Excel WEEKDAY Function

The Microsoft Excel WEEKDAY function is a straightforward yet powerful tool designed to extract the day of the week from a specific date, returning a number that represents the day. This function is part of Excel Date and Time Functions, and it is incredibly useful for a wide range of applications, from scheduling to data analysis. Understanding how to use the WEEKDAY function can enhance your Excel skills significantly.

Excel WEEKDAY Syntax:

=WEEKDAY(serial_number, [return_type])

The WEEKDAY function syntax consists of two arguments:

• serial_number: The date you want to find the day of the week for. This is a required argument.
• return_type: An optional argument that specifies the type of numbering you want to use for days of the week. For instance, whether the week starts on a Sunday or Monday.

Excel WEEKDAY Parameters:

Let’s break down the parameters:

• serial_number: This is the actual date you are querying. It must be a valid Excel date in serial number format.
• return_type: This parameter controls the day numbering scheme. The default value is 1, where Sunday is numbered as 1 and Saturday as 7. There are several return types available, allowing flexibility in how the week’s start and end are defined.

Return Value:

The WEEKDAY function returns a numeric value between 1 and 7, each representing a day of the week. The specific days associated with these numbers can vary based on the return_type selected.

Examples:

Let’s illustrate the use of the WEEKDAY function with examples:

=WEEKDAY("11/3/2023")

This would return 6, assuming the default return_type of 1, meaning that November 3, 2023, is a Friday.

=WEEKDAY("11/3/2023", 2)

This will return 5, using a return_type of 2, where Monday is considered the first day of the week, making November 3, 2023, a Friday.

Use Cases:

The WEEKDAY function is commonly used for:

• Creating dynamic calendars and schedules.
• Conducting analyses that depend on day-of-the-week trends.
• Automating reminders or alerts based on day-specific triggers.

To use the WEEKDAY function effectively, consider combining it with other date and time functions for more complex logic. For instance, determining the next Monday date after a given date.

Common Errors:

Users might encounter errors if:

• The serial_number is not a valid date.
• An incorrect return_type is specified.

To avoid these errors, ensure that the date is in an acceptable format for Excel and carefully select the return_type that matches your requirements.

Compatibility:

The WEEKDAY function is widely compatible across different versions of Excel. However, the available return_type options have expanded in more recent versions, so older versions might not support all types.

Conclusion:

The WEEKDAY function is a highly versatile tool in Excel’s arsenal, enabling users to extract valuable insights from dates. By experimenting with different return types, you can tailor its functionality to suit your specific needs. At LearnExcel.io, we encourage you to dive into this function and explore its potential in your spreadsheets.