Google Sheets Weekday: A Practical Guide to Weekday Calculations
Learn to work with weekdays in Google Sheets using WEEKDAY, TEXT, and calendar functions. Get practical formulas, examples, and templates for students, professionals, and small businesses.
In Google Sheets, weekday handling starts with WEEKDAY(date, type) to return a numeric day, and TEXT(date, "dddd") or "ddd" to display the name. Build sequences with date + n and fill handle, convert numbers to names with CHOOSE or SWITCH, and use WORKDAY or NETWORKDAYS to count business days. This guide shows practical patterns.
Understanding google sheets weekday
In this section, we establish the core concepts behind calculating and formatting weekdays in Google Sheets. The primary building blocks are the WEEKDAY function, which returns a day-of-week number, and the TEXT function, which formats a date into a readable name. By combining these, you can generate full weekday names, short codes, or even custom labels tailored to your locale and business rules. These patterns form the backbone of scheduling templates, time tracking sheets, and automated reports. The choice of type in WEEKDAY(date, type) controls which day is considered the first in the week (e.g., type 1 starts on Sunday; type 2 starts on Monday). As you design sheets, consider a consistent start day to avoid confusion across teams.
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- This section demonstrates fundamental functions and why they matter for weekday manipulation.
Steps
Estimated time: 60-90 minutes
- 1
Prepare date column
Enter or import dates into a column (A2:A). Ensure dates are real date values, not text strings. Validate a few cells by checking underlying serial numbers.
Tip: Use Data > Data validation to enforce date input. - 2
Extract weekday number
In B2, compute the weekday number with a specific start day: =WEEKDAY(A2,2) makes Monday = 1. Fill down to apply to the column.
Tip: Choose a start day that matches your team’s convention. - 3
Display full weekday names
In C2, convert the date to a full name: =TEXT(A2,"dddd"). Copy down to cover all dates in your range.
Tip: Use appropriate formatting (e.g., locale-aware names). - 4
Create a 7-day week view
Generate a week from a start date using SEQUENCE and DATE: =DATE(2026,4,1) + SEQUENCE(7,1,0,1). Note that you can adapt the start date as needed.
Tip: For locale-specific weeks, anchor on your preferred start date. - 5
Map weekday numbers to labels
Convert numbers to labels using CHOOSE or SWITCH: =CHOOSE(WEEKDAY(A2,2),"Mon","Tue","Wed","Thu","Fri","Sat","Sun")
Tip: CHOOSE is compact; SWITCH scales well for many labels. - 6
Count weekdays in a range
Count business days between two dates with NETWORKDAYS: =NETWORKDAYS(A2,B2) (include holidays with a range as the third parameter).
Tip: Add a Holidays range to exclude vacation days.
Prerequisites
Required
- Required
- Dates in a column (ISO or locale-aware)Required
- Basic familiarity with formulas (WEEKDAY, TEXT)Required
Optional
- Optional: Holidays list for NETWORKDAYSOptional
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| CopyCopy selected cell or range | Ctrl+C |
| PastePaste into target cells | Ctrl+V |
| Fill downFill formulas or values downward in a column | Ctrl+D |
| Fill rightFill formulas or values to the right | Ctrl+R |
FAQ
What function returns the day of week as a number in Google Sheets?
WEEKDAY(date, [type]) returns a number representing the day of the week. The type parameter defines which day starts the week (1 for Sunday, 2 for Monday).
WEEKDAY gives you the numeric day of week, and you can adjust the start day with type.
How can I make Monday count as 1 in the weekday index?
Use WEEKDAY(date, 2). This makes Monday 1, Tuesday 2, and so on through Sunday as 7. Combine with TEXT if you need names.
Use WEEKDAY with type 2 to start the week on Monday.
How do I display full weekday names like Monday or Tuesday?
Apply TEXT(date, "dddd") to get the full name, or TEXT(date, "ddd") for the three-letter abbreviation. Ensure the date is valid.
TEXT with the format code gives full or short weekday names.
How can I generate a whole week of dates from a starting date?
Use SEQUENCE with DATE to generate consecutive dates: =DATE(year,month,day) + SEQUENCE(7,1,0,1). Then apply WEEKDAY/TEXT for names.
SEQUENCE creates a row of dates from a start date.
How do I count weekdays between two dates?
Use NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays]). It excludes weekends and can skip holidays if provided.
NETWORKDAYS counts the business days between two dates.
The Essentials
- Master WEEKDAY with a fixed type to control week starts
- Display day names with TEXT for readable reports
- Use SEQUENCE to generate week-long date ranges
- Count weekdays with NETWORKDAYS and a holiday list
- Map days with CHOOSE/SWITCH for compact formulas