NETWORKDAYS in Excel
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NETWORKDAYS counts the working days, Monday to Friday, between two dates. For example, =NETWORKDAYS(B2,C2,F2:F4) returns 17 from December 15, 2025 to January 9, 2026, skipping weekends and the three closed days listed in F2:F4. Both the start and the end date count.
NETWORKDAYS syntax
=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])
- start_date
- The first day of the period: a cell such as
B2, orTODAY(). - end_date
- The last day of the period. If it comes before start_date, the result is negative.
- holidays
- Optional: a range of dates to skip, such as public holidays or days the office is closed. Lock it with
$($F$2:$F$4) before copying the formula.
Practice NETWORKDAYS here
Type your formula straight into the sheet. It’s checked like real Excel, and you can write it with commas or semicolons.
Count the working days in a project
The project runs from the date in B2 to the date in C2. In D2, count its working days (Monday to Friday) with NETWORKDAYS.
| Project | Start date | End date | Working days |
| Payroll migration | 01/09/2025 | 30/09/2025 |
How to use NETWORKDAYS, step by step
- List the holidays or closed days in a column, one date per cell.
- Click the cell for the result and type
=NETWORKDAYS(. - Select the start date, type a comma, select the end date, type a comma, then select the holiday list.
- Close the parenthesis and press Enter. To copy the formula down, press F4 on the holiday range first to lock it.
NETWORKDAYS examples
Working days in a month
=NETWORKDAYS(B2,C2)
From September 1 to September 30, 2025: 22 working days.
Skipping closed days
=NETWORKDAYS(B2,C2,$F$2:$F$4)
From December 15, 2025 to January 9, 2026, without December 25, 26 and January 1: 17 days.
Delivery date with WORKDAY
=WORKDAY(B2,C2,$F$2:$F$4)
Friday, December 19, 2025 plus 5 working days: Tuesday, December 30, 2025.
Working days left in the month
=NETWORKDAYS(B2,EOMONTH(B2,0),$F$2:$F$4)
From December 15, 2025 to the end of the month: 11 working days.
Common NETWORKDAYS errors and how to fix them
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| #VALUE! | A date, or a cell in the holiday list, holds text that Excel can’t read as a date. | Make each one a real date (it aligns to the right), or build it with DATE(year,month,day). |
| Negative result | The start date and the end date are swapped. | Put the earlier date first: =NETWORKDAYS(B2,C2), with B2 before C2. |
| One day too many | The holiday range moved when you copied the formula down, so some rows miss a closed day. | Lock the range with $: $F$2:$F$4. |
| #NAME? | The name is misspelled, for example NETWORKDAY without the S, or WORKDAYS. | Type NETWORKDAYS to count days and WORKDAY to find a date. |
NETWORKDAYS vs WORKDAY and subtracting dates
Subtracting two dates (=C2-B2) counts every calendar day, weekends included, and leaves out one of the two ends. NETWORKDAYS counts only Mondays to Fridays and includes both ends. WORKDAY goes the other way: from a start date and a number of working days, it returns the date you land on, for delivery dates or deadlines. When the weekend isn’t Saturday and Sunday, NETWORKDAYS.INTL and WORKDAY.INTL take a weekend code, for example 11 for Sunday only. Excel doesn’t know any public holidays: list the ones that apply to you.
Frequently asked questions
Does NETWORKDAYS include the start date?
Yes. Both the start and the end date count when they fall on a working day: Monday to Friday of the same week gives 5.
How do I add public holidays?
Type the holiday dates in a range and pass it as the third argument: =NETWORKDAYS(B2,C2,$F$2:$F$10).
How do I count working days when Saturday is a working day?
Use NETWORKDAYS.INTL with the weekend code 11, for Sunday only: =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(B2,C2,11).
How do I find a date 10 working days from today?
Use =WORKDAY(TODAY(),10), and add a holiday range as the third argument if needed.
Keep practising
All 5 NETWORKDAYS exercises, with explanations and progress tracking.
Open the NETWORKDAYS practice set