ExcelDateIntermediate

NETWORKDAYS

Returns the number of whole working days between two dates.

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=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])
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What the function does

Overview

Returns the number of whole working days between two dates.

The NETWORKDAYS function calculates the total number of working days between two dates, inclusive of both the start and end dates. By default, it excludes weekends (Saturday and Sunday). A critical feature is the optional [holidays] argument, which allows you to specify a range of cells or an array constant containing dates to be excluded from the count. Technical best practice dictates using cell references to a dedicated holiday table rather than hard-coding dates. Note that if the ate occurs after the ate, the function returns a negative integer. If your business operates on non-standard weekends (e.g., Sunday only or Friday-Saturday), you should use NETWORKDAYS.INTL instead, as this function is hard-coded for standard Saturday/Sunday weekends.

Quick reference

Syntax

=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])

Inputs

Arguments

start_dateStart date
Example: A2
end_dateEnd date
Example: B2
holidays (optional)List of holidays to exclude
Example: H1:H10

Formula patterns

Examples

1

Basic working day calculation

=NETWORKDAYS(A2, B2)
project managementduration
2

Excluding company holidays

=NETWORKDAYS(A2, B2, C2:C15)
payrollplanning
3

Calculating workdays from start to today

=NETWORKDAYS(A2, TODAY())
trackingkpi

Avoid these issues

Common Errors

1

#VALUE!

Cause: One of the arguments is a text string that Excel cannot interpret as a valid date, or the date is outside the supported range.

Fix: Convert text dates to actual date values using the Date shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+3) or wrap the inputs in the DATE function.

2

Negative result

Cause: The start_date argument is chronologically later than the end_date argument.

Fix: Verify the order of arguments or use ABS(NETWORKDAYS(A2, B2)) if you only require the absolute count of days.

Platform support

Compatibility

Excel 2007+Excel-first

Source: Microsoft Support

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Returns the number of whole working days between two dates.

ate: Start date ate: End date holidays: List of holidays to exclude

#VALUE!: Convert text dates to actual date values using the Date shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+3) or wrap the inputs in the DATE function. Negative result: Verify the order of arguments or use ABS(NETWORKDAYS(A2, B2)) if you only require the absolute count of days.