Google Sheets: The Simplest Guide to Getting Today’s Date

You want to include today’s date in your Google Sheets? No problem! In this guide, I’ll show you two simple methods to do it.

What is the “Today’s Date” Function in Google Sheets?

The “Today’s Date” function in Google Sheets allows you to get the current date in your spreadsheets. This function is extremely useful, and in this guide, I’ll provide you with all the necessary steps to include it in your sheets. Just follow the step-by-step instructions.

In Google Sheets, you can get the current date by using this formula:

=TODAY()

The “Today’s Date” formula in Google Sheets allows you to insert today’s date in your spreadsheets. The formula is dynamic, which means you don’t need to enter the syntax repeatedly. The date updates every time you refresh, reopen, or make changes to the spreadsheet.

What you need to know about the “Today’s Date” formula

• The function has no parameters and can be used inside other Google Sheets functions.
• The “Today’s Date” formula is volatile and can impact the performance of the spreadsheet if there are too many instances.
• The “Today’s Date” formula only provides the current date, not the time (=NOW).

Examples of Using the “Today’s Date” Formula in Google Sheets

Here are a few examples of using the “Today’s Date” formula in Google Sheets.

1. Getting Today’s Date in Google Sheets

Use the “Today’s Date” formula to automatically get today’s date.

1. Click on the cell of your choice and enter an equals sign (=) to start the formula.
2. Enter the main part of the formula, which is TODAY( with an opening parenthesis.
3. Since the function has no parameters, add a closing parenthesis to end the formula.
4. Press the Enter key to execute the formula.

Keyboard Shortcut for Today’s Date

The keyboard shortcut for the “Today’s Date” formula is simple. On a PC, use:

• PC: Ctrl + ; (semicolon)

On a Mac, use a similar shortcut with the “Command” button instead of Control.

• Mac: Command + ; (semicolon)

Here’s what it looks like when using the keyboard shortcut.

2. Getting a Future or Past Date in Google Sheets

Instead of today’s date, let’s say you want to insert a specified number of months into the future. This can be done by combining the TODAY function with the EDATE function.

1. Click on the cell of your choice.
2. Enter the initial part of the formula EDATE(.
3. For the first parameter, enter TODAY(). You don’t need to add an equals sign before the start of other formulas if they are nested within the original formula.
4. Add a comma to separate the parameters.
5. Add the second parameter. In this case, it’s the number of months you want to add/subtract from the date in the first parameter. In this example, I would write the parameter as 8.
6. Add a closing parenthesis to end the formula and press Enter.

How to Format the Today’s Date in Google Sheets

As different countries may have different preferences for date formatting, you may need to modify them for your audience:

• In the United States and Canada: mm/dd/yyyy
• In Iran, Korea, and China: yyyy-mm-dd
• In most other countries: dd/mm/yyyy

It’s easy to change the date format in Google Sheets:

1. Select the cell(s) containing the date you want to format.

2. Select Format > Number.

3. Click on “More Formats” > “More date and time formats”.

4. In the dropdown list, you can select a format from the list or click the arrow in the text box (at the top of the window).

5. A smaller menu will display the different elements you can add to the date. In this example, I want the date to be in the format mm/dd/yy. In the menu, I will first select the month.

6. Repeat the previous step to add other elements of the date.
7. You can also choose the desired display format. In this example, I want to display the month using the first three letters, so I will select the month abbreviation option.
8. After making the changes, click “Apply” to save the changes.

When Not to Use the “Today’s Date” Formula in Google Sheets?

The “Today’s Date” formula returns the current date, which can skew calculations. Instead, I recommend using the DATEDIF formula. It’s particularly useful for calculating age or the number of days between two dates.

Similar Formulas to the “Today’s Date” Formula

There are several formulas for displaying dates in Google Sheets.

DATE formula

The “DATE” formula in Sheets converts a day, month, and year into a date. Here’s the syntax of the formula:

=DATE(year, month, day)

The formula uses three parameters, which are the three components of a date. The input should be in a numeric format and cannot be a string or a cell reference to a string.

NOW formula

The “NOW” formula in Sheets is essentially an enhanced version of the “Today’s Date” formula (it can display the current time and date):

=NOW

Note that “NOW” is also a volatile function that will update whenever changes are made to the spreadsheet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Automatically Add Today’s Date in Google Sheets?

Using the “Today’s Date” formula, it’s easy to add today’s date to your spreadsheet. When entered into a cell, the formula will be =TODAY().

What’s the Fastest Way to Enter Today’s Date in Google Sheets?

Add today’s date to your spreadsheet using the “Today’s Date” or “NOW” formula.

• The “Today’s Date” formula will only show the current date.
• The “NOW” formula will show both the date and time.

Both formulas have no parameters. However, they are volatile formulas that will impact the performance of your spreadsheet.

How to Get Today’s Date in the mm/dd/yy Format?

Enter the “Today’s Date” formula in a cell, press Enter, and click on the cell. Select Format > Number > More date and time formats. Then, create your own date and time format. You should select the “month, day, year” format and click “Apply” to save the changes.

In Conclusion

That’s basically all you need to know to use the “Today’s Date” formula in Google Sheets. Of course, there are more complex nested functions to use with =TODAY, but we’ll get to those gradually!

To explore more Google Sheets tips and tricks, visit Crawlan.com.