The NETWORKDAYS function in Excel
NETWORKDAYS counts the working days (Monday to Friday) between two dates, including both the start and the end date. Add a list of holidays and it skips those too. Use it for project durations, leave requests, SLA tracking and working days left in a month.
Syntax
=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])
| start_date | The first date of the period. |
|---|---|
| end_date | The last date of the period. If it's before start_date, the result is negative. |
| holidays | Optional. A range of dates that aren't working days, like $E$2:$E$4. |
Try it yourself
This is a live spreadsheet. Type the formula and press Enter.
In D2, use NETWORKDAYS to count how many working days of leave the employee takes, from B2 to C2, excluding the public holidays in F2:F4.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Working days | Holidays | |||||
| 2 | |||||||
| 3 | |||||||
| 4 | |||||||
| 5 | |||||||
| 6 | |||||||
| 7 | |||||||
| 8 |
Tip: The first day goes first and the last day second. Add the holiday range as the third argument.
Examples
=NETWORKDAYS(B2,C2)→ 23Counts the weekdays in December 2025, from Monday Dec 1 to Wednesday Dec 31. Both end dates count.
=NETWORKDAYS(B2,C2,E2:E4)→ 21The same period with the holiday list. Dec 25 and 26 fall on weekdays, so the count drops by 2.
=NETWORKDAYS(B3,C3,E2:E4)*8→ 80Two full working weeks for the audit, multiplied by 8 hours a day: the hours available for the work.
Example data
| 1 | Project | Start | End | Holidays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Website refresh | 12/1/2025 | 12/31/2025 | 12/25/2025 | |
| 3 | Annual audit | 1/5/2026 | 1/16/2026 | 12/26/2025 | |
| 4 | 1/1/2026 |
Common mistakes
Off by one day
NETWORKDAYS counts both the start and end date. Monday to Friday of one week is 5, not 4. Subtracting the dates,
C2-B2, doesn't count the start day.Holiday range moves when filled down
Lock the holiday list with
$, as in$E$2:$E$4, so every row checks the same dates.Dates in the wrong order
If the end date comes before the start date, you get a negative count. Check that the start date goes first.
A different weekend
NETWORKDAYS treats Saturday and Sunday as the weekend. Use NETWORKDAYS.INTL to choose other weekend days.
FAQ
Does NETWORKDAYS include the start and end date?+
Yes. Both count, as long as they're working days. NETWORKDAYS from a Monday to the same Monday returns 1.
How do I count working days left until a deadline?+
Start from today: =NETWORKDAYS(TODAY(),B2,$E$2:$E$10). The count includes today if it's a working day.
How do I count weekend days between two dates?+
Take the total days and subtract the working days: =(C2-B2+1)-NETWORKDAYS(B2,C2).
Lesson
Master NETWORKDAYS step by step: Workdays: NETWORKDAYS and WORKDAY
Count working days between two dates with NETWORKDAYS and find a deadline a number of working days away with WORKDAY, skipping weekends and a holiday list.