Module 1
5 min
Date & Time Functions
Learn how to work with dates and times in Excel
Date & Time Functions
Excel makes working with dates super easy. Here are the most useful functions.
1. TODAY() - Get Todays Date
Formula: =TODAY()
Just type this and Excel shows todays date. It updates automatically!
2. NOW() - Get Date and Time
Formula: =NOW()
Shows both date AND current time.
| Function | Result |
|---|---|
| =TODAY() | 11/26/2024 |
| =NOW() | 11/26/2024 2:30 PM |
2 rows
3. YEAR, MONTH, DAY - Extract Parts
Pull out just the part you need from any date.
| Formula | Result |
|---|---|
| =YEAR(A1) | 2024 |
| =MONTH(A1) | 11 |
| =DAY(A1) | 26 |
3 rows
4. DATE() - Create a Date
Formula: =DATE(year, month, day)
Example: =DATE(2024, 12, 25) = December 25, 2024
5. Date Math
Dates are numbers in Excel. So you can do math!
| What You Want | Formula |
|---|---|
| Tomorrow | =TODAY()+1 |
| Yesterday | =TODAY()-1 |
| Next week | =TODAY()+7 |
| 30 days ago | =TODAY()-30 |
4 rows
6. Days Between Dates
Formula: =DATEDIF(start, end, unit)
| Unit | Meaning | Example Result |
|---|---|---|
| D | Days | 365 |
| M | Months | 12 |
| Y | Years | 1 |
3 rows
Calculate your age:
=DATEDIF(A1, TODAY(), "Y")
Quick Reference
| Function | What It Does |
|---|---|
| =TODAY() | Todays date |
| =NOW() | Date + time |
| =YEAR(A1) | Get year |
| =MONTH(A1) | Get month |
| =DAY(A1) | Get day |
| =DATE(2024,12,25) | Create date |
6 rows
Thats it! These 6 functions handle most date tasks in Excel.