WORKDAY function
WORKDAY returns the date a given number of working days before or after a start date, skipping weekends and any holidays you list. Use it for ship dates, deadlines and follow-up dates that must land on a business day. The start date itself is not counted.
- Available in
- Every current version
- Category
- Date functions
- Returns
- A date serial number. Format the cell as a date.
- Google Sheets
- Works the same in Google Sheets.
Syntax
=WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays])
| Argument | Required? | What it is |
|---|---|---|
start_date | Required | The date to count from. It isn't counted as one of the days. |
days | Required | How many working days to move. Negative numbers count backward. |
holidays | Optional | An optional range of dates to skip. |
Examples
Each result below is calculated from the sample sheet by our formula engine, the same one that grades the practice.
| Cell | Formula | Result | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| F2 | =WORKDAY(A2,B2) | Nov 27, 2026 | Three working days after Tuesday, November 24 |
| F3 | =WORKDAY(A2,B2,D2:D4) | Dec 1, 2026 | Skipping Thanksgiving and the day after pushes it to December 1 |
| F4 | =WORKDAY(A3,B3,D2:D4) | Dec 28, 2026 | Christmas Day and the weekend push this one to December 28 |
Try it live
This is the sample sheet. Change any number or text, or edit a formula, and the results update.
Show the sample data as a table
| Order date | Days | Holidays | Result | ||
| 11/24/2026 | 3 | 11/26/2026 | Nov 27, 2026 | ||
| 12/23/2026 | 2 | 11/27/2026 | Dec 1, 2026 | ||
| 12/25/2026 | Dec 28, 2026 |
Practice WORKDAY
Graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data.
Ship dates
C2, calculate each ship date: the order date plus the processing days, skipping weekends and the holidays in E2:E4. Fill down to C6.Common mistakes
| What you see | Why, and how to fix it |
|---|---|
| A five-digit number instead of a date | WORKDAY returns a serial number. Format the cell as a date. |
| The deadline is a day late | The start date doesn't count. WORKDAY(A2,1) is the next working day, not A2 itself. |
| Holidays are ignored after filling down | The holiday range shifted. Lock it with $: $D$2:$D$4. |
Tips
- Use a negative number of days to find when work must start: =WORKDAY(deadline,-10).
Questions
How do I add business days to a date in Excel?
Use =WORKDAY(A2,10) to move 10 working days forward, skipping weekends. Add a holiday range as the third argument.
Does WORKDAY count the start date?
No. It starts counting from the next working day, so WORKDAY(A2,1) is the first business day after A2.
Can WORKDAY skip a different weekend, like Friday and Saturday?
Not WORKDAY itself. WORKDAY.INTL takes a weekend argument for that.
Last reviewed October 2026. Every example result on this page is calculated live by the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine.