Excel NOW Function (Current Date & Time) – Examples & Practice
Practice the Excel NOW function online with an interactive grid, instant feedback, and clear formula help.
Instruction
Return the current date and time from the system clock.
Formula Syntax
=NOW()
- (no arguments): NOW takes no inputs.
What it does
NOW returns the current date and time as an Excel datetime serial. It is volatile and recalculates with the workbook.
Excel NOW Function Examples
Current datetime
=NOW()
Returns the current date and time serial.
Date-only from NOW
=INT(NOW())
Removes the fractional time portion.
date-calendar.xlsx
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Date | Offset Months |
| 2 | 2026-01-15 | 0 |
| 3 | 2026-02-28 | 1 |
| 4 | 2026-03-31 | -1 |
| 5 | 2026-07-04 | 2 |
| 6 | 2026-12-20 | 3 |
| 7 | Output |
Input Formula
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Tips
- Freeze timestamps with Paste Values for compliance trails.
- Pair INT with NOW when only the calendar date matters.
- Document volatility so stakeholders are not surprised.
NOW Function Use Cases
- Log last-updated times in templates (use carefully)
- SLA timers and turnaround KPIs
- Relative datetime math for dashboards
- Teaching serial datetime representation
- Prototype clocks before moving to VBA/Power Automate
Common mistakes - NOW function not working
- Using NOW as an audit trail without paste-values
- Expecting stable timestamps in shared files
- Confusing formatted text with numeric datetime
- Mixing TODAY and NOW inconsistently in one model
- Relying on NOW for sub-second precision
FAQ
Is NOW volatile?
Yes. It updates when the workbook recalculates, which can change displayed time.
NOW vs TODAY?
NOW includes time; TODAY is date-only at midnight.
Can I strip time from NOW?
Use INT(NOW()) for a date-only serial in many workflows.
Does NOW respect regional settings?
Display formatting follows your locale; the stored value is a serial datetime.
Why does my timestamp keep changing?
Volatility recalculates the function whenever the sheet recalculates.
Comparison
| Function | Includes time? |
|---|---|
| NOW | Yes |
| TODAY | No |
Example
=NOW()
Advanced examples
Elapsed hours
=(NOW()-A2)*24 when A2 stores a start datetime serial (format as needed).