How to use the TODAY function
The TODAY function returns the Excel date (serial number) of the current date.
Warning! This function is volatile meaning it recalculates every time the workbook recalculates.
This may slow down your workbook calculations considerably if there are many formulas that depend on the TODAY function.
Excel Function Syntax
TODAY()
Arguments
The TODAY function has no arguments
Comments
The Excel date the TODAY function returns is a serial number that Excel recognizes and can be filtered, sorted and used in other date calculations.
Excel dates are actually serial numbers formatted as dates, 1/1/1900 is 1 and 2/2/2018 is 43133. There are 43132 days between 2/2/2018 and 1/1/1900.
You can try this yourself, type 10000 in a cell, press CTRL + 1 and change the cell's formatting to date, press with left mouse button on OK. The cell now shows 5/18/1927.
This extensive function reference list provides detailed information including syntax, arguments, return values, and examples for many of the functions used in Excel formulas. Click on headers to sort table.
Articles with the 'TODAY' Function
The following 4 articles have formulas that contain the TODAY function.
This article describes how to build a calendar showing all days in a chosen month with corresponding scheduled events. What's […]
Geoff asks: Hi Oscar, I have a cross reference table we use for shift scheduling. The x-axis is comprised of […]
This workbook contains two worksheets, one worksheet shows a calendar and the other worksheet is used to store events. The […]
Calculate date given weekday and week number
This article demonstrates a formula that returns a date based on a week number and a weekday like Sun to […]
Functions in 'Date and Time'
The TODAY function function is one of many functions in the 'Date and Time' category.
The DATE function returns a number that acts as a date in the Excel environment. The image above shows you […]
How to use the DATEDIF function
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How to use the DATEVALUE function
The DATEVALUE function returns an Excel date value (serial number) based on a date stored as text. Excel Function Syntax […]
The DAY function extracts the day as a number from an Excel date. Formula in cell C3: =DAY(B3) Excel Function […]
The DATE function calculates the number of days between two dates. Formula in cell D3: =DAYS(B3,C3) Excel Function Syntax DAYS(end_date, […]
The EDATE function returns a date determined by a start date and a number representing how many months. Use EDATE […]
How to use the EOMONTH function
The EOMONTH function returns an Excel date for the last day of a given month using a number and a start […]
Returns an integer representing the hour of an Excel time value. The returning number is ranging from 0 (12:00 A.M.) […]
How to use the MINUTE function
Returns a whole number representing the minute based on an Excel time value. The returned number is ranging from 0 […]
Extracts the month as a number from an Excel date. Formula in cell C3: =MONTH(B3) Excel Function Syntax MONTH(serial_number) Arguments […]
How to use the NETWORKDAYS function
The NETWORKDAYS function returns the number of working days between two dates, excluding weekends. It also allows you to ignore […]
How to use the NETWORKDAYS.INTL function
The NETWORKDAYS.INTL function calculate the number of working days between two dates, excluding weekends. It also allows you to ignore […]
The NOW function returns the current date and time. Formula in cell B3: =NOW() Excel Function Syntax NOW() Arguments The […]
How to use the SECOND function
Returns an integer representing the second based on an Excel time value. The returning number is ranging from 0 to […]
The TIME function returns a decimal value between 0 (zero) representing 12:00:00 AM and 0.99988426 representing 11:59:59 P.M. Formula in cell […]
How to use the TIMEVALUE function
The TIMEVALUE function returns a decimal number based on a text string. Excel uses decimal numbers between 0 and 0.99988426 […]
The TODAY function returns the Excel date (serial number) of the current date. Warning! This function is volatile meaning it […]
How to use the WEEKDAY function
Converts a date to a weekday number from 1 to 7. Formula in cell D3: =WEEKDAY(B3) Excel Function Syntax WEEKDAY(serial_number,[return_type]) […]
How to use the WEEKNUM function
The WEEKNUM function calculates a given date's week number based on a return_type parameter that determines which day the week […]
How to use the WORKDAY function
The WORKDAY function returns a date based on a start date and a given number of working days (nonweekend and […]
The YEAR function converts a date to a number representing the year in the date. The number is between 1900 […]
How to use the YEARFRAC function
The YEARFRAC function returns the fraction of the year based on the number of whole days between a start date […]
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