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Dates function

Excel EDATE function

EDATE returns the date a given number of months before or after a start date. Use it for contract renewals, subscription billing dates, warranty expiry, and anything that repeats monthly.

=EDATE(start_date, months)

Arguments

start_date
The date to start from.
months
How many months to move. Use a negative number to go back in time.

EDATE examples

Every result below was calculated from this sample sheet by the same spreadsheet engine the Cellwise app uses.

ABC
1ContractStart dateTerm (months)
2Cleaning service2026-01-316
3Software license2026-04-1512
4Equipment lease2025-09-0136
  1. =EDATE(B3,12)

    Result: Apr 15, 2027

    The software license renews one year later, on April 15, 2027.

  2. =EDATE(B4,C4)

    Result: Sep 1, 2028

    Uses the term column: the lease ends 36 months after it starts.

  3. =EDATE(B2,1)

    Result: Feb 28, 2026

    January 31 plus one month is February 28, because February has no 31st.

  4. =EDATE(B3,-3)

    Result: Jan 15, 2026

    A negative number goes back: three months before the start date.

How to use EDATE

  1. Click the cell for the new date.
  2. Type =EDATE( and click the start date.
  3. Type a comma and the number of months.
  4. Press Enter and format the cell as a date if needed.

Common EDATE mistakes

Adding 30 days instead of a month

Months have 28 to 31 days. EDATE moves by calendar months, so billing dates stay on the same day.

Result shows as a number

EDATE returns a date serial number. Format the cell as a date.

Expecting the 31st every month

If the month is shorter, EDATE uses its last day. For month-ends every time, use EOMONTH.

EDATE FAQ

How do I add months to a date in Excel?

Use =EDATE(A2,6) to add six months. Use a negative number, like -6, to subtract months.

How do I add years to a date in Excel?

Multiply the years by 12 inside EDATE: =EDATE(A2,12*3) adds three years.

What is the difference between EDATE and EOMONTH?

EDATE keeps the same day of the month. EOMONTH always returns the last day of the target month.

Practice EDATE in these lessons

Guides that use EDATE

Related functions

Updated