAY ()
Arguments
Usage notes
TODAY takes no parameters, but requires that you use empty parentheses ().
The value returned by TODAY will continually update each time the worksheet is recalculated (for example, each time a cell value is entered or changed). Use F9 to force the worksheet to recalculate and update the value.
If you need a static date that won't change, you can enter the current date using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + ;
TODAY formula examples
T calculate the number of days between two dates you can simply subtract the older date from the newer date. The result will be an integer that represent the days between dates. In the example shown, the formula in D6...
If you need to calculate a person's age from their birth date, you can do so with the YEARFRAC, INT, and TODAY functions. In the generic version of the formula above, birthdate is the person's birthday with year, and...
If you want to highlight dates that occur in the next N days with conditional formatting, you can do so with a formula that uses the TODAY function with AND. This is a great way to visually flag things like expiration...
Note: Excel has several built-in data validation rules for dates. This page explains how to create a your own validation rule based on a custom formula in case you want or need more control and flexibility.
To allow a...
To determine invoice status (i.e. paid, open, overdue), you can use a nested IF formula and the TODAY function.
In the example shown, the formula in G5 is:
=IF(F5=0,"Paid",IF(TODAY()<C5,"Open...
To create a dynamic date list, you can use a formula that increments a start date to create and display additional dates. In the example shown, the formula in B5 is:
=start+ROWS($B$5:B5)-1-offset
where "start" is the...
To calculate the days remaining from one date to another, you can use a simple formula that subtracts the earlier date from the later date.
In the example shown, the formula in D5 is:
=C5-B5
How this formula works...
Note: Excel has several built-in data validation rules for dates. This page explains how to create a your own validation rule based on a custom formula if you need more control or flexibility.
To allow a user to enter...
If you need to display the current date in a worksheet, you can use the TODAY function. This date will update whenever the worksheet is recalculated or opened.
Here's how the formula works:
The TODAY function takes no...
You can set up dynamic calendar grid on an Excel worksheet with a series of formulas, as explained in this article. In the example shown, the formula in B6 is:
=start-CHOOSE(WEEKDAY(start),0,1,2,3,4,5,6)
where "start...
Note: Excel has several built-in data validation rules for dates. This page explains how to create a your own validation rule based on a custom formula when you want more control and flexibility.
To allow only a date...
To highlight dates that are "past due" you can use a conditional formatting and a basic formula to check whether each date is less than today. In the example shown, conditional formatting has been applied to the range...
To calculate the number of workdays remaining in a month, you can use the NETWORKDAYS function. NETWORKDAYS automatically excludes weekends, and it can optionally exclude a custom list of holidays as well.
In the...
To sum sales in the last 30 days by an id (like name, initials, region, etc.) you can use the SUMIFS function together with the TODAY function. In the example shown, the formula in G5, copied down, is:
=SUMIFS($D$5:$D...
To calculate the number of days before a certain date, you can use subtraction and the TODAY function. In the example, D5 contains this formula:
=B4-TODAY()
How this formula works
In Excel, dates are simply serial...
Related videos
How to generate an expiration date in the future, how to calculate "days remaining", and how to highlight rows that are expired or expiring soon with conditional formatting.
In this video, we look at how to use Evaluate Formula to solve complex formulas one step at a time. It's a great way to understand how Excel solves a formula.
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