Excel Add Months to Date: How to Do It Easily

Are you looking to add months to a date in Excel? If so, you’re in the right place! This guide will walk you through the steps to add or subtract any number of months from a date in Excel. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced Excel user, this guide has everything you need to know.

Introduction

Excel is a powerful tool that allows you to perform complex calculations and data analysis with ease. One of the most common tasks in Excel is adding or subtracting dates. However, adding months to a date can be a bit tricky. Fortunately, Excel has a built-in function that makes it easy to add months to a date.

Excel Add Months to Date: What You Need to Know

Before we dive into the steps to add months to a date in Excel, there are a few things you should know. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

• Excel stores dates as serial numbers, with January 1, 1900, as the base date (serial number 1).
• Excel recognizes dates in a variety of formats, including MM/DD/YYYY and DD/MM/YYYY.
• When you add or subtract months from a date, Excel adjusts the day accordingly. For example, if you add one month to January 31st, the result will be February 28th (or February 29th in a leap year).
• The Excel function we’ll be using to add months to a date is called EDATE.

How to Add Months to a Date in Excel

Now that you know the basics, let’s get started with adding months to a date in Excel.

Step 1: Enter the Date

The first step is to enter the date you want to add months to in a cell. For this example, we’ll use the date January 1, 2022, which we’ll enter in cell A1.

Step 2: Enter the Number of Months to Add

Next, enter the number of months you want to add in a separate cell. For this example, we’ll add 3 months, which we’ll enter in cell B1.

Step 3: Use the EDATE Function

Now that we have our date and the number of months we want to add, we can use the EDATE function to add the months. Here’s the formula:

This formula tells Excel to add the number of months in cell B1 to the date in cell A1. The result will be a new date that is 3 months after January 1, 2022.

Step 4: Format the Cell as a Date

By default, the result of the EDATE function will be a serial number that represents the new date. To display the new date in a more readable format, you’ll need to format the cell as a date. Here’s how:

1. Select the cell with the EDATE formula.
2. Right-click and select Format Cells from the context menu.
3. In the Format Cells dialog box, select the Date category.
4. Choose a date format that you prefer.
5. Click OK to close the dialog box.

FAQs

Q: Can I subtract months from a date in Excel?

A: Yes, you can use the EDATE function to subtract months from a date. Simply enter a negative number of months in the formula, like this:

This formula will subtract 3 months from the date in cell A1.

Q: Can I add fractional months to a date in Excel?

A: Yes, you can use decimal values in the EDATE function to add fractional months to a date. For example, if you want to add 0.5 months to a date, you can enter the following formula:

This formula will add half a month to the date in cell A1.

Q: What happens if I add months to a date that is at the end of a month?

A: If you add months to a date that is at the end of a month, Excel will adjust the day accordingly. For example, if you add one month to January 31st, the result will be February 28th (or February 29th in a leap year).

Q: Can I add months to a date using a formula without using the EDATE function?

A: Yes, you can use a formula to add months to a date without using the EDATE function. One way to do this is by using the DATE function. Here’s an example:

This formula adds the number of months in cell B1 to the month of the date in cell A1, while keeping the day and year the same.

Q: Can I add months to a date using a keyboard shortcut?

A: Yes, you can use a keyboard shortcut to add months to a date. Here’s how:

1. Select the cell with the date you want to add months to.
2. Press the “=” key on your keyboard to start a formula.
3. Type “EDATE(” and select the cell with the date you want to add months to.
4. Type a comma (“,”) and select the cell with the number of months you want to add.
5. Type “)” and press Enter.

Q: Can I use the EDATE function to add years to a date?

A: No, the EDATE function is specifically designed to add or subtract months from a date. If you want to add or subtract years from a date, you can use the DATE function instead. Here’s an example:

This formula adds one year to the year of the date in cell A1, while keeping the month and day the same.

Conclusion

Adding months to a date in Excel is a common task that can be accomplished with ease using the EDATE function. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can quickly and easily add any number of months to a date in Excel. Whether you’re working with dates for personal or professional purposes, knowing how to add months to a date is essential for any Excel user.

So, next time you need to add or subtract months from a date in Excel, don’t worry! Just follow these simple steps, and you’ll be done in no time.