The current date will automatically change as the date changes. If you want to follow along with this tutorial, please download the example spreadsheet. In this tutorial, it provides the formulas to display the current date and time in Excel. If you are working in Excel for the web, repeat copying and pasting for each cell in the example.Excel Formula: Display Current Date and Time In the blank worksheet, click once in cell A1, and then press Ctrl+V. Select the text in the table shown above, and then press Ctrl+C. For more information about how to use these functions, see TODAY function and NOW function. To insert the current date or time so that it is updatable, use the TODAY and NOW functions, as shown in the following example. In a worksheet, the most common way to return a dynamic date or time in a cell is by using a worksheet function. Insert a date or time whose value is updatedĪ date or time that updates when the worksheet is recalculated or the workbook is opened is considered “dynamic” instead of static. Then, on the Number Format dialog box, under Category, click Date or Time and in the Type list, select a type, and click OK. To change the date or time format, right-click on a cell, and select Number Format. To insert the time, type the time, and then click Home > Number Format dropdown (in the Number tab) > Time. To insert the date, type the date (like 2/2), and then click Home > Number Format dropdown (in the Number tab) > Short Date or Long Date. Then, on the Format Cells dialog box, in the Number tab, under Category, click Date or Time and in the Type list, select a type, and click OK. To change the date or time format, right-click on a cell, and select Format Cells. To insert the current date and time, press Ctrl+ (semi-colon), then press Space, and then press Ctrl+Shift+ (semi-colon). To insert the current time, press Ctrl+Shift+ (semi-colon). To insert the current date, press Ctrl+ (semi-colon). On a worksheet, select the cell into which you want to insert the current date or time. Because that cell’s value doesn’t change, it’s considered static. When you press a key combination such as Ctrl+ to insert the current date in a cell, Excel “takes a snapshot” of the current date and then inserts the date in the cell. Insert a static date or time into an Excel cellĪ static value in a worksheet is one that doesn’t change when the worksheet is recalculated or opened.

Insert current date in excel sheet