What it does
DATE creates a valid Excel date from year, month and day numbers.
Syntax or pattern
=DATE(year, month, day)✅
5 practical examples
1
Create a date from columns
Build a date from year, month and day fields.
=DATE(A2,B2,C2)Useful after imports.
2
First day of month
Return the first day for a year and month.
=DATE(A2,B2,1)Common in monthly reports.
3
First day of current year
Create Jan 1 of the current year.
=DATE(YEAR(TODAY()),1,1)Useful for YTD calculations.
4
Next month date
Add one month using DATE logic.
=DATE(YEAR(A2),MONTH(A2)+1,DAY(A2))Excel handles month overflow.
5
End of previous month base
Build a date used with EOMONTH.
=DATE(YEAR(TODAY()),MONTH(TODAY()),1)-1Returns the last day before the current month begins.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Check whether dates are real Excel dates, not text.
- Be careful with weekends, holidays and time portions.
- Explain whether a result counts calendar days or workdays.
Related Excel examples
FAQ
Why does the date formula return a number?
Excel stores dates as serial numbers. Format the cell as a date to display it correctly.