Master Date and Time Formulas in ClickUp

Using date and time functions in ClickUp formulas lets you calculate durations, deadlines, and time-based metrics directly in your tasks and views. This guide walks you through each supported function and how to apply them in real workflows.

All examples in this article are based on the official documentation for date and time functions in the ClickUp Formula field type. For full reference, see the original help center article.

Where date formulas work in ClickUp

Date and time functions are available anywhere the Formula field type is supported in ClickUp. Typical locations include:

• List views with custom columns
• Table views for reporting and analysis
• Dashboards that reference Formula fields
• Templates that contain preconfigured Formula columns

To start using these functions, add a Formula custom field to a task view, then enter one or more of the functions described below.

Core date and time functions in ClickUp

ClickUp supports a set of dedicated date and time functions that you can combine inside a single formula. The main functions are:

• date
• now
• today
• workdays
• diff
• age

Each function accepts specific arguments and returns a specific type of result, such as a date or a number.

Using the date function in ClickUp

The date function returns a date that you can use in comparisons and calculations.

Syntax:

date(value)

value can be:

• The name of a Date custom field
• The name of a task-level date, such as start_date or due_date
• A valid date string

Common uses:

• Standardizing dates from different sources into a single comparable format
• Passing a consistent date type as an argument into other ClickUp functions like diff or age

Using the now function in ClickUp

The now function returns the current date and time down to seconds.

Syntax:

now()

Details:

• Includes both date and timestamp
• Updates automatically as time passes
• Ideal for time-sensitive reporting in ClickUp dashboards and views

Example use case:

• Calculate how many hours have passed since a task was created by combining now() with diff.

Using the today function in ClickUp

The today function returns the current date without a time component.

Syntax:

today()

Details:

• Updates daily at midnight
• Does not include hours, minutes, or seconds
• Useful for day-level comparisons in ClickUp Lists and reports

Example use case:

• Check if a task is due today by comparing today() to the task’s due_date field.

Calculating workdays between dates in ClickUp

Using the workdays function

The workdays function calculates the number of working days between two dates. It ignores weekends and optionally ignores holidays.

Syntax:

workdays(start, end, [holidays])

Arguments:

• start: The starting date.
• end: The ending date.
• holidays (optional): A list of specific dates to exclude as non-working days.

Return type: Number (count of workdays).

Typical scenarios in ClickUp:

• Measure the number of working days between a task’s start and due dates.
• Report on how long tasks stay in a specific status, excluding weekends.
• Plan timelines that align with your team’s working calendar.

Measuring date differences with ClickUp formulas

Using the diff function

The diff function returns the difference between two dates in a specific unit of time.

Syntax:

diff(date1, date2, unit)

Arguments:

• date1: First date.
• date2: Second date.
• unit: The unit of measurement, such as "seconds", "minutes", "hours", "days", "weeks", or similar supported intervals.

Return type: Number.

How it is used in ClickUp:

• Calculate how many days a task is overdue by comparing today() to due_date.
• Determine cycle time by comparing two task dates, such as created_date and closed_date.
• Build performance reports that rely on exact time spans.

Calculating age from dates in ClickUp

Using the age function

The age function calculates how old a date is, typically in years, based on a reference point such as today.

Syntax:

age(date)

Arguments:

• date: The starting date whose age you want to calculate.

Return type: Number (usually years or an age-like measure as defined in the platform).

Common applications in ClickUp:

• Calculate how many years have passed since a specific milestone.
• Track the age of long-term initiatives or client relationships in a CRM-style workflow.
• Highlight very old tasks for cleanup or review.

Building practical ClickUp formulas with dates

Once you understand the individual functions, you can combine them to create powerful, real-world formulas in ClickUp. Here are some typical patterns.

Example: Days until task is due

1. Add a Formula custom field to your List.
2. Use a formula similar to:

   diff(today(), due_date, "days") * -1

3. Interpret positive numbers as days remaining and negative numbers as days overdue.

Example: Working days between start and due date

1. Create a Formula field in your ClickUp view.
2. Enter a formula such as:

   workdays(start_date, due_date)

3. Use this result to estimate workload or compare against actual effort.

Example: Age of a project in years

1. Add a Date field to represent the project start.
2. Create a Formula field.
3. Use:

   age(project_start_date)

4. Display the project age in a dashboard or reporting view for leadership.

Best practices for date formulas in ClickUp

To get accurate and readable results from date formulas in ClickUp, keep these tips in mind:

• Standardize date fields: Use consistent Date custom fields across Spaces and Folders.
• Combine functions carefully: Nest functions like date(), diff(), and workdays() only when you are sure of each argument’s type.
• Test on a sample List: Apply new formulas to a small set of tasks before rolling them out workspace-wide.
• Label units clearly: When a formula returns a number, add a suffix like " days" or " hours" so the value is easy to interpret.
• Use time-sensitive functions thoughtfully: Functions such as now() and today() change over time, which can affect historical reporting in ClickUp.

Improve your ClickUp reporting further

Once you have mastered date and time formulas, you can combine them with other formula functions, custom fields, and dashboards to build advanced reporting in ClickUp. For additional strategy and implementation guidance across tools, you can explore optimization resources at Consultevo.

To see every date and time function supported today, along with the most up-to-date syntax, refer to the official ClickUp date and time function reference.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

Get Help

“`