If you need to set dates in Microsoft Excel, it is not as difficult as it may seem. This article will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to set dates in Excel. With just a few clicks, you can easily format your dates and get the desired result. So, let’s get started and learn how to set date in Excel. To set the date in Excel, follow these steps: In the cell you want to add the date, type =TODAY(). Press the Enter key on your keyboard. The current date should appear in the cell. How to Enter Date into an Excel Spreadsheet Dates are often used in Excel spreadsheets, and it’s important to know how to correctly enter them. Fortunately, Excel makes it easy to enter dates into cells. The most common way to enter a date is to use the DATE function, which lets you enter the day, month, and year into separate cells and then combine them into a single date. You can also enter dates using date formats, which let you type in the date in a specific format and have Excel automatically convert it into the correct date. Using the DATE Function The DATE function is the most common way to enter dates in Excel. It takes three arguments: the year, month, and day. You can enter these values directly into the function, or you can use cell references. For example, if the year is in cell A1, the month is in cell B1, and the day is in cell C1, then the formula would be =DATE(A1,B1,C1). This will combine the values in the three cells into a single date. If you only need to enter the month and year, you can use the DATEVALUE function. It takes two arguments: the year and month. For example, if the year is in cell A1 and the month is in cell B1, then the formula would be =DATEVALUE(A1,B1). Using Date Formats Excel also lets you enter dates using date formats. Date formats let you type in the date in a specific format and have Excel automatically convert it into a date. The most common date formats are dd/mm/yyyy and mm/dd/yyyy. To use a date format, select the cell that you want to enter the date in, type in the date in the correct format, and then press Enter. Excel will automatically convert the date into a date. You can also use the Format Cells dialog box to set the date format for a cell. Using the Date Picker If you’re using Excel for Windows, then you can also use the Date Picker to enter dates. The Date Picker is a small popup window that lets you select a date from a calendar. To open the Date Picker, click the down arrow next to the cell that you want to enter the date in. This will open the Date Picker, and you can select the date from the calendar. Using Shortcuts Excel also has a few shortcuts for entering dates. If you type in today’s date, Excel will automatically convert it into a date. For example, if you type in “today” or “now”, then Excel will convert it into the current date. You can also type in “tomorrow” or “yesterday” to enter the next day or the previous day. Using Custom Formats If you need to enter dates in a custom format, you can use the TEXT function. The TEXT function takes two arguments: the value and the format. For example, if the date is in cell A1 and you want to display it as “1st January 2020″, then the formula would be =TEXT(A1,”d””st”” mmmm yyyy”). Related Faq Q1. How do I set a date in Excel? A1. To set a date in Excel, you need to first enter the date in a cell. To do this, type in the date in the format DD/MM/YYYY, or click on the cell where you want to enter the date and then use the calendar icon that appears in the right-hand corner of the cell. Once you enter the date, you can use the “Format Cells” option in the Home tab of the Ribbon to format the date in whatever way you want. You can also use various date functions in Excel, such as TODAY, NOW, YEAR, MONTH etc. to set the date in a cell. Q2. How do I format a date in Excel? A2. To format a date in Excel, select the cell or cells that contain the dates you want to format and then in the Home tab of the Ribbon, click on the “Format Cells” option. In the Format Cells dialog box, select the “Number” tab and then select the date format you want from the list. You can also customize the date format by entering the text pattern you want in the “Type” field. Q3. How do I calculate the time difference between two dates in Excel? A3. To calculate the time difference between two dates in Excel, you need to use the DATEDIF function. The syntax of the function is DATEDIF(start_date, end_date, unit). The unit argument can take the following values: “d” (days), “m” (months), “y” (years), “yd” (days excluding years) or “ym” (months excluding years). For example, if you want to calculate the number of days between two dates, you can use the formula =DATEDIF(A1,B1,”d”). Q4. How do I add days to a date in Excel? A4. To add days to a date in Excel, you need to use the DATE function. The syntax of the function is DATE(year, month, day). For example, if you want to add 7 days to a date in cell A1, you can use the formula =DATE(YEAR(A1),MONTH(A1),DAY(A1)+7). This will add 7 days to the date in cell A1 and return the new date. Q5. How do I subtract days from a date in Excel? A5. To subtract days from a date in Excel, you can use the same formula as for adding days to a date. The syntax of the formula is DATE(year, month, day). For example, if you want to subtract 7 days from a date in cell A1, you can use the formula =DATE(YEAR(A1),MONTH(A1),DAY(A1)-7). This will subtract 7 days from the date in cell A1 and return the new date. Q6. How do I convert a date to text in Excel? A6. To convert a date to text in Excel, you need to use the TEXT function. The syntax of the function is TEXT(value, format_text). The format_text argument can take various values, such as dd/mm/yyyy, mm/dd/yyyy, dddd (full name of the day), mmmm (full name of the month) etc. For example, if you want to convert a date in cell A1 to text in the format “dd/mm/yyyy”, you can use the formula =TEXT(A1,”dd/mm/yyyy”). This will convert the date in cell A1 to text in the specified format. Setting dates in Excel can be an intimidating task for those who may not be familiar with the program’s features. However, with a few basic steps, you can easily and quickly format the cells in your spreadsheet to automatically recognize and display dates in the format of your choosing. By following the steps outlined above, you can quickly and easily set up dates in Excel and have a professional, organized spreadsheet that is ready to be used in your business.