The edate function in excel, is a small and simple yet very powerfull tool. In this article, I will explain you how to use it.
How to make Excel add months to date using Edate function
In Microsoft Excel, you can add a number of months to a date using the EDATE function. The EDATE function is categorized under the DATE/TIME function. The function helps add a specified number of months to a date and returns the result as a serial date. This is helpful for financial analysts to calculate maturity dates for accounts payable. The EDATE function also helps in calculating summary by month.
How does the EDATE function in excel work?
- Syntax:
EDATE( start_date, months)
- Parameters:
- start_date – The starting date to use in the calculation
- months – The number of months to be added to start_date. It can be either a positive or negative number.
- Returns:
The EDATE function returns a serial date value. A serial date is how Excel stores data internally and it represents the number of days since January 1, 1900.
If start_date is not a valid date, the EDATE function will return the #VALUE! error.
- Applies to:
Excel for Office 365, Excel 2019, Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007.
Edate function in excel Example
Let’s look at some Excel EDATE function examples and explore how to use the EDATE function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
The result of the EDATE function is a serial date and can be seen in column C above. In order to see the formatted date instead of a serial date, you need to format the cells to mmm, d, yyyy.