Summary
The Excel TODAY function returns the current date. It gives you a dynamic date value that updates when the worksheet recalculates.
TODAY is useful for due dates, aging reports, countdowns, rolling schedules, and any workbook that should stay anchored to the current day without manual updates.
Purpose
Gives you today's date as a live Excel date value.
Return Value
Returns the current date without a time portion. Format the cell as a date if needed.
Syntax
=TODAY()TODAY has no arguments. Excel reads the current date from the system clock and returns it as a date value.
Arguments
- None - TODAY does not take any inputs.
TODAY vs NOW
These two functions are closely related, but they return different levels of detail.
| Function | Returns | Best Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
TODAY() |
Current date only | Day-based calculations | =TODAY()+30 |
NOW() |
Current date and time | Time-sensitive calculations | =NOW()+1/24 |
If your workbook only needs the day, TODAY is usually the cleaner choice. If you need the current time as well, use NOW.
Using TODAY
TODAY is often used as a live reference point. You can compare another date to TODAY to find how many days remain, how many days are overdue, or how much time has passed since a start date.
Microsoft notes that TODAY updates when the worksheet recalculates, not continuously every second. That means the result may stay the same until Excel recalculates the sheet or the workbook is opened again.
Because Excel stores dates as numbers, you can also add and subtract days directly. Adding 1 gives tomorrow, adding 7 gives the same weekday next week, and subtracting two dates returns the day difference.
Example 1 - Return Today's Date
This is the simplest use of the function: show the current date on a worksheet.
=TODAY()This is useful for dashboards, report headers, and models that should always reflect the current date automatically.
In cell F1, return the current date with =TODAY().
Example 2 - Calculate Tomorrow or Next Week
Since Excel dates are numeric values, you can add days directly to TODAY.
=TODAY()+1
=TODAY()+7The first formula returns tomorrow. The second returns the same weekday one week later. This pattern is helpful for reminders, review dates, and simple forecasts.
In cell F2, calculate tomorrow by adding 1 to TODAY().
Example 3 - Count Days Remaining
Subtract TODAY from a future date to create a live countdown.
=B3-TODAY()If B3 contains a deadline, the result shows how many days remain. If the result becomes negative, the deadline has already passed.
In cell F3, calculate the number of days remaining until the date in B3.
Example 4 - Measure Completed Years
TODAY is often combined with DATEDIF for age and tenure calculations.
=DATEDIF(G1,TODAY(),"y")This returns the number of completed years since the date in G1. It is useful for service length, age, and anniversary-style reporting.
In cell F4, calculate completed years since the date in G1 with DATEDIF and TODAY.
Conclusion Recap
- Summary:
TODAY()returns the current date. - Main use: It provides a live reference point for day-based calculations.
- Good for: Due dates, countdowns, aging reports, and rolling schedules.
- Key detail: It updates when Excel recalculates, not continuously.
- Difference from NOW: TODAY returns only the date, not the time.
- Math tip: You can add or subtract whole days directly from the result.
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