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TODAY Function in Microsoft Excel: Syntax, Examples & Compatibility

Date & Time Beginner Microsoft Excel

Learn how to insert the current calendar date without typing it again in Microsoft Excel. Includes syntax, two verified-by-reasoning results, troubleshooting and portability notes.

Verification status: Official documentation referenced; example outcomes independently reasoned or arithmetically checked where stated. Not executed in Microsoft Excel. How formula examples are checked

Quick answer: insert the current calendar date without typing it again in Microsoft Excel. The reproducible examples below use explicit values so the formula’s meaning is testable without a large workbook.

Evidence: The function name and syntax are documented in the linked vendor function reference. Expected outputs were independently reasoned or checked outside the application. These are not native Microsoft Excel test results. A guide being published here does not certify every software release or file-import scenario.

Syntax and arguments

=TODAY()

This function takes no arguments. Its value changes with the current date and the workbook recalculation settings.

Best use case: Insert the current calendar date without typing it again.

Set up the example sheet

Create a blank sheet, place a label Due date in A1, and leave A2 free for the formula. Set A2 to a Date format so the date is visible rather than a serial number.

Enter the formula in an unused cell. For a formula returning several values, leave an unobstructed area where those values can expand. These formulas use comma argument separators in a typical English-language locale; commas or semicolons inside quoted text are data, not argument separators. Adapt the separator if your regional settings require it.

Worked example 1: TODAY with known input

=TODAY()

Expected output: the current date in your spreadsheet’s configured timezone.

Unlike a typed date, TODAY updates when the sheet recalculates after the date changes.

Worked example 2: a second TODAY case

=TODAY()+7

Expected output: the calendar date seven days after the current date.

Dates are stored as serial day numbers, so adding seven advances the day count by seven.

Compare both results before replacing literal values or short sample ranges with your own workbook data. For a spilling formula, compare every output cell, not only the top-left result.

Practical advice and troubleshooting

When this formula helps: Use a typed value or paste special → values for a permanent timestamp. TODAY is not an audit log of when a row was created.

Important edge case: Do not write a permanently fixed date as the expected output: the answer changes every day. Spreadsheet timezone and recalculation timing can matter around midnight.

If the result differs, first verify the text-versus-number types of the input cells, the argument separators for your locale, and the range size. For dynamic arrays, inspect occupied cells in the output area. An error that looks like a missing function may reflect a software version rather than incorrect data.

Compatibility and version considerations

Both Excel and Google Sheets implement TODAY, but their time-zone settings, recalculation controls and shared-file behavior can differ.

Check your installed release for availability and dynamic-array support.

Function availability and parameter behavior must be judged for the specific application and release; a function documented in one spreadsheet does not automatically work in another.

Editorial verification: Vendor catalogue referenced as of 2026-10-12. The two example outputs are independently reasoned; no native application run, screenshot, or version-specific output is claimed. Review the editorial testing standards if you require stronger proof before importing a workbook.