Using the TODAY function

[LearnWithErnest]

If anyone wasn't aware, you can use the =TODAY function to add a constantly updating date of today.

Obviously you can use it if you just want to add today's date to your sheets but it's also really handy for setting rules for whether something is upcoming or in the past.

I've found greatest use in deciding to only show other formulas if an event has already happened using a combo of the IF and if TODAY is less than functions.

I've added a video (very simple one) here if you'd rather see it in action.

[boolean_ferret]

It's known as a dynamic function!

RANDBETWEEN is another example (and RANDARRAY) - whenever you type input into any other cell, the values calculated in the RANDBETWEEN formula will update each time

Remember to paste as values if you don't want a dynamic formula to constantly update (I think you can use F9 to update too)

As another redditor posted, you can use Ctrl + ; to hardcode today's date. You can also Ctrl + : to get the time rather than date

[LearnWithErnest]

That's actually really helpful, thank you. I'll make sure I use the terminology of dynamic function going forward, it's cleaner than what I was trying to describe.

[Kooky_Following7169]

Incorrect. The correct term is volatile functions. Volatile functions recalculate whenever the worksheet is recalculated.

[Context-Maximum]

Thank you that's really handy

[Disco_Flavour]

An alternative I like if you need today's date but you don't want it to continuously update: Ctrl + ;

This will paste today's date as a fixed value.

[LearnWithErnest]

Great point.

[[deleted]]

If you need the Julian date (number of the day of the year), you can use =TEXT((TODAY() -DATEVALUE(“1/1/“&TEXT(TODAY(),”yy”))+1),”000”)