# Make formatDate Examples: Dates in Filters and Emails

> Copy-ready Make date functions: formatDate(now; "YYYY-MM-DD"), addDays, parseDate and time zones, with the daily summary filter that finds today's rows.

Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/make-formatdate-examples · Updated 2026-10-20 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com)

Quick answer

In Make, `formatDate(date; format)` turns a date into text in the shape you choose, and `now` is the current date and time. The most useful line is `{{formatDate(now; "YYYY-MM-DD")}}`, which gives today as 2026-10-20 and lets a filter find today's rows in a Google Sheet. The free [daily summary lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/make-com-daily-summary-email-google-sheets-schedule) uses exactly that to email a manager every new request from today.

Last updated October 20, 2026

[Take the free module →](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/ai-for-operations/11)Module 11 of the free [AI for Operations Teams](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/ai-for-operations) course, about 12 minutes. No account needed.

By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) · Published October 20, 2026 · Updated October 20, 2026 · 3 min read

Make · Functions · Data mapping

## What does formatDate do in Make?

formatDate converts a date value into text using format tokens, so you control how the date looks in a filter, a sheet or an email.

Make separates function arguments with a semicolon, not a comma. That is the most common reason a pasted formula from another tool does nothing.

## Which format tokens should I know?

These tokens cover almost every office use. They follow the Moment.js style Make uses.

| Token | Gives | Example output |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `YYYY` | Four-digit year | 2026 |
| `MM` / `M` | Month, padded / not padded | 10 / 10 |
| `MMMM` / `MMM` | Month name, full / short | October / Oct |
| `DD` / `D` | Day of the month | 05 / 5 |
| `dddd` / `ddd` | Weekday | Tuesday / Tue |
| `HH` / `hh` | Hour, 24h / 12h | 17 / 05 |
| `mm` | Minutes | 30 |
| `A` | AM or PM | PM |

## Ten date expressions you can copy

| What you need | Expression |
| --- | --- |
| Today, for a sheet filter | `{{formatDate(now; "YYYY-MM-DD")}}` |
| Today, for an email subject | `{{formatDate(now; "dddd, MMMM D")}}` |
| A timestamp column | `{{formatDate(now; "YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm")}}` |
| Tomorrow | `{{formatDate(addDays(now; 1); "YYYY-MM-DD")}}` |
| Seven days ago | `{{formatDate(addDays(now; -7); "YYYY-MM-DD")}}` |
| A due date 30 days out | `{{formatDate(addDays(now; 30); "MMM D, YYYY")}}` |
| A form date in US format | `{{formatDate(1.Date; "MM/DD/YYYY")}}` |
| Read "10/20/2026" text as a date | `{{parseDate(1.Date; "MM/DD/YYYY")}}` |
| A specific time zone | `{{formatDate(now; "HH:mm"; "America/New_York")}}` |
| Start of this month | `{{formatDate(now; "YYYY-MM-01")}}` |

Replace `1.Date` with the field you map from your own module. In the mapping panel it appears as a pill, not typed text.

## How does the daily summary lesson use it?

The **Google Sheets: Search Rows** module filters the "New patient requests" sheet with Date (E), **Text operators: Equal to**, and the value `{{formatDate(now; "YYYY-MM-DD")}}`.

It is a text comparison on purpose. The sheet's Date column holds text like 2026-10-20, and formatDate makes today look the same, so the two match exactly. A **Text aggregator** then joins the matching rows into one block, and **Gmail: Send an email** sends it to the manager at 17:00. [Make Text Aggregator Examples](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/make-text-aggregator-examples) covers that middle step.

## Try it free, step by step

**On a Schedule: A Daily Summary Email from a Google Sheet in Make.com**. Build a Make scenario that runs every day at 5 PM, finds today's rows in Google Sheets, combines them with a Text aggregator and emails one summary with Gmail. You do every step yourself in a practice copy of Make, it checks your work as you go, and “Do it for me” finishes any step you get stuck on. Free, and nothing touches your real accounts.

[Start the free lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/make-daily-summary)

[Or read the full step-by-step guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/make-com-daily-summary-email-google-sheets-schedule)

## Why is my Make date off by a day?

Almost always the time zone. `now` is formatted in the time zone set in your Make profile (or the organization's), not necessarily yours.

- Check the **Time zone** shown under the schedule's **Time 1** field. The lesson asks you to check it before you click **Save**.
- Pass a time zone as the third argument to formatDate when the output must be in a specific zone.
- A scenario that runs at 23:30 in one zone may already be "tomorrow" in another. Schedule summary emails well inside the business day.

## How is this different from n8n?

n8n uses JavaScript-style expressions with Luxon, like `{{ $now.toFormat('yyyy-MM-dd') }}`, and lowercase `yyyy`. Make uses its own functions with uppercase `YYYY` and semicolons. [n8n Expressions for Beginners](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/n8n-expressions-for-beginners) covers the n8n side.

## Key takeaways

- `{{formatDate(now; "YYYY-MM-DD")}}` is the go-to "today" value for sheet filters in Make.
- Make functions use semicolons between arguments.
- addDays, parseDate and a third time-zone argument handle most date chores.
- Wrong-day results are nearly always a time zone setting, not the formula.

## Frequently asked questions

**How do I get today's date in Make?**

Use now for the current date and time, and wrap it in formatDate to choose the format: {{formatDate(now; "YYYY-MM-DD")}}.

**How do I add days to a date in Make?**

Use addDays(date; number). addDays(now; 7) is a week from now, and a negative number goes back in time.

**Why does my formatDate show the wrong time?**

formatDate uses the time zone from your Make settings unless you pass one as the third argument, like formatDate(now; "HH:mm"; "America/Chicago").

**Is there a free Make course?**

Yes. [Make & Zapier Jump Start](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/make-zapier-jump-start) is free and includes the daily summary scenario in a practice copy of Make.

## Free lessons in this post

- [On a Schedule: A Daily Summary Email from a Google Sheet in Make.com](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/make-com-daily-summary-email-google-sheets-schedule): Build a Make scenario that runs every day at 5 PM, finds today's rows in Google Sheets, combines them with a Text aggregator and emails one summary with Gmail.
- [Filters and Routers in Make.com: Send Urgent Requests One Way, Routine Ones Another](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/make-com-router-and-filters): Add a router to your Make scenario, email the front desk about urgent requests with a filter, and send everything else to Google Sheets with a fallback route.

## Related terms

Plain-English definitions, each with an example from a free lesson.

[Aggregator (Make)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/make-aggregator) · [Iterator (Make)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/make-iterator) · [Router (Make)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/make-router) · [Bundle (Make)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/make-bundle) · [Module (Make)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/make-module) · [Operation (Make)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/make-operation) · [Paths by Zapier](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/paths-by-zapier)

[The full AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary)

## Related prompts

- [End of day report prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/end-of-day-report-prompt): A ChatGPT prompt for an end of day report: paste your rough notes and get a short EOD report with what got done, what is still…

[All free prompt templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts)

## Keep reading

- [Make Filter Operators Cheat Sheet: Text, Number, Date](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/make-filter-operators-cheat-sheet): Every Make filter operator group on one page: text, numeric, date, basic and array, with an office example for each and the mistakes that block bundles.
- [Make Scenario Errors: Fix the 8 You'll Meet First](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/make-scenario-errors): Common Make scenario errors and fixes: ConnectionError, InvalidAccessTokenError, DataError, BundleValidationError, RateLimitError and a bad Form ID.
- [n8n Workflow Ideas for Operations Teams: 10 to Build](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/n8n-workflow-ideas-for-operations): Ten n8n and Make ideas for operations teams: meeting notes to tasks, urgent request routing, 5pm summaries, morning assignments and approvals.

[All blog posts](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog) · [All free tutorials](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content)