If you want a cell that always shows the current date, or you need to count the days between now and some other date, the TODAY function in Google Sheets is what you reach for.
It takes no arguments and updates itself every day, so your date math stays current without you touching it. In this article, I’ll show you how to use TODAY with a few practical examples.
TODAY Function Syntax in Google Sheets
The TODAY function is about as simple as a function gets.
=TODAY()
- TODAY takes no arguments. You just type it with empty parentheses.
- It returns the current date, with no time portion attached.
- The value refreshes automatically each day the sheet recalculates.
When to Use TODAY Function
- Show the current date in a cell that never goes stale.
- Count the days remaining until a deadline.
- Measure how many days have passed since a past event.
- Work out someone’s age from their birth year.
Example 1: Get Today’s Date in a Single Cell
Let’s start with the most basic use, just showing today’s date.
Below is a small sheet with a single label, Current date, in cell A1.
The goal is to put the current date in cell B1 so it always stays up to date.
Here is the formula:
=TODAY()
That’s the whole formula. With nothing inside the parentheses, TODAY hands back the current date.
The cell was filled in on the day this sheet was built, so it shows that date. Open the same sheet a week later and it will show the new date on its own.
Example 2: Count Days Until Each Deadline
Now let’s use TODAY for something more useful, counting down to a date.
Below is the dataset with a list of future deadlines in column A, across rows 2 to 6.
The goal is to find how many days are left until each deadline, in column B.
Here is the formula:
=A2-TODAY()
Dates are just numbers under the hood, so subtracting today’s date from a future date gives you the number of days in between. The result is the days remaining until that deadline.
Because TODAY updates daily, the count shrinks by one each day on its own. Fill the formula down and every deadline shows its own days-left figure.
Example 3: Measure Days Since a Past Event
This time we flip the subtraction to look backward.
Below is the dataset with a list of past start dates in column A, across rows 2 to 6.
The goal is to find how many days have passed since each start date, in column B.
Here is the formula:
=TODAY()-A2
Here we subtract the past date from today, which gives the number of days that have gone by. Putting TODAY first keeps the answer positive for dates in the past.
As with the countdown, this figure grows by one each day automatically. Fill it down to see the elapsed days for every event in the list.
Example 4: Calculate Age From a Birth Year
Finally, let’s use TODAY to work out an age.
Below is the dataset with a list of birth years in column A, across rows 2 to 6.
The goal is to estimate each person’s age in column B, based on the current year.
Here is the formula:
=YEAR(TODAY())-A2
YEAR pulls the four-digit year out of today’s date. Subtracting the birth year from that gives a rough age.
This is the current-year age, not an exact age to the day, since it ignores the month and day. It works well when you only have a birth year to go on.
Pro Tip: If you need the date and the time, use the NOW function instead of TODAY. NOW returns the current date with the time of day attached, and it also refreshes on recalculation.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- TODAY recalculates whenever the sheet does, so the value can change between sessions. If you need a date that stays fixed, paste it as a static value instead.
- A subtraction between two dates may show up formatted as a date. Set the result cell’s format to Number so you see a plain day count.
- TODAY has no time component. For tasks that need the current time as well, reach for the NOW function. To total only the rows that fall on or before today, feed TODAY into the SUMIFS function as a date criterion. And to turn a date into a day name, pair it with the CHOOSE function and WEEKDAY.
TODAY is a tiny function that does a lot of heavy lifting in date math. It keeps a cell current, drives countdowns and elapsed-day counts, and feeds quick age calculations. Type it once and it looks after itself.
List of All Google Sheets Functions
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