How to get the current date and time in excel

If you want to get the current date and time in a cell then you can do one of the following:

1. To get the current date only use the TODAY() function.

Syntax

=TODAY()

2. To get the current date and time use the NOW() function.

Syntax

=NOW()

3. To get the current time only use the NOW() function, and then format the cell to display time only.

Note:

The TODAY() and NOW() functions will update the date and time whenever the worksheet is calculated. I.e. their values are variable.

To insert static date and/or time in a cell:

1. For current date: Select a cell, press CTRL then enter “;” (semicolon character).

2. For current time: Select a cell, press CTRL+SHIFT then enter “;”.

3. For current date and time: Select a cell, press CTRL then enter “;” to get the date. Enter SPACE, press CTRL+SHIFT then enter “;” to get the time.

You can also use Copy/Paste special. For example to To insert static date and time in a cell:

1. Enter “=NOW()” in a cell and hit enter. You will get the current date and time

2. Right click on the cell and select Copy.

3. Right click on the same cell and select Paste Special, then select Paste Values.