Excel Conditional Formatting with the TODAY function | Duplicate Rule

Posted on: 05/16/2022

The TODAY function is one of my favorite Date & Time functions in Excel. It returns the current date and will automatically update. We will use the TODAY function with Conditional Formatting and create three rules on a date field.

**Excel Conditional Formatting with the Today Function**

The date field can be any date field - order date, invoice date, request date, etc. I used the ship date in my example. If the cell's date equals the current date, we will put that one color, any dates less than today's date in another color, and dates greater than today in a third color.

Conditional formatting is located on the Home tab. After writing the first rule, =$G2=TODAY(), I copied the rules to create the other two rules. Here is a screenshot of all three rules.

Recent Microsoft Word articles

YouTube Video - Conditional Formatting with the TODAY Function

Chapters/Bookmarks

0:00 Intro
0:26 Ship date
0:44 Rule 1 - $G2=TODAY()
1:47 Mixed Reference
3:57 Rule 2 - Duplicate rule
4:47 Rule 3
5:20 Resize Conditional Formatting

Recent Teams articles

TODAY Function

=TODAY() The TODAY function has no arguments and will return the current date. When the file is open again, the date will automatically update.It is a great Date & Time Function.

Conditional Formatting Rules

Three rules:

Greater Than
Less Than
Equal To

Conditional Formatting Rules — **Three conditional formatting rules**

Recent Excel Articles

Excel Training for the University of Georgia's Online and Professional MBA Students

Saturday, April 5, 2025: I'll train the University of Georgia's online and professional MBA students in Microsoft Excel. Topics include PivotTables, Filtering, and even Financial Statement analysis.

Copilot in Excel - Ask Copilot Questions about Keyboard Shortcuts, Functions, and Steps

Copilot in Excel can be asked for intermediate keyboard shortcuts, how-to steps, and function explanations.

Mastering Excel Slicers: A Comprehensive Guide

Excel slicers are powerful tools that enhance data filtering in Microsoft Excel, making it easier to visualize and analyze your data. In this blog, we will explore how to create and effectively use slicers, as well as their advantages and limitations in comparison to traditional filters.

Mastering Loan Amortization: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Comparing Loans

In today's ever-changing financial landscape, understanding loan amortization is crucial for anyone considering a major purchase, particularly a home. With recent changes in interest rates, it's more important than ever to grasp how loan amortization works and how to compare different loan options.

Analyzing 50+ Years of Mortgage Rates in Excel: Insights and Trends

Understanding mortgage rates is crucial for anyone looking to buy a home or refinance their existing mortgage. In this comprehensive analysis, we'll dive deep into over 50 years of mortgage rate data using Microsoft Excel. We'll explore historical trends, calculate key statistics, and examine how changes in interest rates impact monthly payments.

Social Security - Breakeven point in Years using Excel

Calculate SSA breakeven in years. The break-even point represents when the cumulative benefits even out. Comparing 62 to 67, you have been collecting money for 60 months.

Chris Menard

Chris Menard is a Microsoft Trainer (MCT) and works as a full-time Trainer at BakerHostetler - one of the largest law firms in the US. Chris runs a YouTube channel with 900+ technology videos that cover various tools such as Excel, Word, Zoom, Teams, Gmail, Copilot, Google Calendar, and Outlook. To date, the channel has helped over 20 million viewers. Menard also does 2 to 3 public speaking events yearly, presenting at the Administrative Professional Conference (APC), the EA Ignite Conference, the University of Georgia, and CPA conferences. You can connect with him on LinkedIn at https://chrismenardtraining.com/linkedin or watch his videos on YouTube at https://chrismenardtraining.com/youtube.