EDATE and EOMONTH in Google Sheets - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

EDATE and EOMONTH are formulas that help you work with dates easily. They let you find a date a certain number of months before or after a given date, or find the last day of a month. This is useful when you want to calculate due dates, expiration dates, or monthly reports.

When you want to find a date exactly 3 months after a start date, like a subscription renewal date.

When you need to know the last day of the current month for billing or reporting.

When calculating expiration dates that are a fixed number of months from a purchase date.

When preparing monthly financial summaries and you want to find month-end dates automatically.

When scheduling follow-up appointments exactly a few months after an initial visit.

Steps

Step 1: Click

- a blank cell where you want the result

The cell is selected and ready for input

Step 2: Type

- the formula bar

The formula appears in the cell as you type

💡 Start with =EDATE or =EOMONTH to use these functions

Step 3: Enter

- the formula =EDATE(start_date, months)

The cell shows the date that is the given number of months before or after the start_date

💡 For example, =EDATE(A1, 3) gives the date 3 months after the date in A1

Step 4: Enter

- the formula =EOMONTH(start_date, months)

The cell shows the last day of the month that is the given number of months before or after the start_date

💡 For example, =EOMONTH(A1, 0) gives the last day of the month of the date in A1

Step 5: Press

- Enter key

The formula calculates and displays the correct date in the cell

Before vs After

Before

Cell A1 contains the date 2024-06-15

After

Using =EDATE(A1, 3) in cell B1 shows 2024-09-15, which is 3 months after June 15, 2024

Settings Reference

start_date

📍 Formula argument

The date from which to calculate the new date

Default: No default, must be provided

months

📍 Formula argument

Number of months to add or subtract from start_date

Default: No default, must be provided

Common Mistakes

Entering months as text with quotes, like "3"

The formula expects a number, not text, so it will give an error or wrong result

Enter months as a number without quotes, like 3 or -2

Using EOMONTH with a date that is not recognized as a date

If the start_date is text not formatted as a date, the formula will not work correctly

Make sure the start_date cell is formatted as a date or use the DATE function to create a date

Summary

EDATE calculates a date a set number of months before or after a given date.

EOMONTH finds the last day of a month a set number of months before or after a given date.

Always enter months as numbers and ensure start_date is a valid date for correct results.

Practice

1. What does the EDATE function do in Google Sheets?

easy

A. Returns a date a specified number of months before or after a start date

B. Returns the last day of the current month

C. Calculates the number of days between two dates

D. Returns the day of the week for a given date

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of EDATE

   The EDATE function is designed to add or subtract whole months from a given start date.

2. Step 2: Compare with other date functions

   Unlike functions that return days or weekdays, EDATE specifically works with months to find a new date.

3. Final Answer:

   Returns a date a specified number of months before or after a start date -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   EDATE = date ± months [OK]

Hint: EDATE shifts dates by months, not days [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing EDATE with DAY or WEEKDAY functions
• Thinking EDATE returns end of month
• Using EDATE to add days instead of months

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax for the EOMONTH function?

easy

A. EOMONTH(date, days)

B. EOMONTH(months, start_date)

C. EOMONTH(start_date, months)

D. EOMONTH(start_date)

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall EOMONTH syntax

   EOMONTH requires two arguments: the start date and the number of months to move forward or backward.

2. Step 2: Check argument order and count

   The first argument must be the start date, the second is the months offset. The other options have wrong order or missing arguments.

3. Final Answer:

   EOMONTH(start_date, months) -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   EOMONTH(date, months) correct syntax [OK]

Hint: Start date first, months second in EOMONTH [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Swapping the order of arguments
• Omitting the months argument
• Using days instead of months

3. Given cell A1 contains the date 2024-01-15, what is the result of =EDATE(A1, 3)?

medium

A. 2024-04-30

B. 2024-04-15

C. 2024-03-31

D. 2024-01-18

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand EDATE with positive months

   EDATE adds the number of months to the start date, keeping the day number if possible.

2. Step 2: Calculate 3 months after January 15, 2024

   Adding 3 months to January 15, 2024 results in April 15, 2024.

3. Final Answer:

   2024-04-15 -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   EDATE(2024-01-15, 3) = 2024-04-15 [OK]

Hint: EDATE keeps day, shifts month by given number [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing EDATE with EOMONTH output
• Adding days instead of months
• Assuming end of month date

4. You wrote =EOMONTH(A1, 1) but it returns an error. Cell A1 contains the text "March 10, 2024" (not a date). What is the fix?

medium

A. Convert A1 to a valid date format before using EOMONTH

B. Change formula to =EOMONTH("March 10, 2024", 1)

C. Replace EOMONTH with EDATE

D. Use =EOMONTH(A1, "1") with months as text

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify cause of error

   EOMONTH requires a valid date value, but A1 contains text, not a date.

2. Step 2: Fix by converting text to date

   Convert or re-enter A1 as a proper date so EOMONTH can process it correctly.

3. Final Answer:

   Convert A1 to a valid date format before using EOMONTH -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   EOMONTH needs date input, not text [OK]

Hint: Ensure date cells are real dates, not text [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Passing text strings instead of dates
• Using quotes around month number
• Switching to wrong function without fixing input

5. You want to find the last day of the month 2 months before the date in cell B2 (which is 2024-05-20). Which formula gives the correct result?

hard

A. =EDATE(B2, 2)

B. =EDATE(B2, -2)

C. =EOMONTH(B2, 2)

D. =EOMONTH(B2, -2)

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the requirement

   You want the last day of the month, 2 months before May 20, 2024.

2. Step 2: Choose correct function and argument

   EOMONTH returns the last day of a month offset by months. Negative 2 moves back 2 months from May 2024 to March 2024.

3. Step 3: Verify other options

   EDATE returns the same day number, not the last day. Positive 2 moves forward, not backward.

4. Final Answer:

   =EOMONTH(B2, -2) -> Option D

5. Quick Check:

   EOMONTH with negative months finds past month end [OK]

Hint: Use EOMONTH with negative months for past month ends [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using EDATE instead of EOMONTH for month-end
• Using positive months to go backward
• Confusing last day with same day number