How to add days to a date in Excel
Formula (Excel and Google Sheets)
=B2+C2Add the number to the date: =B2+C2. Dates are counts of days, so this moves the date forward that many days.
- Result on the example
- one result per row in
D2, filled down toD6 - Works in
- Every current version
- Google Sheets
- Same formula
See it work
The formula is already in D2, filled down to D6. Change any input and the result updates, or edit the formula to experiment.
How it works
A date is stored as the number of days since a starting point, so adding a number moves it forward that many days, across month and year ends: December 28 plus 10 days is January 7. Add a negative number, or subtract, to go back.
=B2+C2Result46113
B23/27/2026The value in B2.
C25The value in C2.
B2+C246113The + operator adds.
In Google Sheets
The same formula works in Google Sheets: =B2+C2. We ran it in Google Sheets mode on the same data and it returns the same results.
Other ways to do it
Each one was run on the same example sheet.
| Formula | Result | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| =WORKDAY(B2,C2) | 4/3/2026, 3/5/2026, 1/11/2027…Different result | Counts business days instead and skips weekends. Add a holiday range as a third argument. Skips Saturdays and Sundays. |
| =DATE(YEAR(B2),MONTH(B2),DAY(B2)+C2) | 4/1/2026, 3/3/2026, 1/7/2027… | Builds the same date from its parts; DATE rolls extra days into the next month. |
Common mistakes
- If the result shows as a number like 46113, format the cell as a date.
- If it shows a date in 1900, the days column is formatted as a date. Format column C as a number.
- A date stored as text gives #VALUE! or a wrong result. Convert it with DATEVALUE first.
Try it yourself
Same data, empty answer cell. Your formula is graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data, so a typed-in number won't pass.
Add days to a date
D2, add the delivery days in column C to the order date, and fill down to D6.Questions
How do I subtract days from a date?
=B2-C2, or add a negative number.
How do I add days to today?
=TODAY()+C2.
Checked by running on 2026-10-30: every formula and result on this page was calculated by the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine, in both Excel and Google Sheets modes.