Tell viewers how fresh a dashboard is. A “Last updated” stamp — built from NOW and TEXT, or captured as a static value — prevents decisions on stale numbers.
The example
"Last updated Jun 18, 2026 9:14 AM".
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Value |
| 2 | Stamp | Last updated … |
The formula
The formula:
How it works
How it works:
NOW()gives the current date-time;TEXT(…, format)makes it readable.- Concatenate a label for a clean “Last updated …” line.
NOW()is volatile — it changes on every recalc, so it shows the opened time, not the data-refresh time.- For a true refresh stamp, capture the moment with Paste Special → Values, or a tiny macro on refresh.
NOW() shows when it recalculated, not when the data changed. Because it’s volatile, opening the file updates the stamp even if the numbers didn’t. For an honest “last refreshed” time, paste the NOW() result as a static value when you update the data (Ctrl+; inserts a static date; Ctrl+Shift+; a static time) — or set it via a macro tied to the refresh.
Try it: interactive demo
Live timestamp (updates now).
Variations
Date only
No time:
Days since update
Staleness:
Stale warning
Flag old data:
Pitfalls & errors
NOW is volatile. It shows the recalc time, not the data-refresh time.
Capture for accuracy. Paste as a value on refresh for a true stamp.
Date format codes. Use mmm/d/yyyy and h:mm AM/PM in the TEXT pattern.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a last-updated timestamp in Excel?
Why does the timestamp change every time I open the file?
How do I flag stale data?
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