TODAY() Function Not Auto-Updating Unless Sheet is Opened and Saved

I’m facing an issue where the TODAY() function in Smartsheet doesn’t refresh automatically each day. It only updates when the sheet is manually opened and saved.

The sheet uses TODAY() for date-based calculations, and these values are shown in a dashboard. The dashboard data stays outdated until I open the source sheet — once I do, all dates update instantly.

It seems that Smartsheet recalculates TODAY() only when the sheet is accessed, not on a daily schedule.

Question:
Is there any way to make TODAY() refresh automatically each day without manually opening the sheet?
If not, what are the best automation or API-based workarounds to keep dashboards and reports synced with the current date?

Would really appreciate any insights, workarounds, or best practices others have used to solve this!

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GuruCharan Tanneeru

Hi, I faced a similar issue before.
It might be happening because auto-save is disabled.

Here’s a workaround you can try:

Create an automation on your sheet.

Set the trigger to run daily (choose the time based on your region).

Add conditions as needed for your sheet.

Use the workflow to record the date in a designated “Recorded Date” column.

This helps ensure updates are captured automatically even if auto-save isn’t active.

Paul Newcome

This is expected behavior and is not related to any auto-save settings. The TODAY function does not update until the sheet has been activated. A sheet can be activated by opening it, updating a cell value through a report or Dynamic View, for submissions, update requests, and certain automation actions.

My personal standard for this is to create a date type column called "zzzTODAY" then set up a record a date automation to run daily at 1200am recording the date on every row in the sheet. This forces the TODAY function to refresh for you.

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