Select the cell where you want the date
Type the date in a recognized format, such as 1/23/2026 or 23-Jan-2026
Press Enter
Use Ctrl + ; to insert today’s date
Use a custom date format if needed by selecting the cell and changing the format in Format Cells
If Excel does not recognize the entry as a date, re-enter it using a standard date format
To enter a date and time, type both together, such as 1/23/2026 10:30 AM