Concept Flow
A B 1 TODAY() Current Date 2 NOW() Current Date and Time
This sheet uses TODAY() to get the current date and NOW() to get the current date and time.
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TODAY and NOW in Google Sheets - Cell-by-Cell Formula Trace
Formula
=TODAY() and =NOW()TODAY() returns the current date without time. NOW() returns the current date and time.
Step-by-Step Trace
| Step | Expression | Evaluates To | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TODAY() | 2024-06-15 | TODAY() returns the current date only, assuming today is June 15, 2024. |
| 2 | NOW() | 2024-06-15 14:30:00 | NOW() returns the current date and time, assuming current time is 2:30 PM on June 15, 2024. |
TODAY() and NOW() update automatically to show the current date and time when the sheet recalculates.
Variable Tracker
| Function | Returned Value |
|---|---|
| TODAY() | 2024-06-15 |
| NOW() | 2024-06-15 14:30:00 |
Key Moments
What does TODAY() return?
What does NOW() return?
Which function would you use to get only the current date?
Sheet Trace Quiz - 3 Questions
Test your understanding
What does the TODAY() function return?
Key Result
TODAY() returns the current date without time. NOW() returns the current date and time. Both update automatically when the sheet recalculates.
Transcript
In this example, we use the TODAY() function to get the current date, which shows only the date part without any time. The NOW() function returns both the current date and the current time, including hours and minutes. These functions are useful for tracking the current day or timestamping data. They update automatically whenever the sheet recalculates, so the values stay current.