Coding⏱️ 2 min read📅 2026-05-31

How to Fix: Trying to mock datetime.date.today(), but not working

Mocking datetime.date.today() doesn't work as expected. Use mock.patch instead.

Quick Answer: Use mock.patch to replace the original date.today() function with a custom implementation.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 💡 Why You Are Getting This Error
  2. 🔧 Proven Troubleshooting Steps
  3. 💡 Conclusion

Trying to mock datetime.date.today(), but not working is a common issue that can be resolved by understanding how mocking works in Python.

💡 Why You Are Getting This Error

  • When you use the `@mock.patch` decorator, it replaces the original module with a mock object during test execution. However, in this case, `datetime.date.today()` is called before the patch decorator is applied.

🔧 Proven Troubleshooting Steps

Method 1: Patching datetime.date.today() Before Calling It

  1. Step 1: Import the mock library and patch the `datetime` module before calling `date.today()`.

Method 2: Using a Mock Object

  1. Step 1: Create a mock object for `datetime.date.today()` using the `mock.patch` decorator.

💡 Conclusion

To fix this issue, you can patch `datetime.date.today()` before calling it or use a mock object to replace its behavior. By following these steps, you should be able to successfully mock `datetime.date.today()` and achieve your testing goals.

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