In this comprehensive guide, we will explore everything you need to know about the NETWORKDAYS.INTL formula in Excel. The NETWORKDAYS.INTL function is a powerful tool that calculates the number of working days between two dates, taking into account weekends and optionally, holidays. This function is particularly useful for project management, employee scheduling, and other time-sensitive tasks that require an accurate count of working days.
NETWORKDAYS.INTL Syntax
The syntax for the NETWORKDAYS.INTL formula is as follows:
NETWORKDAYS.INTL(start_date, end_date, [weekend], [holidays])
Where:
- start_date (required) – The start date of the period you want to calculate working days for.
- end_date (required) – The end date of the period you want to calculate working days for.
- weekend (optional) – A number or string representing the weekend days. If omitted, Excel assumes the weekend to be Saturday and Sunday.
- holidays (optional) – A range of cells containing holiday dates that should be excluded from the working days count.
NETWORKDAYS.INTL Examples
Let’s look at some examples to better understand how the NETWORKDAYS.INTL formula works:
Example 1: Calculate the number of working days between two dates, excluding weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and holidays.
=NETWORKDAYS.INTL(“2022-01-01”, “2022-01-31”, 1, A1:A3)
In this example, the formula calculates the number of working days between January 1, 2022, and January 31, 2022, excluding weekends and holidays listed in the range A1:A3.
Example 2: Calculate the number of working days between two dates, excluding weekends (Friday and Saturday) and holidays.
=NETWORKDAYS.INTL(“2022-01-01”, “2022-01-31”, 7, A1:A3)
In this example, the formula calculates the number of working days between January 1, 2022, and January 31, 2022, excluding weekends (Friday and Saturday) and holidays listed in the range A1:A3.
Example 3: Calculate the number of working days between two dates, excluding custom weekends (Thursday and Friday) and holidays.
=NETWORKDAYS.INTL(“2022-01-01”, “2022-01-31”, “0001100”, A1:A3)
In this example, the formula calculates the number of working days between January 1, 2022, and January 31, 2022, excluding custom weekends (Thursday and Friday) and holidays listed in the range A1:A3.
NETWORKDAYS.INTL Tips & Tricks
Here are some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of the NETWORKDAYS.INTL formula:
- When specifying the weekend parameter, you can use either a number (1-7) or a string of seven 0s and 1s, where 1 represents a non-working day and 0 represents a working day. The string starts with Monday and ends with Sunday (e.g., “0000011” for Friday and Saturday as weekends).
- If you need to calculate the number of working days between two dates without considering holidays, simply omit the holidays parameter.
- Remember that the NETWORKDAYS.INTL function is case-insensitive, so you can use upper or lower case letters when specifying the weekend string.
- Use the EDATE function in combination with NETWORKDAYS.INTL to calculate the number of working days within a specific number of months from a given date.
Common Mistakes When Using NETWORKDAYS.INTL
Here are some common mistakes to avoid when using the NETWORKDAYS.INTL formula:
- Not specifying the weekend parameter correctly. Make sure to use either a number (1-7) or a string of seven 0s and 1s to define the weekend days.
- Forgetting to include the holidays parameter when you need to exclude specific holiday dates from the working days count.
- Using incorrect date formats for the start_date and end_date parameters. Excel may not recognize the dates correctly if they are not in a supported format.
Why Isn’t My NETWORKDAYS.INTL Working?
If your NETWORKDAYS.INTL formula isn’t working as expected, consider the following troubleshooting steps:
- Check the start_date and end_date parameters for correct date formats. Excel may not recognize the dates if they are not in a supported format.
- Ensure that the weekend parameter is specified correctly, using either a number (1-7) or a string of seven 0s and 1s.
- Verify that the holidays parameter is pointing to the correct range of cells containing holiday dates.
- Make sure there are no circular references or other errors in your worksheet that may be affecting the NETWORKDAYS.INTL formula.
NETWORKDAYS.INTL: Related Formulae
Here are some related formulae that you may find useful when working with the NETWORKDAYS.INTL function:
- NETWORKDAYS: Calculates the number of working days between two dates, excluding weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and optionally, holidays.
- WORKDAY: Returns the date that is a specified number of working days before or after a given date, excluding weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and optionally, holidays.
- WORKDAY.INTL: Returns the date that is a specified number of working days before or after a given date, excluding custom weekends and optionally, holidays.
- EDATE: Returns the date that is a specified number of months before or after a given date.
- EOMONTH: Returns the date of the last day of the month that is a specified number of months before or after a given date.
With this comprehensive guide, you should now have a solid understanding of the NETWORKDAYS.INTL formula in Excel and how to use it effectively in your spreadsheets. Happy calculating!
