How to use TODAY in Excel
Today’s date. It updates every day.
Syntax
Example
Here’s TODAY on a small table of orders. The highlighted cells are the ones the formula reads.
=TEXT(TODAY(),"mmmm d, yyyy")Edit this formula live Change the ranges and watch the answer update. Free, no sign-up.
Common mistakes with TODAY
It changes every day
TODAY recalculates whenever the file opens. For a fixed date stamp, press Ctrl+; instead.
No arguments, but keep the brackets
Write =TODAY(), with empty brackets.
What the error messages mean
Type these slips into Gridwise and this is the feedback you get:
Leaving off the closing bracket
=TEXT(TODAY(),"mmmm d, yyyy"
Parentheses don’t match. You have 2 opening and 1 closing parentheses. Every ( needs a ).
Questions
What does the TODAY function do in Excel?
Today’s date. It updates every day. The syntax is TODAY().
Why is my TODAY formula giving the wrong answer?
It changes every day: TODAY recalculates whenever the file opens. For a fixed date stamp, press Ctrl+; instead. No arguments, but keep the brackets: Write =TODAY(), with empty brackets.
Does TODAY work in Google Sheets?
Most Excel functions, including the core ones on this page, work the same way in Google Sheets. A few newer functions arrived in Sheets later or behave slightly differently, so test it on your own data.