Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Quickly Entering Dates and Times.
If you are looking for a quick way to enter the current date or time into a cell, Excel provides an excellent shortcut. To enter the current date, just select a cell and press Ctrl+; (that's the semicolon). Closely akin to that is entering the time, which is done by using Ctrl+: (that's the colon), which is really executed as Ctrl+Shift+;.
These shortcuts work even when you are entering formulas. For instance, let's say you wanted to have today's date as a string (within quote marks) in a formula. All you need to do is enter your formula, up to the first quote mark. Then type Ctrl+; and the date appears in the formula. Type your closing quote mark, and you can continue with your formula.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12335) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Quickly Entering Dates and Times.
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2016-06-13 03:16:21
Mark Vassallo
Excellent tip which I use all the time.
If you need the date AND time in the same cell you can combine the two shortcuts above and add a space in between.
e.g. Ctrl+; space Ctrl+Shift+;
The date and time in this cell can then be used in calculations.
The value entered will be static and will be fixed at the time it is entered.
2016-06-12 03:26:45
Peter Moran
Hi,
Clifton - Static
Interesting approach to Dates and Times in the following URL:
http://dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2013/10/18/entering-times-into-cells/
2016-06-11 12:33:10
Clifton
Are the date and time entered this way in a formula static or dynamic?
2016-06-11 12:03:26
Marcel Beugelsdijk
It should be noted that time will be truncated to hh:mm when using Ctrl+Shift+; (or Ctrl+:).
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: 
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