TODAY Function in Excel: Get the Current Date Automatically

If you want Excel to show the current date automatically, you can use the TODAY function.

The TODAY function returns the current date based on your computer’s date settings.

In this guide, we will learn about the TODAY function, how to use it, and some common problems you may face.

Let’s start.

What Is the TODAY Function in Excel?

The TODAY function add the current date in the cell.

It is useful when you want Excel to automatically use today’s date in calculations, reports, trackers, invoices, or other worksheets.

For example, you can use TODAY to:

• Show today’s date
• Calculate how many days are left
• Calculate how many days have passed
• Check whether a date is overdue
• Calculate someone’s age
• Track deadlines
• Create date-based reports

TODAY Function Syntax:

The syntax of the TODAY function is very simple:

=TODAY()

• The TODAY function does not require any arguments.
• You can simply enter TODAY() inside the formula.

How to Use the TODAY Function:

Let’s see a simple example.

Suppose you want to display today’s date in cell A1.

Click cell A1 and enter:

=TODAY()

Press Enter.

Excel will display the current date.

For example: 22-Sep-2026

The date you see will depend on the current date when Excel calculates the formula.

How Does TODAY Update Automatically?

One useful feature of the TODAY function is that you don’t need to enter a new date every day.

For example, if you enter:

=TODAY()

on September 22, Excel may show:

22-Sep-2026

For example, if today is 22-Sep-2026 and you open the worksheet again on 23-Sep-2026, the TODAY formula will automatically show 23-Sep-2026.

This is useful for worksheets that you use regularly.

For example, you can create a report today and open it next week. The TODAY formula can display the new current date automatically.

Example: Calculate Days Between a Date and Today:

You can use TODAY with other dates to calculate the number of days between a specific date and today.

Suppose B2 contains the date:

15-Sep-2026

In C2, enter:

=TODAY()-B2

If today’s date is 22-Sep-2026, Excel calculates:

22-Sep-2026 – 15-Sep-2026 = 7

So, the result in C2 will be:

7

This means 7 days have passed since September 15, 2026.

Example: Calculate Days Remaining Until a Deadline:

Suppose you have a project deadline in cell D2.

For example:

30-Sep-2026

You can use:

=D2-TODAY()

If today is September 22, the result will be:

8

This tells you that 8 days are remaining until the deadline.

This can be useful for:

• Project deadlines
• Payment due dates
• Renewal dates
• Submission dates
• Task tracking

If the deadline has already passed, the result will be a negative number.

For example, if the deadline was September 20 and today is September 22, the result will be:

-2

This means the deadline was 2 days ago.

Example: Check Whether a Date Is Overdue

You can also use TODAY with the IF function to check whether a deadline date has crossed.

Suppose the deadline is in cell D2.

You can use:

=IF(D2<TODAY(),”Overdue”,”Not Due”)

If the date in A2 is before today’s date, Excel will show:
Overdue

Otherwise, it will show:
Not Due

For example, if today is September 22:

Deadline	Result
20-Sep-26	Overdue
22-Sep-26	Not Due
25-Sep-26	Not Due

This is useful for simple tasks, payments, and deadline trackers.

Example: Calculate Age Using TODAY

You can also use the TODAY function to calculate a person’s age.

Suppose the person’s date of birth is in cell A2.

You can use:

=YEAR(TODAY())-YEAR(A2)

This formula takes the current year and subtracts the birth year.

For example, if the date of birth is:

15-Oct-1990

and the current year is 2026, the formula calculates:

2026 – 1990 = 36

So, Excel returns 36.

However, there is one problem with this formula.

If the person’s birthday has not happened yet this year, Excel may show an age that is one year higher.

For example, if the date of birth is 15-Oct-1990 and today’s date is 22-Sep-2026, the person’s actual age is still 35.

But the formula:

=YEAR(TODAY())-YEAR(A2)

returns:

36

This happens because the formula only compares the years. It does not check whether the birthday has already occurred this year.

Use DATEDIF for Accurate Age:

To calculate the person’s completed age, you can use the DATEDIF function:

=DATEDIF(A2,TODAY(),”Y”)

Here:

• B2 contains the date of birth.
• TODAY() gets today’s date.
• “Y” tells Excel to calculate the completed number of years.

For example:

Date of Birth: 15-Oct-1990

Today’s Date: 22-Sep-2026

The result will be:

35

Once the birthday arrives on October 15, 2026, the result will automatically change to:

36

This makes `DATEDIF` a better choice when you want to calculate someone’s exact completed age.

TODAY vs NOW in Excel:

The TODAY and NOW functions are similar, but they return different results.

Function	Returns
=TODAY()	Current date
=NOW()	Current date and time

For example:

=TODAY()
may return: 22-Sep-2026

While:

=NOW()
may return: 22-Sep-2026 2:30 PM

• So, if you only need the date, use TODAY.
• If you need the date and time, use NOW.

Does TODAY Require Any Arguments?

No.

The TODAY function has empty parentheses:

=TODAY()

You don’t need to enter anything between the parentheses.

For example, this is incorrect:

=TODAY(22-09-2026)

The correct formula is:

=TODAY()

Why Is the TODAY Function Useful?

The main advantage of TODAY is that it saves you from manually entering the current date.

For example, imagine you have a monthly task tracker.

Instead of changing the date every day, you can use:

=TODAY()

Excel will handle the date automatically.

This is especially useful for worksheets that are updated regularly.

Important Things to Remember:

There are a few things to keep in mind when using TODAY.

1. TODAY Returns a Date, Not a Fixed Date:

The result of:

=TODAY()

changes as the current date changes.

If you need a fixed date that should never change, don’t use TODAY.

To inserts the current date as a fixed value.Instead, enter the date manually.

You can also use the keyboard shortcut:

Ctrl + ;

This

2. The Date Depends on Your System Settings:

Excel uses your computer’s date settings when calculating TODAY.

Excel may display the date in different formats depending on your regional settings or the date format applied to the cell.

For example, the same date can appear as:

22-Sep-2026

22/09/2026

09/22/2026

These are all the same date. Only the way Excel displays the date is different.

If you don’t like the date format, you can easily change it.

Right-click the cell → Format Cells → Date

Then choose the date format you want.

Related article: Effective Date Formatting Techniques in Excel

For example, you can change:

22-Sep-2026

to:

22/09/2026

The TODAY formula remains the same:

=TODAY()

Only the display format changes. The actual date stored by Excel remains the same.

3. TODAY Does Not Include the Current Time:

If you need the current time as well as the date, use:

=NOW()

instead of TODAY.

Common Uses of the TODAY Function:

Here are some common ways you can use TODAY in Excel:

Purpose	Formula
Show today’s date	=TODAY()
Days since a date	=TODAY()-A2
Days until a deadline	=A2-TODAY()
Check if overdue	=IF(A2<TODAY(),”Overdue”,”Not Due”)
Check if date is today	=IF(A2=TODAY(),”Today”,”Other Date”)
Calculate completed age	=YEAR(TODAY())-YEAR(A2) or =DATEDIF(A2,TODAY(),”Y”)

Frequently Asked Questions:

What does the TODAY function do in Excel?

The TODAY function returns the current date.

The formula is:

=TODAY()

Does TODAY update the date automatically?

Yes. TODAY can update when Excel recalculates the worksheet or when the workbook is reopened, depending on Excel’s calculation settings.

Can I use TODAY in an IF formula?

Yes. TODAY works well with IF formulas.

For example:

=IF(A2<TODAY(),”Overdue”,”Not Due”)

What is the difference between TODAY and NOW?

TODAY returns the current date, while NOW returns the current date and time.

How do I enter today’s date without using a formula?

Press:

Ctrl + ;

This inserts today’s date as a fixed value.

Can TODAY calculate the number of days between two dates?

Yes. You can use TODAY with another date.

For example:

=TODAY()-A2

This calculates the number of days between the date in A2 and today.

Conclusion:

The TODAY function in Excel is a simple but useful function for working with dates.

You can use:

=TODAY()

to automatically display the current date.

It becomes even more useful when combined with functions such as IF, DATEDIF, YEAR, and other date functions.

If you’re creating a deadline tracker, project report, payment tracker, or any worksheet that depends on the current date, TODAY can save you from updating the date manually every day.