EDATE
Date & Time
Returns a date that is a specified number of months before or after a start date.
Translations
EnglishEDATE
FrenchMOIS.DECALER
SpanishFECHA.MES
GermanEDATUM
ItalianDATA.MESE
PortugueseDATAM
DutchZELFDE.DAG
PolishDATA.MIESIĄC
RussianДАТАМЕС
TurkishSERİTARİH
CzechEDATE
HungarianDÁTUM.HÓNAP
SwedishEDATUM
DanishEDATO
FinnishKUUKAUSI.LISÄÄ
Syntax
EDATE(start_date, months)Arguments
start_dateThe starting datemonthsMonths to add (negative for before)
Examples
=EDATE(TODAY(),1)Next month
One month from today
=EDATE(A1,-3)3 months ago
Three months before date
=EDATE("2024-01-31",1)2024-02-29
Handles month-end
Tips & Best Practices
- •Adjusts for month-end dates
- •Negative months go backward
- •Great for payment schedules
Common Mistakes
- •Expecting EDATE to keep the exact same day of the month when the target month is shorter, like January 31 plus one month - it adjusts down to the last valid day instead
- •Forgetting EDATE returns a date serial number that needs formatting to actually display as a date
- •Using a positive number when meaning to go backward, or vice versa - negative months go back in time, positive months go forward
Related Functions
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when EDATE lands on a day that doesn't exist, like adding a month to January 31?
It rolls back to the last valid day of the target month - January 31 plus one month becomes February 28 (or 29 in a leap year), not March 3.
How do I go back in time with EDATE instead of forward?
Use a negative number of months, like EDATE(A1,-3) to go back three months.
Why does EDATE display a number instead of a date?
Apply date formatting to the cell - EDATE returns the correct underlying value, but formatting controls how it's displayed.
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