Excel TODAY function: today's date that updates itself
=TODAY() returns today's date and updates every time the workbook recalculates. Use it to count days until a deadline, ages or years of service. To enter a fixed date instead, press Ctrl + ; (semicolon).
The examples use the same sales table as the practice box below.
| A Rep | B Sales | E Region | H Hired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Dana | 1,250 | East | 3/12/2018 |
| 3 | Luis | 830 | West | 7/1/2021 |
| 4 | Priya | 2,100 | East | 11/20/2016 |
| 5 | Marcus | 475 | North | 2/15/2023 |
| 6 | Jen | 990 | West | 9/3/2019 |
| 7 | Omar | 1,600 | East | 1/27/2020 |
Syntax
=TODAY()No arguments, but the parentheses are required.
Useful formulas
| Task | Formula |
|---|---|
| Days until a deadline in C1 | =C1-TODAY() |
| Days since a hire date | =TODAY()-H2 |
| Full years of service | =DATEDIF(H2,TODAY(),"Y") |
| Is it overdue? | =IF(C1<TODAY(),"Overdue","") |
| Date 30 days from now | =TODAY()+30 |
Format date results as dates and day counts as numbers. If a day count shows up as a date like 1/14/1900, change the format to Number.
TODAY vs NOW
TODAY returns the date. NOW returns the date and time. Use TODAY for anything measured in days.
When not to use TODAY
TODAY changes daily, so a report you send this week will show different numbers next week. For reports and tests, put a fixed report date in a cell, like K6, and point formulas at it. Press Ctrl + ; to type today's date as a value that won't change.
Try it: Years of service as of today
In C2, show how many full years Dana has worked here as of today. Her hire date is in H2.
Graded live, like a real Excel test. Press New numbers to prove you didn't memorize the answer. More practice
Questions people ask
Why does TODAY show the wrong date?
It uses your computer's clock. If calculation is set to Manual, press F9 to update it.
How do I stop TODAY from changing?
Copy the cell and paste it as a value, or type the date with Ctrl + ;.
Practice on a real spreadsheet
CellReady grades your formula the moment you press Enter and tells you why a wrong answer is wrong. The first 7 lessons are free, with no sign-up to start.
Related guides
How to use DATEDIF in Excel to get years of service or age, its units, why it's hidden from autocomplete, and a live exercise.
What the $ sign does in Excel formulas, the difference between A1, $A$1, $A1 and A$1, the F4 shortcut, and a live exercise.
How the Excel IF function works, with text and number results, AND and OR, nested IFs, the #NAME? mistake, and a live exercise.