How to insert dates in excel

Let’s say that you want to easily enter the current date and time while making a time log of activities. Or perhaps you want to display the current date and time automatically in a cell every time formulas are recalculated. There are several ways to insert the current date and time in a cell.

Insert a static date or time into an Excel cell

A static value in a worksheet is one that doesn’t change when the worksheet is recalculated or opened. 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. Because that cell’s value doesn’t change, it’s considered static.

1. On a worksheet, select the cell into which you want to insert the current date or time.

2. Do one of the following:

   • To insert the current date, press Ctrl+; (semi-colon).

   • To insert the current time, press Ctrl+Shift+; (semi-colon).

   • To insert the current date and time, press Ctrl+; (semi-colon), then press Space, and then press Ctrl+Shift+; (semi-colon).

Change the date or time format

To change the date or time format, right-click on a cell, and select Format Cells. 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.

Insert a static date or time into an Excel cell

A static value in a worksheet is one that doesn’t change when the worksheet is recalculated or opened. 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. Because that cell’s value doesn’t change, it’s considered static.

1. On a worksheet, select the cell into which you want to insert the current date or time.

2. Do one of the following:

   • To insert the current date, press Ctrl+; (semi-colon).

   • To insert the current time, press + ; (semi-colon).

   • To insert the current date and time, press Ctrl+; (semi-colon), then press Space, and then press + ; (semi-colon).

Change the date or time format

To change the date or time format, right-click on a cell, and select Format Cells. 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.

Insert a static date or time into an Excel cell

A static value in a worksheet is one that doesn’t change when the worksheet is recalculated or opened. 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. Because that cell’s value doesn’t change, it’s considered static.

1. On a worksheet, select the cell into which you want to insert the current date or time.

2. Do one of the following:

   • 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.

   • To insert the time, type the time, and then click Home > Number Format dropdown (in the Number tab) >Time.

Change the date or time format

To change the date or time format, right-click on a cell, and select Number Format. Then, on the Number Format dialog box, under Category, click Date or Time and in the Type list, select a type, and click OK.

Insert a date or time whose value is updated

A date or time that updates when the worksheet is recalculated or the workbook is opened is considered “dynamic” instead of static. In a worksheet, the most common way to return a dynamic date or time in a cell is by using a worksheet 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. For more information about how to use these functions, see TODAY function and NOW function.

For example:

Formula	Description (Result)
=TODAY()	Current date (varies)
=NOW()	Current date and time (varies)

1. Select the text in the table shown above, and then press Ctrl+C.

2. In the blank worksheet, click once in cell A1, and then press Ctrl+V. If you are working in Excel for the web, repeat copying and pasting for each cell in the example.

   Important: For the example to work properly, you must paste it into cell A1 of the worksheet.

3. To switch between viewing the results and viewing the formulas that return the results, press Ctrl+` (grave accent), or on the Formulas tab, in the Formula Auditing group, click the Show Formulas button.

After you copy the example to a blank worksheet, you can adapt it to suit your needs.

Note: The results of the TODAY and NOW functions change only when the worksheet is calculated or when a macro that contains the function is run. Cells that contain these functions are not updated continuously. The date and time that are used are taken from the computer’s system clock.

Need more help?

You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in the Answers community.

In Microsoft Excel, the date can be inserted in a variety of ways, including using a built-in function formula or manually entering the date, such as 22/03/2021, 22-Mar-21, 22-Mar, or March 22, 2021. These date functions are typically used for cash flows in accounting and financial analysis.

In Excel, there is a built-in function called TODAY() that will insert the exact today’s date and will give the updated date whenever the workbook is opened. The NOW() built-in function can also be used to insert the current date and time, and this function will be kept up to date if we open the workbook multiple times.

Inserting the date:

In the Formula tab, the built-in TODAY is categorized under the DATE/TIME function.

 Alternate to insert the date in Excel the below keyboard shortcut can be used:

CTRL+; 

It will insert the current date.

To insert the current date and time we can use the following shortcut keys:

CTRL+; <space key> CTRL+SHIFT+;

It returns the current date and time to us.

1. Inserting specific date in Excel:

We have to use DATE() to insert a specific valid date in Excel. We can notice in the above function that the DATE requests to provide Year, Month, Day values. If we provide the details, the default date will be shown as below:

2. Inserting static date and time: 

A static value in a sheet does not change if the sheet is recalculated or opened. To do so follow the below steps:

Step 1: Select the cell in which the current date or time will be inserted on a table.

Step 2: Do one of the next:

• Press Ctrl+;(semi-colon) to insert your current date.
• Press the Ctrl+Shift+;(semi-colon) to insert the current time.
• Press Ctrl+;(semi-column) to insert the current date and time then press Space, and press Ctrl+Shift+; (semi-colon).

3. Inserting a date in Excel via a drop-down calendar:

It may be a good idea to include a down calendar in your worksheet if you set up a table for other users and want to make sure that the dates enter correctly. You can fill in the dates with a mouse click and be 100% confident that all dates are entered in a suitable format. You can use Microsoft Date Picker control when you use a 32-bit version of Excel. Microsoft Date Picker Control will not work when you are using a 64-bit Excel 2016, Excel 2013 version.

4. Inserting an automatically updatable today’s date and current time:

If you want to keep your Excel date up-to-date today, use one of the following Excel date functions:

=TODAY() -> inserts in a cell the current date.
=NOW() -> inserts in a cell the current and current date.

Please remember that when using the Excel date functions:

1. The date and the time returned will not be refreshed on an ongoing basis, but only when the chain is reopened or re-calculated.
2. The functions take the current system clock date and time.

5. Auto-populate dates in Excel

To autofill a series of dates in which one day is incremented, you can use the Excel AutoFill function. It is a common way to automatically fill a column or row. To do so follow the below steps:

• Enter the original date in the first cell.
• Click the first date on your cell and then drag the fill handle to or from the cells you want Excel to add dates.

Autofill weekdays, months, or years:

There are two ways of automatically adding weekdays, months, or years to the selected range of cells. To so follow the below steps:

1. You can use the above-mentioned Excel AutoFill options. Click the AutoFill Options icon and choose the option you want when the range is populated by sequential dates.
2. Another way to enter your first date will be to right-click the fill handle and drag and release the fill handle through the cells you automatically want to fill with dates. Excel displays a context menu and selects the appropriate option.

The easiest and fastest way to enter into the cell current date or time — is to click the hotkey combination CTRL + «;» (today’s date) and CTRL + SHIFT + «;» (the current time).

To use the TODAY () function is much better. It not only states but also automatically updates the information of the cell every day without user intervention.



How to put the current date in Excel

To insert the current date in Excel a person should use the function TODAY (). To do this, select the tool «FORMULAS»-«Date & Time»-«TODAY». This function has no arguments, so you can just type in a cell «=TODAY()» and press ENTER.

The current date in a cell:

If it is necessary to update automatically not only the current date, but the time in the cell, you’d better use the function «=NOW()».

The current date and time in a cell.



The way to set the current date into the running title in Excel

Inserting the current date in Excel is implemented in several ways:

1. By setting the parameters of the running title. The advantage of this method is that the current date and time are put on all the pages at once simultaneously.
2. Using the function TODAY ().
3. Using the hotkey combination CTRL +; — To set the current date and CTRL + SHIFT +; — To set the current time. The disadvantage in this process is that it will not be automatically updated to the current value of the cell parameters, the document is opened. But in some cases, lack of data is an advantage.
4. With the help of VBA macros using the function code of the program: Date();Time();Now();.

The running title allows you to set the current date and time in the top or bottom of pages in the document to be output to the printer. In addition, the header allows us to enumerate all the pages of the document.

To make the current date in Excel and enumerate the pages with the help of the running page you should:

1. Open the «PAGE LAYOUT»-«Page Setup» tab and select «Header/Footer».



2. Click on the button to create «Custom Footer».



3. In the window that appears, click on the field «Center section:». On the panel, click the second button, «Insert Number of Pages». Then select the first button «Format Text» and set the format to display the page number (for example, bold and font size of 14 points).
4. To set the current date and time, click on the field «Right section:» and then click «Insert Date» (if necessary, click on the «Insert Time»). Click OK in both dialog boxes. In these fields you can enter your text.



5. Click OK, and look at the preliminary results display header. Below dropdown list «Footer:»



6. «VIEW»-«Page Layout» menu, go to the preview of headers and footers. You can edit them there.

Running titles allow us not only to set the date and page number. You can also add a space for the signature of the responsible person for the report. For example, the edit is now the lower left part of the page in the running titles:

Thus, it is possible to create documents with a comfortable place for signatures and seals on each page automatically.

In Excel, inserting date and timestamp is a normal operation. Here in this tutorial, I will introduce multiple methods on manually or automatically inserting date and timestamp in Excel cells by providing different cases.

Insert date and timestamp with shortcuts

Insert date and timestamp with formula

Formula to auto insert timestamp while entering data in another column

VBA to auto insert timestamp while entering data in another column

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If you just need to insert date and timestamp in a few cells, you can manually insert them by pressing shortcuts.

Insert current date: Control + :

Insert current time: Shift + Control + :

See screenshot:

Tips:

1. You can format the outputs as the date formats or time formats as you need in Format Cells dialog.

2. If you have Kutools for Excel, you can insert the current date or other dates in a specified date format as you need with its Insert Date function. Click to free download

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If you want to insert a date or timestamp which can update automatically, you can use below formulas.

Insert current date

=TODAY()

Press Enter key, and current date is inserted in the cell.

Insert current time：

=NOW()

Press Enter key, and current date and time is inserted in the cell.

Tips:

1. You can format the outputs as the date formats or time formats as you need in Format Cells dialog. For instance, you only want to display the current time, just format the cell as Time after using the =NOW() formula

2. If you want to insert current date and time into worksheet header or footer, you can use the Insert Workbook Information function of Kutools for Excel to quickly handle this job. Click to free download

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Supposing, there are two columns, Column A and Column B, now you want to insert the current timestamp in the Column B while entering data in Column A, how can you do it?

Auto insert timestamp while entering data

1. Firstly, click File > Options to open the Excel Options dialog, choose Formulas in the left pane, then check Enable iteractive calculation in Calculation options group. And click OK.

2. In Column B, for instance, Cell B1, type this formula

=IF(A1<>»»,IF(B1<>»»,B1,NOW()),»»)

then drag auto fill handle down to the cells.

3. Then format the formula cells as the datetime format as you need in the Format Cells dialog: keep the formula cells selected, right click to display the context menu, choose Format Cells, then the Format Cells dialog pops out, in the Custom section which under the Number tab, type the format you need in to the Type textbox, and click OK.

Now when you enter data into Column A, the current datetime will be inserted in Column B.

Auto insert and update timestamp while cell changes in another column

If you want to automatically insert timestamp while cell entry, and at the same time, if the entry change, the inserted timestamp will be updated, you can use below formula:

=IF(A1<>»»,IF(AND(B1<>»»,CELL(«address»)=ADDRESS(ROW(A1),COLUMN(A1))),NOW(),IF(CELL(«address»)<>ADDRESS(ROW(A1),COLUMN(A1)),B1,NOW())),»»)

A1 is the cell that you will entry data, B1 is the cell of formula that you want to insert timestamp.

Drag auto fill handle down the cells that you use.

Then format the formula cells as the datetime format as you need in the Format Cells dialog: keep the formula cells selected, right click to display the context menu, choose Format Cells, then the Format Cells dialog pops out, in the Custom section which under the Number tab, type the format you need in to the Type textbox, click OK.

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If you are familiar with VBA code, you can do as below:

1. Right click at the worksheet tab you use, then choose View Code from the context menu.

2. Then in the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window, paste below code.

VBA: Auto insert timestamp

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
'UpdatebyKutools20190919
Dim xRInt As Integer
Dim xDStr As String
Dim xFStr As String
On Error Resume Next
xDStr = "A" 'Data Column
xFStr = "B" 'Timstamp Column
If (Not Application.Intersect(Me.Range(xDStr & ":" & xDStr), Target) Is Nothing) Then
       xRInt = Target.Row
       Me.Range(xFStr & xRInt) = Format(Now(), "mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss")
End If
End Sub

3. Then save this code. From now on, as long as you enter data or change data in Column A, the new timestamp will be inserted into Column B.

Note: you can change A and B column and mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss time format in the VBA code to match your real need.

If you want to use the defined function, you can do as below:

1. Hold Alt + F11 keys to enable the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window. And click Insert > Module to insert a blank module.

2. Paste below code to the new module. Then save the code and go back to worksheet.

Function FormatDate(xRg As Range)
'UpdatebyKutools20190919
On Error GoTo Err_01
If xRg.Value <> "" Then
    FormatDate = Format(Now, "mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss")
Else
    FormatDate = ""
End If
Exit Function
Err_01:
    FormatDate = "Error"
End Function

3. In the cell that will be inserted timestamp, type this formula

=FormatDate(F1)

F1 is the cell that you will entry data or change data. Then drag auto fill handle down to the cells.

Now the current datetime will be inserted if the cell F1 entered data or updated.

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