What does the NOW function return in Excel?

The NOW function in Excel is designed to return both the current date and the current time. It provides a real-time timestamp that updates whenever the worksheet recalculates, making it particularly useful for scenarios where tracking the exact moment of data entry or modification is important.

When you use the NOW function, it effectively combines both aspects—date and time—into a single value formatted by Excel. This means that if you simply need to track when an event occurred or log entries as they happen, the NOW function delivers that comprehensive information in an efficient manner.

In contrast, other options only focus on one aspect of date or time, making them less suitable when you need a complete timestamp.