Excel Formula Not Working Today? Fix Common Causes

If the Excel TODAY formula is not working, enter =TODAY() in a cell, set the cell to a date format, and make sure calculation is set to Automatic. TODAY returns the current date, but it updates when Excel recalculates the workbook; it does not refresh continuously like a clock.

What the TODAY function does

TODAY is a date function with no required arguments. In a blank cell, type the formula below and press Enter. This example assumes you want the current date displayed in the cell where you enter it.

=TODAY()

Excel stores dates as serial numbers and applies a number format to show them as calendar dates. The underlying value is useful: you can compare it with another date, subtract dates to find the number of days between them, or use it in a larger formula. The visible format might look like 11/2/2026, 2-Nov-2026, or another regional style, while the cell still contains a date value.

TODAY is a volatile function, which means Excel recalculates it when the workbook recalculates. It does not update every second or necessarily at midnight while the workbook stays open. If you need the current date and time, NOW is the related function; if you need a date that will never change, use a fixed value rather than TODAY.

First checks when TODAY appears to fail

Before changing workbook settings, identify what you actually see. A formula that displays a number, a formula that displays as text, a date that looks wrong, and a date that has not refreshed are different problems with different fixes.

You see a number such as 46328: Excel may be calculating the date correctly, but the cell is formatted as General or Number. Apply a date format.
You see the characters =TODAY(): Excel may be treating the entry as text, or Show Formulas may be enabled. Check the cell format and formula display setting.
The date is old: Check calculation mode, then recalculate the workbook.
The date is one day ahead or behind: Check the computer’s date, the workbook’s calculation state, and the date format before assuming the function is broken.
You see an error: Confirm that the function is spelled correctly, includes its parentheses, and has no extra characters or copied text in the formula.

These checks also help distinguish a formula problem from a display problem. Excel can hold the correct date value while showing it in a confusing way, so formatting is worth checking early.

Fix a number or an unexpected date display

If TODAY produces a serial number, select the cell and choose a date format from Home > Number Format. You can use Short Date or Long Date, or open Format Cells to choose a custom display. The exact appearance depends on the selected format and regional settings. Changing the format changes how Excel displays the value; it does not change the date returned by the function.

If the cell shows a string of number signs, such as ####, the value may not fit in the column. Widen the column by dragging its right border or double-clicking that border to AutoFit. Number signs do not usually mean that TODAY returned an error.

If the date itself is not the date you expect, check the device’s system date and time. TODAY uses the current date available to Excel’s calculation environment. A wrong system clock can therefore make a valid formula appear wrong. Also check whether the cell has a custom date format that omits the year or presents month and day in an unfamiliar order.

When Excel shows the formula instead of its result

If a cell displays =TODAY() rather than a date, the entry may be stored as text. Select the cell and look at Home > Number Format. If it is set to Text, change it to General, then edit the entry and press Enter so Excel evaluates it. Merely changing the format after the formula was entered as text may not convert the existing text into a working formula.

Also check for an apostrophe before the equals sign. An entry such as '=TODAY() is deliberately treated as text. Remove the apostrophe and re-enter the formula if you want a calculated date. If only one cell has the problem, click in the formula bar and inspect the beginning of the entry for an apostrophe or a leading space.

Another possibility is Show Formulas, a worksheet display mode that shows formulas in cells instead of their results. On Windows, the shortcut is Ctrl+`; pressing it again switches back. On many keyboards the grave-accent key is near the top-left corner, but its position varies by layout. You can also look for Show Formulas on the Formulas tab. On Mac, use the Show Formulas command if the shortcut differs on your keyboard layout.

Check Excel’s calculation setting

When calculation is set to Manual, Excel may leave formula results unchanged until you request a recalculation. In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, open Formulas > Calculation Options and select Automatic. The setting can affect other open workbooks too, so check it if several files seem to have stale formula results.

After setting Automatic, recalculate and see whether the date changes. Press F9 to recalculate open workbooks; Ctrl+Alt+F9 forces a full calculation of formulas. On a Mac, use the calculation commands available from the Formulas tab or Excel’s calculation settings; keyboard shortcuts can differ with the keyboard and function-key settings. In Excel for the web, calculation is generally automatic, but a browser refresh or reopening the workbook can help establish whether a displayed result is stale.

Automatic calculation does not make TODAY a live timer. The function updates as part of recalculation, such as after a relevant edit or a calculation command. If a workbook must show a new date at a particular moment, confirm that the workbook is actually recalculating then. Avoid switching to Manual just to address a slow workbook without understanding the effect: formulas throughout the open workbooks may stop updating as expected.

Use TODAY in comparisons and date-based formulas

A common reason for entering TODAY is to compare a due date with the current date. Suppose A2 contains a due date and B2 should show a status. This formula leaves the status blank when A2 is empty, marks dates before today as overdue, and treats a due date equal to today as not overdue:

With a due date in A2 and the status formula in B2, enter:

=IF(A2="","",IF(A2<TODAY(),"Overdue","Not overdue"))

The blank check matters because Excel treats an empty cell like zero in many date comparisons. Without that check, an empty due-date cell could be labeled overdue. If the rule should mark a due date that is today as overdue too, use a less-than-or-equal comparison instead of the less-than comparison.

For a simple number of days until a deadline, suppose A2 contains a valid Excel date and B2 should show days remaining. Enter this in B2:

=A2-TODAY()

A positive result means the date in A2 is in the future, zero means it is today, and a negative result means it has passed. Format the result as General or Number rather than Date, otherwise Excel may display the day count as another calendar date. If A2 is blank or contains text that only looks like a date, the result may be misleading or produce an error; confirm that the source is a real Excel date value.

For conditional formatting, you can highlight dates earlier than today by selecting the date range and choosing Home > Conditional Formatting > Highlight Cells Rules > Less Than, then supplying a current-date value or using a formula-based rule. The formula rule is useful when the formatting must update with recalculation, but the reference needs to match the top-left cell of the selected range. Test it on a small range first, especially if the rule uses relative or absolute cell references.

TODAY versus NOW and a fixed date

Use TODAY when you need the current calendar date without a time. Use NOW when you need both the date and the current time. In a cell where you want the current date and time, enter:

=NOW()

NOW is also recalculated rather than continuously refreshed. Its display may hide the time if the cell is formatted as a date only. Choose a date-and-time number format to see both parts. For a date that should remain unchanged—for example, the date a report was prepared—enter a fixed date value instead of a formula. Otherwise, a TODAY formula in an old report will show the date of a later recalculation, not necessarily the date the report was originally created.

That distinction is important in logs and records. A formula is appropriate for a live dashboard that should always reflect today. It is usually not appropriate as a permanent timestamp for a completed transaction or a historical event, because its result can change in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does TODAY not update at midnight?
TODAY updates when Excel recalculates the workbook; it is not a continuously running clock. Recalculate the workbook, or confirm that calculation is set to Automatic, if you need the displayed date refreshed.

Why does TODAY show a five-digit number?
Excel stores dates as serial numbers. Select the cell and apply a date format from Home > Number Format to display the value as a calendar date.

Does TODAY include the current time?
No. TODAY returns the current date without a time component. Use NOW if you need a date and time, then select a format that displays both.

Why does Excel display =TODAY() instead of a date?
The cell may be formatted as Text, the formula may have a leading apostrophe, or Show Formulas may be enabled. Change the cell to General and re-enter the formula, remove any apostrophe, or turn off Show Formulas.

How do I keep today’s date from changing later?
Use a fixed date value rather than TODAY. A formula recalculates, so it is not a reliable way to preserve the date on which a past event occurred.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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