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Excel

EDATE function in Excel

Returns the serial number of the date that is the indicated number of months before or after the start date

=EDATE(start_date, months)

EDATE syntax and parameters

Two arguments, two required.

  • start_dateanyRequired

    A date that represents the start date. Dates should be entered by using the DATE function, or as results of other formulas or functions. For example, use DATE(2008,5,23) for the 23rd day of May, 2008. Problems can occur if dates are entered as text.

  • monthsnumberRequired

    The number of months before or after start_date. A positive value for months yields a future date; a negative value yields a past date.

EDATE examples

Formulas you'll actually reuse.

  1. Three months after the invoice date — a quarterly renewal:

    =EDATE(B2, 3)

    Result2026-11-14

  2. Month-end dates clamp instead of overflowing — 31 Jan + 1 month:

    =EDATE(DATE(2026, 1, 31), 1)

    Result2026-02-28

EDATE in Google Sheets

Same name — your formula ports as-is.

Try EDATE in the playground

Edit the example — nothing to install.

Preloaded with the EDATE formula from Example 1 — change anything and watch it respond.

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Related functions

More ways Excel gets this done.