Syntax
TODAY()
| Parameter | Description |
|---|
Examples
Calculate age from birthdate
Formula
=DATEDIF(A2, TODAY(), "Y")
Returns: 34 — the person's current age in complete years
Days until a deadline
Formula
=B2-TODAY()
Returns: 15 — the number of days remaining until the deadline in B2
Flag overdue items
Formula
=IF(B2<TODAY(), "OVERDUE", "On Track")
Returns: "OVERDUE" if the due date has passed, "On Track" if it is still in the future
Common Errors
Shows a number
The cell is formatted as a number instead of a date. Format the cell as Date to see the calendar date instead of a serial number like 45387.
Tips
TODAY vs NOW
TODAY() returns just the date (no time). NOW() returns date and time. Use TODAY for date comparisons and NOW for timestamps.
Recalculates automatically
TODAY() updates every time the sheet recalculates. For a fixed date stamp, type the date manually or use a macro.
Date arithmetic
Add days directly: =TODAY()+30 gives the date 30 days from now. =TODAY()-7 gives last week's date.
Try TODAY in Viztab
Import your data and use TODAY with 370+ other formulas. No signup required.
Open Viztab