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How to calculate business days between two dates in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Date arithmeticExcel & Google Sheets
=NETWORKDAYS(A2,B2)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Start Date | End Date | Business Days |
| 01/01/2024 | 01/10/2024 | |
| 02/01/2024 | 02/15/2024 | |
| 03/01/2024 | 03/10/2024 |
=NETWORKDAYS(A2,B2)→197
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Step by step
- 1Enter your start date in cell A2 and end date in cell B2.
- 2In cell C2, enter the formula =NETWORKDAYS(A2,B2) for Excel or =NETWORKDAYS(A2,B2) for Google Sheets.
- 3Press Enter to see the number of business days between the two dates.
Tips
- Ensure your dates are in a valid date format to avoid errors.
- The NETWORKDAYS function automatically excludes weekends but does not account for holidays. You can add a range of holiday dates as a third argument if needed.
- Be aware of locale settings affecting date formats in different versions of Excel and Google Sheets.
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Frequently asked
What if I need to exclude specific holidays?
You can add a range of holiday dates as a third argument in the NETWORKDAYS function.
Does this function count the start and end dates as business days?
Yes, both the start and end dates are included in the count if they fall on a weekday.
Can I use this function with dates in different cells?
Absolutely, just reference the appropriate cells in the NETWORKDAYS formula.
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How-toHow to calculate days between two dates
Subtract one date from another to get the number of days, or count working days with NETWORKDAYS. Works in both apps.
How-toHow to add months to a date
Shift a date forward or back by a number of months with EDATE — it handles month lengths correctly. Works in both apps.
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Mark rows whose due date has passed by comparing it to TODAY() with IF. Works the same in Excel and Google Sheets.