0
0
Google Sheetsspreadsheet~5 mins

TODAY and NOW in Google Sheets - Step-by-Step Guide

Choose your learning style9 modes available
Introduction
The TODAY and NOW functions help you add the current date or date and time to your spreadsheet. They update automatically every time you open or change the sheet, so you always see the current day or exact time.
When you want to show today's date on a report or invoice automatically.
When you need to track the exact time a task was completed.
When you want to calculate how many days have passed since a certain date.
When you want to stamp the current date and time on a form submission.
When you want to create a dynamic dashboard that updates daily.
Steps
Step 1: Click
- any empty cell where you want the current date
The cell is selected and ready for input
Step 2: Type
- the selected cell
The formula =TODAY() appears in the cell
💡 This formula shows only the current date without time
Step 3: Press
- Enter key
The cell displays today's date, for example, 2024-06-15
Step 4: Click
- another empty cell where you want the current date and time
The cell is selected and ready for input
Step 5: Type
- the selected cell
The formula =NOW() appears in the cell
💡 This formula shows the current date and time
Step 6: Press
- Enter key
The cell displays the current date and time, for example, 2024-06-15 14:30:00
Before vs After
Before
Cell A1 is empty
After
Cell A1 shows today's date, for example, 2024-06-15
Settings Reference
Date format
📍 Format menu > Number > Date
Controls how the date appears in the cell
Default: Locale default date format
Time format
📍 Format menu > Number > Time
Controls how the time appears in the cell when using NOW()
Default: Locale default time format
Common Mistakes
Typing =TODAY without parentheses
Functions require parentheses even if empty, so the formula won't work
Always type =TODAY() with parentheses
Expecting NOW() to update every second automatically
NOW() updates only when the sheet recalculates, not every second
Manually refresh or edit the sheet to update NOW()
Summary
TODAY() shows the current date and updates daily.
NOW() shows the current date and time and updates when the sheet recalculates.
Remember to use parentheses with both functions even though they have no arguments.