Excel Date and Time Shortcuts: Insert Both Instantly

In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, press Ctrl+; to insert the current date, or Ctrl+Shift+; to insert the current time. These shortcuts enter fixed values that do not update automatically; to put both in one cell, press Ctrl+;, press Space, then press Ctrl+Shift+;.

The Date and Time Shortcuts

Use the shortcut while a worksheet cell is selected. Excel inserts the date or time into that cell, or into the active position if you are editing the cell. Press Enter to commit the entry. The semicolon key is the one beside the L key on a standard US keyboard; the Shift key is needed for the time shortcut because the shifted character on that key is a colon.

Current date: Ctrl+; (Control and semicolon).
Current time: Ctrl+Shift+; (Control, Shift, and semicolon).
Date and time together: Ctrl+;, Space, then Ctrl+Shift+;.

The inserted value is based on the computer’s date and time settings. The way it appears in the worksheet depends on the cell’s number format and your regional settings. For instance, the same date may display as 11/2/2026, 2-Nov-2026, or another locally familiar format.

How to Enter Both in One Cell

To create a single static timestamp, select a cell and press Ctrl+;. Press Space once, then press Ctrl+Shift+;. Press Enter to finish. Excel enters the date, a space, and the time in the same cell. If the cell shows only the date or only the time, the value may contain both parts but the current number format may be hiding one of them. Apply a date-and-time format to display both.

This method is useful for recording when a task was completed, when a customer call occurred, or when a row of information was entered. It is a manual timestamp: Excel records the value at the moment you press the keys, and it stays the same when the workbook recalculates or is opened later.

For separate fields, enter the date in one cell and the time in another. This can make sorting, filtering, and calculations easier. For example, a date column can group records by day while a separate time column shows the time of each event. If you need a complete timestamp in one field for sorting, a single date-and-time value is often more convenient.

What Excel Stores When You Use a Shortcut

Excel stores dates and times as numbers, rather than as decorative text. In the default 1900 date system used by most Windows workbooks, the whole-number portion represents a day count, and the decimal portion represents a fraction of a day. Noon is one-half of a day, for example, so a time-only value can be stored as a fraction such as 0.5.

Number formatting changes how that value is displayed; it does not normally change the underlying value. A cell formatted as a date can show the date while concealing a time fraction. A time format can show the time while concealing the date. This distinction matters when a cell appears to have lost information: changing the format may reveal a part that was already present.

These are values, not text strings. That means Excel can use them in date and time arithmetic, provided the cells contain valid date or time values. You can sort a list of timestamps chronologically, calculate elapsed time, or use date filters. If data came from an external source as text, however, it may need conversion before Excel treats it as a real date or time.

Formatting the Result

If the displayed date or time is not what you want, change the cell format rather than retyping the value. Select the cell and press Ctrl+1 to open the Format Cells dialog, then choose a category such as Date, Time, or Custom. The formats available and their examples can vary with regional settings.

For a date and time shown together, choose or create a format containing both date and time components. A custom format such as yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm displays a four-digit year, month, day, 24-hour hour, and minute. In that format, a time of 4:07 p.m. appears as 16:07. A format such as m/d/yyyy h:mm AM/PM instead uses a 12-hour clock with an AM or PM indicator.

Formatting is especially helpful when a shortcut appears to have inserted the wrong thing. A date might appear as a serial number if the cell is set to General or Number. A time might appear as a decimal fraction, such as 0.625, rather than as 3:00 PM. Apply an appropriate Date or Time format to make the value readable. If the cell is too narrow, widen the column; a row of number signs can indicate that the formatted value does not fit.

Static Shortcuts Versus Updating Formulas

The shortcuts are best when you want a timestamp that remains unchanged. If you want a cell to display the current date or date and time as the workbook recalculates, use a formula instead. With an otherwise empty cell and no data references required, enter =TODAY() to show the current date. The result updates when Excel recalculates the workbook.

With an otherwise empty cell and no data references required, enter =NOW() to show the current date and time. Apply a date-and-time format if the cell displays only part of the result. TODAY and NOW are not permanent audit timestamps: their results can change during recalculation, so they are unsuitable when you need to preserve the exact time an event was recorded.

Formulas are useful for dashboards, daily reports, or a worksheet that should always show the date it is opened or recalculated. Shortcuts are preferable for a log or record where the entry must remain fixed. A common mistake is to use NOW in a record-keeping column and assume it captures the time once. It does not; it returns a recalculating value.

Common Problems and Fixes

The shortcut does nothing: Check that the worksheet cell, rather than a ribbon control or another application, has focus. Try the exact key combination and check whether a laptop keyboard requires an Fn key for certain keys.
The date or time looks wrong: Check the computer’s clock, time zone, and regional settings. Excel uses the system’s current date and time when the shortcut is entered.
Only one part of a timestamp is visible: Apply a format that includes both date and time. The value may contain more information than the current display shows.
A number or decimal appears: Change the cell’s number format to Date, Time, or a suitable custom format.
The entry changes later: Check whether the cell contains a formula such as NOW or TODAY instead of a shortcut-entered value.
The wrong cell received the entry: Undo immediately with Ctrl+Z if appropriate, select the intended cell, and enter the shortcut again.

Also consider whether you are typing inside the formula bar or editing existing cell contents. Excel inserts the shortcut at the active insertion point when editing, so it may add a date or time to existing text rather than replace the entire cell. Select the cell and begin a fresh entry if you want the shortcut to replace its contents.

Windows, Mac, and Excel for the Web

The shortcuts in this article are for Excel on Windows. In Excel for Mac, the corresponding date and time shortcuts are also Control+; and Control+Shift+;. Mac users should note that these use the Control key, not Command. Keyboard layouts differ, so the semicolon may require a different physical key combination on some languages or layouts.

Excel for the web may handle keyboard combinations differently depending on the browser and keyboard layout. If a shortcut is intercepted or does not work, select the cell and use an appropriate formula such as TODAY or NOW, or open the workbook in the desktop application. In Excel for the web, formulas recalculate according to the workbook’s calculation behavior, so they remain different from a fixed shortcut entry.

When to Choose Each Method

Choose the method according to whether the value should stay fixed and whether you need a date, time, or both. The distinction is more important than the specific display format.

Use Ctrl+;: for a fixed date, such as the day a form was received.
Use Ctrl+Shift+;: for a fixed time, such as the time a call began.
Use both shortcuts in one cell: for a fixed date-and-time stamp that should sort as a single chronological value.
Use TODAY: when a cell should show the current date and update with recalculation.
Use NOW: when a cell should show the current date and time and update with recalculation.

For a large data-entry process, consider whether manual shortcuts are reliable enough for the workflow. A carefully designed form, a data import process, or an application that records timestamps may be more appropriate when many users need consistent records. For ordinary worksheet entry, though, the shortcuts are quick and do not require a formula or a mouse click.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Excel shortcut for today’s date?
Press Ctrl+; on Windows. Excel inserts the current date as a fixed value in the selected cell.

What is the Excel shortcut for the current time?
Press Ctrl+Shift+; on Windows. The inserted time is fixed and does not continuously update.

How do I insert the date and time in the same Excel cell?
Press Ctrl+;, press Space, then press Ctrl+Shift+;. Press Enter to finish. If both parts are not visible, change the cell to a date-and-time number format.

Does Excel’s date shortcut update tomorrow?
No. Ctrl+; inserts a fixed date value. To display a date that updates when the workbook recalculates, use TODAY in a cell instead.

Why does my Excel time show as a decimal?
Excel stores time as a fraction of a day. Apply a Time format, such as one showing hours and minutes, to display it as a clock time.

Is the Excel date shortcut different on a Mac?
Excel for Mac uses Control+; for the date and Control+Shift+; for the time. Use Control rather than Command; a non-US keyboard layout may map the semicolon differently.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

More in How-to basics

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

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