How to add dates to Google Sheets

Adding dates in Google Sheets means entering date values into a cell or range of cells in a spreadsheet. In Google Sheets, dates can be entered as a specific date format or as a function to dynamically display the current date or a specific date based on a formula.

In this tutorial, we will learn how to add dates to Google Sheets. Google Sheets provides various options for adding dates. One way is to manually enter the dates into a cell. Alternatively, date functions like TODAY, NOW, and DATE can be used. Another option is to use shortcut keys like “CTRL+;” and “CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+;” to quickly add dates to the sheet.

Method 1: Adding Dates Manually

Step 1 – Select the Cell 

• Select a blank cell in which you want to add the date.

Step 2 – Enter the Month and Place a Forward Slash

• Enter the month in the blank cell.
• Place a forward slash i.e. 7/

Step 3 – Enter the day and Place a Forward Slash

• Enter the day next to the previous slash.
• Then place another forward slash next to the day i.e. 3/23/

Step 4 – Enter the Year

• Lastly, enter the year i.e. 7/23/2019.
• Using these steps, we can manually add dates to Google Sheets.

Step 5 – Use the Autofill Feature to Populate a Series of Dates

•  You can also use the Fill Handle to quickly populate a column or row with a series of dates. 

Method 2: Using the DATE Function

Step 1 –  Select a Blank Cell and Place an Equals Sign

• Select a blank cell where you want to add the date.
• Place an Equals sign.

Step 2 – Enter the DATE Function

• Enter the DATE function.
• The date function accepts three arguments i.e. (year, month, day) respectively.
• The syntax becomes : 

                         DATE(year, month, day)

Step 3 – Press the Enter Key

• Press the Enter key to print the date.

Method 3: Adding Current Date Using TODAY Function

Step 1 –  Select a Blank Cell and Place an Equals Sign

• Select a blank cell where you want to add the date.

Step 2 – Enter the TODAY Function

• Enter the TODAY function next to the equals sign.
• The TODAY function does not require any argument and simply returns the current date.
• The syntax for the TODAY function will be: 

                    TODAY()

Step 3 – Press the Enter Key

• Press the Enter key.
• The current date will be printed.

Method 4: Adding Current Date Using Shortcut Keys

Step 1 – Select a Blank Cell

• Select a blank cell where you want to add the date.

Step 2 – Press the “CTRL + ;” Shortcut Keys

• Press the “CTRL + ;” ( CTRL + Semicolon) shortcut keys.
• The current date will be added to the selected cell.

Method 5 – Adding Current Date and Time using the NOW Function

Step 1 –  Select a Blank Cell and Place an Equals Sign

• Select a blank cell where you want to add the date.

Step 2 – Enter the NOW Function

• Enter the NOW function.
• The NOW function does not require any argument and returns the current date and time.
• The syntax of the NOW function will be: 

                  NOW()

Step 3 – Press the Enter Key

• Press the Enter key to print the date and time.

Method 6 – Adding Current Date and Time using the Shortcut Keys

Step 1 – Select a Blank Cell 

• Select a blank cell in which you want to add the current date and time.

Step 2 – Press “CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + ;” Shortcut Keys

• Press the “CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + ;” shortcut keys.
• This will print the current date and time in the selected cell.