The NOW function

The NOW function is a date and time function which returns the current system date and time. It is similar to the TODAY function, with the difference being that NOW stores time values as well. It will automatically update to the current system time every time another cell is updated.

This is the format of the NOW function:

=NOW()

Here is an example of the NOW function:

=NOW() = 2020-03-24 11:11

NOW function returning the system date and time values at the last time the spreadsheet was updated

This function is valuable when creating templates that require date and time stamping before distribution. Given that they will update themselves there is no intervention needed.

An example of a functional implementation of this would be as a header or footer text of a report which is distributed at regular intervals, or which can be generated by users at their discretion. Having these types of reports time stamped means that you can easily ensure the validity of the data within them.

=NOW()