How can I use JavaScript to subtract days from a date?

General Discussions
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1

I’m looking for a simple way to take a plain JavaScript Date (like today) and go back X number of days.

For example, how would I calculate the date 5 days before today using a javascript subtract days from date approach?

2

You can use setDate() Method which is quick and easy

const today = new Date();
today.setDate(today.getDate() - 5); // Subtract 5 days
console.log(today);

Why I like this: This is the most straightforward way—no need for any external libraries, and it works well with native Date objects.

3

If you’re already using Moment.js

const moment = require('moment');
const fiveDaysAgo = moment().subtract(5, 'days');
console.log(fiveDaysAgo.format());

I had an ongoing project with moment.js where time calculations were frequent. It made date manipulation super smooth!

4

You can also use the Date constructor, which automatically handles date wrapping when adding or subtracting days.

const today = new Date();
const fiveDaysAgo = new Date(today.setDate(today.getDate() - 5)); // Subtract 5 days
console.log(fiveDaysAgo);

This approach returns a new Date object, so you won’t modify the original today variable.