TODAY returns the current date in Google Sheets. Use it in deadlines, elapsed-day calculations, and formulas that should change as the date changes.
It is a formula, so it does not preserve the date when you first entered it. Use a static date entry when you need a permanent record.
TODAY function syntax
=TODAY()- No arguments are required. Keep the empty parentheses.
The Google TODAY reference describes the function arguments.
Example data
Enter this dataset starting in A1. Leave cells marked “leave empty” empty; type any displayed formula as a formula. Keep a separate blank area for the results.
| Task | Date |
|---|---|
| Review | =DATE(2026,9,15) |
| Started | =DATE(2026,9,1) |
| Birth date | =DATE(1990,12,15) |
The examples below use this dataset unless the formula supplies its own values. Array results need enough empty cells to expand. The formulas use commas as argument separators. Your spreadsheet locale may require semicolons.
Show the current date
Enter the formula in an empty cell. The displayed date depends on the spreadsheet’s time zone and recalculation settings.
=TODAY()Result: 2026-09-08 on the day this example was checked.
Calculate days remaining or elapsed
Subtract today from the September 15 deadline to count calendar days remaining. This example was checked on September 8, 2026.
=B2-TODAY()Result: 7
Reverse the subtraction to calculate elapsed calendar days since September 1, 2026.
=TODAY()-B3Result: 7
Calculate a person’s completed age
DATEDIF with Y counts completed years from the birth date to today. The December birthday has not occurred on the test date.
=DATEDIF(B4,TODAY(),"Y")Result: 35
Subtracting birth year from current year gives the age reached during the calendar year. It can overstate someone’s current age before their birthday.
=YEAR(TODAY())-1990Result: 36
Flag overdue dates
The comparison labels dates before today as Overdue. A deadline equal to today stays Upcoming; use <= if it should count as overdue today.
=IF(B2<TODAY(),"Overdue","Upcoming")Result: Upcoming
Understand the date-only result
TODAY has no fractional time component. NOW is the appropriate function when you also need the current time.
=MOD(TODAY(),1)Result: 0
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