Syntax
EDATE(start_date, months)
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| start_date | Parameter of the EDATE function. |
| months | Parameter of the EDATE function. |
Examples
Three months later
Formula
=EDATE("2026-01-15", 3)
Returns April 15, 2026 — exactly 3 months after January 15. The day stays as the 15th.
Month-end adjustment
Formula
=EDATE("2026-01-31", 1)
Returns February 28, 2026 — since February doesn't have 31 days, it adjusts to the last day of the month.
Six months ago
Formula
=EDATE(TODAY(), -6)
Returns the date 6 months before today. Negative months go backward. Useful for calculating lookback periods.
Common Errors
#VALUE!
Occurs when the start_date is not a valid date or months is not an integer (or cannot be truncated to one).
#NUM!
Occurs when the resulting date would fall before the date system's minimum (e.g., before January 1, 1900).
Tips
Day-of-month preservation
EDATE keeps the same day when possible: Jan 15 + 1 month = Feb 15. But Jan 31 + 1 month = Feb 28 (or 29 in leap years). It never jumps to March 3.
Negative months go backward
=EDATE(A1, -3) goes back 3 months. Use negative values for lookback periods, previous quarters, or historical date calculations.
Combine with EOMONTH
EDATE preserves day-of-month. If you always want the last day of the target month, use EOMONTH instead.
Try EDATE in Viztab
Import your data and use EDATE with 370+ other formulas. No signup required.
Open Viztab