How to Display a Message When a Date Is Four Days Old in WPS Office Spreadsheets
Question details
The user needs a formula in WPS Spreadsheets to display a message when the date in cell A6 is exactly four days before today, or at least four days old, ignoring empty cells.
- Product
- WPS Office Spreadsheets
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Use a worksheet cell to show an alert or notice based on the age of a date entered in A6 relative to the current date.
- Observed behavior
- No message appears automatically when A6 contains a date that is four days old or older; the user needs a formula to generate the message.
Confirm that cell A6 contains a valid date value rather than text. Select the cell where you want the message to appear and make sure it is empty or set to General format so the formula result can display normally.
Use IF with TODAY() to show a message only when the date is exactly four days old
Choose this when you need a notification only for the exact date that is four days before today.
This formula compares A6 to TODAY()-4. If the date matches exactly, it returns the message; otherwise it leaves the cell empty.
Click the cell where the note should appear, such as B6, so the formula does not overwrite the date in A6.
Type =IF(A6=TODAY()-4,"The date in A6 is four days ago!","") and press Enter.
Temporarily enter a date four days before today in A6 and confirm that B6 displays the message.
Use IF with AND to show a message for dates four or more days old and ignore blanks
Use this for a more robust rule that displays the note when A6 is not blank and is four or more days old.
Create Date-Based Message Formulas in WPS Office Spreadsheets
Use WPS Office Spreadsheets to open your Excel workbook and enter simple IF, AND, and TODAY formulas that display a message when a date in A6 is four days old or older. WPS Spreadsheets is fully compatible with Excel formulas, so your date alerts work without changing your file.
- 1. Open your workbook in WPS Office Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Office, click Open, and select the Excel file that contains the date in cell A6.
- 2. Select the result cell: Click the cell where the message should appear, such as B6.
- 3. Enter the appropriate formula: Type =IF(AND(A6<>"",A6<=TODAY()-4),"The date in A6 is four or more days ago","") and press Enter.
- 4. Test the date message: Enter a date four days old or older in A6 and confirm that the message appears; clear A6 to verify the blank check.
- 5. Save or share the workbook: Save the file in .xlsx format to keep the formula working when you reopen it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my formula return blank even when A6 has a date?
The value in A6 is probably stored as text. Select A6, press Ctrl+1, choose Date, and re-enter the date. Also ensure the formula cell is set to General rather than Text.
Can I display the message in A6 itself?
No, because A6 must hold the date. Put the formula in another cell such as B6, or use Conditional Formatting to highlight A6 instead.
How can I highlight the date instead of showing a text message?
Select A6, go to Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule, choose Use a formula, enter =AND(A6<>"",A6<=TODAY()-4), and then set a fill color.
Does TODAY() update the message automatically every day?
Yes, TODAY() is a volatile function and recalculates when the workbook opens, when the sheet calculates, or when you edit cells, so the message updates automatically.
Can I use a specific base date instead of today?
Yes. Replace TODAY() with DATE(2025,1,1) or with a cell reference such as $B$1 that contains the base date, and adjust the -4 offset if needed.
