MS Excel: NETWORKDAYS.INTL function for # of workdays between workdays
- Fakhriddinbek
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
The NETWORKDAYS.INTL function in Excel is a powerful upgrade of the NETWORKDAYS function. It calculates the number of working days between two dates with the flexibility to define which days of the week are considered weekends and exclude optional holidays.
This function is particularly useful in industries or countries where the standard weekend is not Saturday–Sunday (e.g., Sunday–Monday or Friday–Saturday).
Syntax
=NETWORKDAYS.INTL(start_date, end_date, [weekend], [holidays])
Arguments:
Argument | Required | Description |
start_date | Yes | The start of the date range |
end_date | Yes | The end of the date range |
weekend | No | A number or string defining which days are weekends |
holidays | No | A range or array of dates to treat as holidays |
Weekend Codes
Numeric Weekend Values:
Code | Weekend Days |
1 | Saturday–Sunday |
2 | Sunday–Monday |
3 | Monday–Tuesday |
4 | Tuesday–Wednesday |
5 | Wednesday–Thursday |
6 | Thursday–Friday |
7 | Friday–Saturday |
11 | Sunday only |
12 | Monday only |
... | ... up to 17 (Saturday only) |
Custom Weekend String (7 characters):
Use a 7-character string of 0s and 1s where each digit represents a day of the week starting from Monday.
1 = Weekend, 0 = Workday
Example: "0000011" means Saturday and Sunday are weekends.
Examples
Start Date | End Date | Weekend Code | Holidays | Formula | Result | Notes |
2025-05-01 | 2025-05-10 | 1 | none | =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(A2, B2, 1) | 6 | Standard weekend |
2025-05-01 | 2025-05-10 | "0000011" | none | =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(A3, B3, "0000011") | 6 | Same as code 1 |
2025-05-01 | 2025-05-10 | 7 | 2025-05-05 | =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(A4, B4, 7, C4) | 5 | Friday–Saturday weekend + 1 holiday |
2025-12-24 | 2026-01-02 | 11 | 2025-12-25, 2026-01-01 | =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(A5, B5, 11, E5:E6) | 7 | Sunday-only weekend |
Example Table in Excel
A (Start Date) | B (End Date) | C (Weekend Code) | D (Holiday) | Formula | Result |
2025-06-01 | 2025-06-10 | 2 | 2025-06-05 | =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(A2, B2, C2, D2) | 6 |
Related Functions
Function | Description |
NETWORKDAYS | Calculates weekdays (Mon–Fri), excludes fixed weekends only |
WORKDAY.INTL | Returns a future/past workday with custom weekend logic |
TODAY() | Returns current date — useful for dynamic range calculations |
Tips for Advanced Use
Combine with TODAY() to calculate business days remaining:
excel
CopyEdit
=NETWORKDAYS.INTL(TODAY(), DATE(2025,12,31), 1)
Use "1111110" to make only Sunday a workday (i.e., rest of the week off).
Great for businesses with non-standard shifts, such as retail, healthcare, or construction.
Summary Table
Feature | Details |
Function Name | NETWORKDAYS.INTL |
Custom Weekends? | ✅ Yes |
Holiday Support? | ✅ Yes |
Return Type | Number of workdays |
Best For | Global teams, irregular workweeks, advanced date modeling |
Excel Version | Excel 2010 and later |
Conclusion
The NETWORKDAYS.INTL function is your go-to solution when standard weekend logic doesn’t fit. It empowers Excel users to customize what counts as a working day, and accurately account for regional calendars and company policies.
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