Function guides · Date
NETWORKDAYS function
Counts the working days between two dates, excluding weekends and optionally holidays.
Syntax
=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])
| Argument | What it is |
|---|---|
start_date | The first date. It is included in the count. |
end_date | The last date. It is included in the count. |
holidays | Optional. A range of dates to exclude, such as public holidays. |
What NETWORKDAYS does
NETWORKDAYS counts the working days from one date to another, skipping Saturdays and Sundays and, if you give it a list, public holidays.
Both the start and the end date are included when they fall on weekdays. A task from Monday to Friday is five working days.
It is the right tool for turnaround times, project lengths and service levels, anywhere the weekend should not count.
The mirror function, WORKDAY, returns a date instead of a count: the date 10 working days after an order, say.
Store holidays in their own labeled range, and refer to it with absolute references so the formula can be filled down. Some tests supply the holiday list on a second sheet, and the formula must point there with a sheet name.
If your weekend is not Saturday and Sunday, NETWORKDAYS.INTL takes a code or a seven-character string of ones and zeros that marks the days off. For schedules that run six days a week, the string “0000001” marks Sunday only. Hours are not part of either function, so working time in hours needs separate arithmetic.
NETWORKDAYS examples
1. Working days in a month
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start | End | |
| 2 | 3/1/2026 | 3/31/2026 | 22 |
March 2026 begins on a Sunday and ends on a Tuesday. NETWORKDAYS counts Monday to Friday only, including both end dates, which gives 22 working days.
2. Turnaround time with a holiday
| A | B | C | D | E | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opened | Closed | Holiday | |||
| 2 | 3/2/2026 | 3/6/2026 | 3/4/2026 | 4 |
A ticket opened Monday March 2 and closed Friday March 6 spans 5 working days. If Wednesday March 4 is a company holiday listed in D2, that day is removed and the answer is 4.
3. Same day counts as one
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start | End | |
| 2 | 3/4/2026 | 3/4/2026 | 1 |
Both dates are included, so a task that starts and ends on the same weekday counts 1 working day, not 0. Subtract 1 if you want elapsed days instead.
Common NETWORKDAYS mistakes
- Forgetting both ends are included. Monday to Friday is 5, not 4. Subtract 1 if you want the number of days elapsed.
- Leaving out the holiday list. Public holidays on weekdays are counted as working days unless listed.
- Weekend patterns that differ. NETWORKDAYS assumes Saturday and Sunday. For other weekends use NETWORKDAYS.INTL.
- Dates stored as text. Text dates return #VALUE!. Convert them first.
- Reversed dates. If the end date is before the start, the result is negative. Swap the arguments or use ABS.
NETWORKDAYS on Excel job tests
"Working days to complete each task", "business days between order and shipment" and "project duration excluding weekends and holidays" are all NETWORKDAYS. The holiday list is usually on the sheet; refer to it with a locked range.
Both ends are counted, so Monday to Friday is 5. If the prompt says "elapsed" or "days between", subtract 1. When it asks for a date rather than a count, such as delivery 10 working days after the order, you want WORKDAY, which takes the same holiday argument.
Verify one row by counting on a calendar.
Related functions
NETWORKDAYS questions
- Does NETWORKDAYS include the start date?
- Yes, and the end date too, when they are weekdays.
- How do I exclude holidays?
- List the holiday dates in a range and pass it as the third argument.
- How do I change which days are the weekend?
- Use NETWORKDAYS.INTL, which takes a weekend code.
- How do I find the date a number of working days from now?
- Use WORKDAY(start, days, holidays).
Practice NETWORKDAYS
The lesson NETWORKDAYS: counting working days (module 10 of Everyday Excel) has checked NETWORKDAYS exercises. It is part of Full Access; only the first two lessons of each module are free. The free 5-item sample test uses the same kind of formulas in a working grid if you want to try before you decide.
Try a 5-item Excel test sample