Spreadsheet formulas

Excel NETWORKDAYS Formula Explained

A practical spreadsheet guide for working-day calculations.

Quick answer

Use Excel NETWORKDAYS to count working days between dates and exclude holidays.

=NETWORKDAYS(start_date,end_date,holidays)

When to use this formula

Use it when you need a repeatable spreadsheet calculation for invoice due dates, project plans, payroll checks, support SLAs, or other weekday-based deadlines.

Common checks

  • Make sure your date cells are real dates, not text.
  • Keep public holidays in a separate list.
  • Confirm whether the start date should count.

Need a quick answer without spreadsheet setup?

FAQs

What does NETWORKDAYS do?

NETWORKDAYS counts weekdays between two dates and can exclude a list of holiday dates.

Does NETWORKDAYS include the start date?

Yes, if the start date is a working day it is included in the count.

Can I use holidays?

Yes. Add a holiday range as the third argument.