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Date function
DAYS
Returns the number of days between two dates.
CommonDifficulty 950 · CapableUsage rank #153 of 520
When to use it
The number of days between two dates: end minus start. Subtraction does the same thing; DAYS reads more clearly and accepts text dates.
The shape of it
- Syntax
=DAYS(end_date, start_date)
Worked examples
Days between
=DAYS(DATE(2025,3,15),DATE(2025,1,1)) → 73
End date first.
Days since
=DAYS(TODAY(),A1) → 540
Days since the date in A1.
From text
=DAYS("3/15/2025","1/1/2025") → 73
Text dates are converted.
Worth knowing
- Argument order is end then start; the opposite of most people's instinct.
- Business days need NETWORKDAYS instead.
- Negative results mean the start is after the end.
Where it goes wrong
- #VALUE! for text that is not a date.
- Easy to swap the arguments and get a negative number.
Related
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