Date & Time

NETWORKDAYS Function in Excel

Returns the number of whole working days between two dates, excluding weekends and holidays.

Syntax

  • =NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])

Arguments

  • start_date (required): Start date
  • end_date (required): End date
  • holidays (optional): Range of holiday dates to exclude

Examples

  • =NETWORKDAYS("1/1/2024", "1/31/2024") - Working days in January - Result: 23

Excel NETWORKDAYS function documentation

  • NETWORKDAYS counts working days between two dates — excludes Saturdays and Sundays by default.
  • Syntax: =NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays]).
  • Use for SLA tracking, project duration, and business-day interest accrual.
  • Related: [WORKDAY](/functions/workday/), [NETWORKDAYS.INTL](/functions/networkdays-intl/), [DATEDIF](/functions/datedif/).

NETWORKDAYS syntax and holidays range

  • start_date and end_date both inclusive when counting business days between them.
  • holidays (optional): range of dates to exclude in addition to weekends — lock with $ references.
  • If end_date before start_date, result is negative.
  • Does not exclude partial days — whole dates only.

Step-by-step: business days on a project

  • Step 1 — Start in B2, End in C2.
  • Step 2 — =NETWORKDAYS(B2, C2) for Mon–Fri count.
  • Step 3 — List holidays in sheet Holidays column E2:E20.
  • Step 4 — =NETWORKDAYS(B2, C2, $E$2:$E$20).
  • Step 5 — Compare with calendar days =C2-B2 to show weekend/holiday impact.

NETWORKDAYS vs WORKDAY vs calendar days

  • NETWORKDAYS — count business days between two fixed dates.
  • WORKDAY — add N business days forward/back from a start date.
  • end - start — calendar days including weekends.
  • Custom weekends (e.g. Fri–Sat): use NETWORKDAYS.INTL.

Worked examples to copy

  • SLA days used: =NETWORKDAYS(open_date, TODAY()).
  • With holidays: =NETWORKDAYS(A2, B2, Holidays[Date]).
  • Remaining business days: =NETWORKDAYS(TODAY(), due_date).
  • Exclude today: =NETWORKDAYS(TODAY()+1, due_date) when policy excludes start day.

People also ask

  • Does NETWORKDAYS include start and end? — Yes, both dates count if they are workdays.
  • NETWORKDAYS holidays optional? — Yes; omit third argument for weekends only.
  • NETWORKDAYS international? — Default Sat/Sun weekend; INTL variant for others.
  • NETWORKDAYS negative? — End before start returns negative count.

Common errors

  • Excludes Saturdays and Sundays by default

Use cases

  • Project planning
  • Deadline calculations
  • Business days

Frequently asked questions

  • How do I exclude holidays from the count? List holidays in a range and reference it: =NETWORKDAYS(A1, B1, Holidays). The Holidays range should contain dates like Christmas, New Year, etc. NETWORKDAYS will skip these dates in addition to weekends.
  • How do I count only specific weekdays? Use NETWORKDAYS.INTL with a weekend parameter: =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(A1, B1, "0000011") counts Mon-Fri only. The 7-character string specifies which days are weekends (1=weekend, 0=workday).
  • Why is my result negative? NETWORKDAYS returns negative when end_date is before start_date. This is useful for calculating days remaining: =NETWORKDAYS(TODAY(), deadline) shows negative if deadline passed.

Editorial review

  • Reviewed by Excel.Directory Editorial Team. Updated May 2026.

When to use NETWORKDAYS

  • Project planning — common Date & Time scenario for NETWORKDAYS.
  • Deadline calculations — common Date & Time scenario for NETWORKDAYS.
  • Business days — common Date & Time scenario for NETWORKDAYS.

NETWORKDAYS in the Date & Time category

  • Browse all Date & Time functions at /categories/date-time/ for related formulas.
  • NETWORKDAYS syntax: =NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])
  • start_date (required): Start date
  • end_date (required): End date
  • holidays (optional): Range of holiday dates to exclude
  • Confirm NETWORKDAYS arguments match the syntax shown above before filling down.
  • Lock table and range references with $ when copying formulas across rows or sheets.

Formula checklist before you copy down

  • Confirm NETWORKDAYS arguments match the syntax shown above before filling down.
  • Lock table and range references with $ when copying formulas across rows or sheets.
  • If results look wrong, check for text stored as numbers and invisible spaces with TRIM.
  • Spot-check three known input rows manually against expected output.

Related Excel functions

  • NETWORKDAYS.INTL (/functions/networkdays-intl/): Returns the number of whole workdays between two dates with custom weekend parameters.
  • WORKDAY (/functions/workday/): Returns a date that is a specified number of working days before or after a start date.
  • DAYS (/functions/days/): Returns the number of days between two dates.

Errors to watch for

  • Excludes Saturdays and Sundays by default — review causes on linked error pages in the directory.

Copy-paste audit workflow

  • Enter NETWORKDAYS on three test rows with known expected output documented on a QA tab.
  • Fill down only after absolute references are locked on lookup tables and rate tables.
  • Compare against manual calculation or a calculator for financial and statistical functions.
  • Search this directory for comparison guides when choosing between similar functions in the same category.

NETWORKDAYS worked examples to copy

  • =NETWORKDAYS("1/1/2024", "1/31/2024") — Working days in January. Expected result: 23.

NETWORKDAYS reference summary for crawlers and offline review

  • NETWORKDAYS belongs to the Date & Time category in Excel. Returns the number of whole working days between two dates, excluding weekends and holidays.
  • Full syntax: =NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays]). Open /functions/networkdays/ for parameters, FAQs, and related pages.
  • Common mistakes: Excludes Saturdays and Sundays by default
  • Pair this function with comparison guides when another Excel formula might fit the same task better.
  • Review fix-excel-formula-errors when unexpected errors appear after upgrading Excel or sharing across locales.