Syntax
=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])
start_date- The first day of the period.
end_date- The last day of the period.
holidays- Optional. A range of dates to skip, such as public holidays.
NETWORKDAYS function in Google Sheets
NETWORKDAYS counts the working days (Monday to Friday) between two dates, including both the start and the end, and can leave out a list of holidays. Use it for project timelines, SLA tracking and payroll days.
Practice NETWORKDAYS
Task 1 of 2
How many working days (Mon to Fri) does the first project span, counting the start and end days? Answer in D2.
Tip: while typing a formula, click a cell or drag across cells to insert references. Press Enter to check, and Tab to accept a function suggestion.
NETWORKDAYS examples
Each example below runs against this sample sheet. The results are calculated by the same engine as the practice grid.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Task | Start | Due | Holidays |
| 2 | Kickoff | 1/5/2026 | 1/9/2026 | 1/19/2026 |
| 3 | Design | 1/12/2026 | 2/13/2026 | 2/16/2026 |
| 4 | Build | 2/16/2026 | 4/30/2026 | 5/25/2026 |
| 5 | Launch | 5/4/2026 | 5/29/2026 |
| Formula | Result | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
=NETWORKDAYS(B2, C2) | 5 | Monday to Friday of one week is 5, both ends included. |
=NETWORKDAYS(B3, C3) | 25 | Working days in the Design phase. |
=NETWORKDAYS(B3, C3, D2:D4) | 24 | The same, minus the holiday in that period. |
=NETWORKDAYS(B2, C5, D2:D4) | 102 | Working days from Kickoff to Launch, excluding the holidays. |
=NETWORKDAYS(C3, B3) | -25 | Dates in the wrong order give a negative count. |
Tips and common mistakes
- Both the start and end dates are counted if they are weekdays. DAYS, by contrast, doesn't count the start day.
- Holidays that fall on a weekend are ignored, since weekends aren't counted anyway.
- For a weekend other than Saturday and Sunday, Sheets has NETWORKDAYS.INTL.
- Keep holidays in their own range and lock it with $ signs ($D$2:$D$4) before copying the formula down.
Related functions
Learning step by step? NETWORKDAYS is covered in Lesson 42: NETWORKDAYS & WORKDAY of the free course.