DATE & TODAY Formulas in Google Sheets
Build a real date from year, month and day with DATE, stamp today with TODAY, and do date math like adding days or finding month-end.
=DATE(2026, 9, 29)
Builds a proper date value from year, month, day — safer than typing text, and it sorts and calculates correctly.
How it works
DATE(year, month, day) creates a real date Sheets can do math on. TODAY() returns the current date and updates each day; NOW() adds the time. Because dates are just numbers under the hood, you can add or subtract days directly, and use EDATE for months or EOMONTH for month-end.
Variations
Today's date (auto-updates)
=TODAY()
Recalculates to the current day whenever the sheet opens.
Add 30 days to a date
=A2+30
Dates are numbers, so plain addition moves the date forward.
Days between two dates
=B2-A2
Subtract the earlier date from the later one to get the number of days.
Last day of the month
=EOMONTH(A2, 0)
0 means the current month; 1 means next month's end.
Same day next month
=EDATE(A2, 1)
Shifts a date by whole months.
Examples
| Scenario | Formula |
|---|---|
| First day of this month | =EOMONTH(TODAY(), -1)+1 |
| Due date 14 days out | =TODAY()+14 |
| Full months between dates | =DATEDIF(A2, B2, "M") |
FAQ
Why should I use DATE instead of typing a date?
Typed dates can be read as text depending on locale. DATE(year, month, day) always makes a true date that sorts and calculates correctly.
How do I get today's date in Google Sheets?
Use =TODAY() for the date, or =NOW() for date and time. Both update automatically.
How do I add days to a date?
Just add a number: =A2+7 adds a week. Use EDATE to add months and EOMONTH for month-ends.