NETWORKDAYS.INTL: Google Sheets Formulas Explained

Hey there, fellow spreadsheet enthusiasts! Are you tired of manually counting the number of workdays between two dates in Google Sheets? Let me introduce you to the lifesaver formula known as NETWORKDAYS.INTL.

But first, what even is a network day? Essentially, it refers to a workday that isn't a weekend or a holiday. This formula helps calculate the number of network days between two dates, taking into account weekends and holidays.

How to Use NETWORKDAYS.INTL

The syntax for the formula is straightforward. It goes like this: NETWORKDAYS.INTL(start_date, end_date, [weekend], [holidays]).

The first two parameters, start_date and end_date, refer to the beginning and end dates of the time period in question. These can be cell references or actual dates.

The optional third parameter, [weekend], determines which days should be considered weekends. By default, Saturday and Sunday are considered weekends, but you can specify different days by inputting a number code.

The code works like this:

• 1: Saturday and Sunday
• 2: Sunday and Monday
• 3: Monday and Tuesday
• 4: Tuesday and Wednesday
• 5: Wednesday and Thursday
• 6: Thursday and Friday
• 7: Friday and Saturday

For example, to exclude Thursday and Friday as weekends, you would input the code "6".

The final optional parameter, [holidays], allows you to input any additional days to exclude from the calculation. This can be inputted as a range of dates or as individual cell references.

As a quick example, let's say we want to know the number of work days excluding weekends and three holidays (July 4th, Labor Day, and Christmas) between November 1st and December 31st. Our formula would look like this:

=NETWORKDAYS.INTL("11/1/2021", "12/31/2021", 1, {"7/4/2021", "9/6/2021", "12/25/2021"})

When we hit enter, we get the result of 41 workdays. Amazing!

Customizing NETWORKDAYS.INTL

Now, what if you wanted to add your own company's holidays to the formula? You could manually input them like in the example above, but that gets tedious fast.

One way to make it easier is to create a separate holiday list in your Google Sheets document that the formula can reference. This way, you can easily add or remove holidays from the list without having to constantly change the formula.

Here's how:

1. Create a new sheet in your Google Sheets document and name it "Holidays".
2. List all of your company's holidays in either column A or row 1.
3. Next, select the range of your holiday list and name it by clicking on the cell reference box. Type in "Holidays" as the new name and hit enter.
4. Now, when you use the NETWORKDAYS.INTL formula, you can reference the holiday list by typing "Holidays" as the [holidays] parameter. Make sure to include quotation marks around the word!
5. If you need to update the holiday list, simply go to the "Holidays" sheet and edit it as needed. The formula will automatically update to reflect the changes.

Boom! Now you have a dynamic holiday list that can be easily modified for years to come.

In Conclusion...

NETWORKDAYS.INTL is a powerful formula that can save you time and effort when calculating workdays in Google Sheets. Don't let manual counting bog you down - implement this formula and make your life easier.

With just a little bit of customization, you can make the formula even more powerful and suited to your specific needs. So go forth, spreadsheet warriors, and conquer those calculations with NETWORKDAYS.INTL!