DATEDIF for differences in Google Sheets - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

DATEDIF helps you find the difference between two dates in days, months, or years. It is useful when you want to know how much time has passed between two events.

When you want to calculate a person's age from their birthdate.

When you need to find how many months have passed since a project started.

When you want to know the number of days between two appointments.

When you want to calculate the difference in years between two dates for a report.

When you want to track how long an employee has worked in months or years.

Steps

Step 1: Click

- the cell where you want the result

The cell is selected and ready for typing

Step 2: Type

- the formula bar

The formula is entered in the cell

💡 Start typing =DATEDIF(

Step 3: Enter

- the start date cell reference or date in quotes

The first date is added to the formula

Step 4: Type

- the formula bar after a comma

The formula waits for the next input

Step 5: Enter

- the end date cell reference or date in quotes

The second date is added to the formula

Step 6: Type

- the formula bar after a comma

The formula waits for the unit input

Step 7: Enter

- the unit in quotes: "Y" for years, "M" for months, or "D" for days

The formula is complete and ready to calculate

Step 8: Press

- Enter key

The cell shows the difference between the two dates in the chosen unit

Before vs After

Before

Cell A1 has 2020-01-01, Cell B1 has 2023-06-01, and Cell C1 is empty

After

Cell C1 shows 3 when formula =DATEDIF(A1, B1, "Y") is entered

Settings Reference

Start Date

📍 First argument in the DATEDIF formula

The earlier date to compare from

Default: No default, must be provided

End Date

📍 Second argument in the DATEDIF formula

The later date to compare to

Default: No default, must be provided

Unit

📍 Third argument in the DATEDIF formula

Defines the unit of difference to calculate

Default: No default, must be provided

Common Mistakes

Using the wrong unit code without quotes, like Y instead of "Y"

Google Sheets treats unquoted letters as cell references or errors

Always put the unit in double quotes, for example "Y"

Entering the end date before the start date

DATEDIF returns an error or unexpected result if the start date is after the end date

Make sure the start date is earlier than or equal to the end date

Using dates that are not recognized as dates by Google Sheets

The formula cannot calculate differences if dates are text or invalid

Ensure dates are valid date values or use DATE function to create dates

Summary

DATEDIF calculates the difference between two dates in years, months, or days.

You must provide start date, end date, and unit in quotes for the formula to work.

Make sure the start date is before the end date and the unit is typed correctly.