Typing dates by hand is slow and error-prone. Excel's date and time shortcuts insert a fixed date stamp in a split second, which is perfect for logs, trackers and timesheets.
Step by step
- Select the cell where you want the date.
- Press Ctrl+; to insert today's date.
- For the current time, press Ctrl+Shift+; instead.
- For both, press Ctrl+;, then Space, then Ctrl+Shift+;, and press Enter.
Tips & troubleshooting
- These shortcuts insert a fixed value that won't change. If you want a date that always updates, type =TODAY() (or =NOW() for date and time).
- The date format follows your Windows regional settings. Use Ctrl+1 to change how it's displayed.
A fixed date or one that updates?
This is the decision that matters. Ctrl+; types today's date into the cell as an ordinary value. Open the workbook next month and it still shows the day you pressed it, which is what you want for an invoice date, a log entry or the day a task was completed.
=TODAY() is a formula. It recalculates every time the workbook opens, so it always shows the current day. Use it for countdowns and ageing calculations such as =TODAY()-B2 for the number of days since an invoice was raised. Never use it to record when something happened, because the record will silently change tomorrow.
Other ways to enter dates quickly
- Type a short date such as 9/10 and press Enter. Excel assumes the current year and converts it to a proper date.
- Ctrl+Shift+# applies the day-month-year date format to the selected cells.
- To fill a run of dates, enter the first one and drag the fill handle down. The Auto Fill Options button that appears lets you fill weekdays, months or years only.
- Ctrl+D copies the date from the cell above.
Common problems
- The cell shows #####. The column is too narrow for the date. Double-click the edge of the column header to widen it.
- The cell shows a number such as 46304. The date is correct but the cell has a General or Number format. Press Ctrl+1 and choose Date.
- Day and month are the wrong way round. Excel follows the Windows regional settings, so a UK PC reads 9/10 as 9 October and a US one as 10 September.
- The shortcut types a semicolon. You are already editing a cell in text mode or the cell is formatted as Text. Change the format to General and try again.
On a Mac
In Excel for Mac press Control+; for the date and Cmd+; for the time.