The quickest way to add today's date

The fastest way to insert today's date into an Excel cell is to press Ctrl+; (semicolon) on Windows or Cmd+; on Mac. The date appears in your default date format — usually MM/DD/YYYY in the United States — and does not change when you reopen the file.

If you want the date to update automatically every time you open the spreadsheet, use the =TODAY() formula instead. Type =TODAY() into any cell and press Enter. This formula always shows the current date, so it will be different each time you open the file.

For a date that includes the time, use =NOW(). This formula shows both the date and the time, and updates whenever the spreadsheet recalculates.

Key Takeaways

  • Ctrl+; (Windows) or Cmd+; (Mac) inserts today's date as a fixed value that never changes.
  • The =TODAY() formula inserts today's date and updates automatically each time you open the file.
  • You can change how any date looks by right-clicking the cell, selecting Format Cells, and choosing a different date format from the list.
  • The =DATE() function lets you enter a specific date by typing the year, month, and day as separate numbers.

Inserting a specific date with the DATE function

When you need to enter a date that is not today, use the =DATE() function. Type the year, month, and day as numbers inside the parentheses, separated by commas. For example, =DATE(2025,3,15) creates March 15, 2025.

The order is always year first, then month, then day — even if your spreadsheet normally displays dates in a different order. Excel converts the result to your default date format automatically.

You can also reference cells instead of typing numbers directly. If cell A1 contains 2025, A2 contains 3, and A3 contains 15, you can type =DATE(A1,A2,A3) to build the date from those cells.

Changing how a date looks

Once a date is in a cell, you can change its appearance without changing the actual date. Right-click the cell containing the date and select Format Cells. The Format Cells dialog opens.

Click the Number tab if it is not already selected. In the Category list on the left, click Date. A list of date formats appears on the right — for example, "3/15/2025", "March 15, 2025", "15-Mar-25", or "2025-03-15". Click the format you want and then click OK.

You can also create a custom format. In the Format Cells dialog, select Date from the Category list, then look for a format code box at the bottom. You can edit the code directly — for instance, changing mm/dd/yyyy to dd/mm/yyyy to display the day before the month.

Adding dates to multiple cells at once

If you need to fill a column with consecutive dates, start by typing the first date in one cell and the second date in the cell below it. Select both cells, then grab the small square at the bottom-right corner of the selection (called the fill handle) and drag it down as far as you need. Excel recognizes the pattern and continues the sequence automatically.

You can also select a single cell with a date, then use the fill handle to drag down. Excel will repeat the same date in every cell you drag across — it does not automatically create a sequence from a single cell.

For more control, select the range where you want dates to appear, then go to the Sheet menu and look for Fill Series or a similar option (the exact name varies by Excel version). This opens a dialog where you can specify the starting date, the interval between dates, and the ending date.

Using dates in calculations

Excel treats dates as numbers, so you can subtract one date from another to find the number of days between them. Type =A2-A1 where A1 and A2 contain dates, and the result is the number of days apart.

You can also add or subtract days from a date. Type =A1+30 to get the date 30 days after the date in A1, or =A1-7 to get the date 7 days before it.

To extract just the month, day, or year from a date, use the =MONTH(), =DAY(), or =YEAR() functions. For example, =MONTH(A1) returns just the month number from the date in A1.

Fixing dates that look like text

Sometimes a date appears in a cell but Excel treats it as text instead of a date. You can tell because the cell is left-aligned instead of right-aligned, and date formulas do not work on it.

To convert text that looks like a date into a real date, select the cells, then go to the Data menu and click Text to Columns. Click Next twice to skip the delimiter step, then make sure the column format is set to Date. Click Finish. Excel converts the text to actual dates.

If that does not work, try entering the date again using one of the methods above — either the keyboard shortcut, the =TODAY() formula, or the =DATE() function.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my date show as a number like 45000 instead of a date?

The cell is formatted as a number instead of a date. Right-click the cell, select Format Cells, click the Number tab, choose Date from the Category list, and click OK. The same value will now display as a date.

Can I insert the current date and have it stay the same forever?

Yes. Use Ctrl+; (Windows) or Cmd+; (Mac) to insert today's date as a fixed value. It will not change when you reopen the file. If you use =TODAY() instead, the date updates automatically each time you open the spreadsheet.

How do I add just the month and year, without the day?

Enter the date normally, then right-click the cell and select Format Cells. Click the Number tab, choose Date from the Category list, and scroll through the format options until you find one that shows only the month and year — for example, "March 2025" or "03/2025". Click it and then click OK.

What is the difference between =TODAY() and =NOW()?

=TODAY() shows only the date. =NOW() shows both the date and the time. Both update automatically each time the spreadsheet recalculates or you reopen the file.

Can I use a date from another cell in a formula?

Yes. You can reference a cell containing a date just like any other cell. For example, =A1+30 adds 30 days to the date in cell A1, or =MONTH(A1) extracts the month number from that date.