Formula Errors

How to Calculate Ticket Age and Cap It at 90 Days in Excel

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to calculate the number of days a support ticket has been open based on a starting date in cell D3, with a requirement to cap the maximum counted days at 90.

Product: Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Tracking support ticket ages, SLA limits, or project durations where the tracking naturally stops after 90 days.
Observed behavior: Requires a dynamic formula that calculates elapsed days up to a maximum limit of 90, without throwing an error or exceeding the cap.

Before you start

Ensure that the cell containing your starting date (e.g., cell D3) is properly formatted as a Date, and the target cell where you plan to enter the formula is formatted as a Number or General.

Solution 1Recommended

Calculate Elapsed Days and Cap at 90 Days

Use a combination of the MIN and TODAY functions to dynamically calculate the age of a ticket while enforcing a strict 90-day maximum.

The TODAY() function retrieves the current system date. By subtracting your start date from TODAY(), you get the total elapsed days. Wrapping this calculation inside a MIN() function ensures that if the elapsed time exceeds 90 days, Excel will only return 90.

Select the target cell

Click on the cell where you want the ticket age or elapsed days to be displayed.

Enter the MIN and TODAY formula

Type =MIN(TODAY()-D3, 90) into the formula bar at the top of the screen, assuming your ticket start date is located in cell D3.

Press Enter to apply

Press Enter to execute the formula. The cell will now display the elapsed days, stopping at exactly 90 even if the actual date difference is greater.

Formatting Tip: If your result displays as a strange date instead of a number (e.g., '03/30/1900'), right-click the cell, select 'Format Cells', and change the category to 'Number' with 0 decimal places.

Solution 2

Calculate Standard Ticket Age Without a Cap

If you just need to know the total elapsed days without any maximum limit, you can simply subtract the start date from today's date.

Track Ticket Ages and Dates Effortlessly in WPS Spreadsheet

WPS Spreadsheet fully supports standard Excel functions like TODAY and MIN, allowing you to easily track SLAs, ticket ages, and project deadlines efficiently. It offers a smooth, lightweight experience for data management.

1. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open your ticket tracking or project management workbook.
2. Format your date column: Highlight the column with your ticket creation dates, right-click, select 'Format Cells', and ensure it is formatted as 'Date'.
3. Apply the MIN formula: In an empty column designated for Ticket Age, enter =MIN(TODAY()-D3, 90) and press Enter.
4. Drag to fill: Click the fill handle at the bottom-right of the active cell and drag it down to automatically calculate the capped age for all your tickets.

100% compatible with Microsoft Excel formulas, date functions, and formattingLightweight application that runs smoothly on Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile devicesBuilt-in templates for project management, ticketing, and timeline trackingFree to use with a familiar, tabbed user interface for seamless workflow migration

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my elapsed days formula return a date instead of a number?

This happens when Excel automatically applies Date formatting to the cell because it detects date values in your formula. To fix it, right-click the cell, select 'Format Cells', and choose 'General' or 'Number'.

Can I cap the ticket age at a different number of days?

Yes, simply change the number '90' in the formula =MIN(TODAY()-D3, 90) to whatever maximum limit you need, such as 30, 45, or 120 days.

How do I stop the formula from counting if the ticket is already closed?

You can use an IF statement to check if a close date exists. For example, if cell E3 contains the close date, use the formula: =IF(E3="", MIN(TODAY()-D3, 90), MIN(E3-D3, 90)). This uses the close date if available, or today's date if the ticket is still open.

Does the TODAY() function update automatically?

Yes, the TODAY() function is a volatile function. It automatically updates to the current system date every time the worksheet is recalculated, modified, or reopened.

Excel & Data Problems