How do I display the actual day name like 'Tuesday' instead of a number?

Combine WEEKDAY with CHOOSE: =CHOOSE(WEEKDAY(B2),"Sun","Mon","Tue","Wed","Thu","Fri","Sat"). Alternatively, use TEXT(B2,"DDDD") in Excel or Google Sheets to display the full day name directly from the date.

What's the practical difference between return_type 2 and 3?

Both make Monday=1, but return_type=3 strictly follows ISO 8601 (Monday–Sunday = 1–7). Most users prefer return_type=2 for business applications. The difference rarely affects real-world results.

Why does my WEEKDAY formula return an unexpected number?

Check your return_type parameter. The default (1) makes Sunday=1 and Monday=2. If you expect Monday to be 1, explicitly use return_type=2. This is the most common source of confusion.

Can WEEKDAY work with text dates like '2024-07-15'?

Google Sheets usually recognizes text dates automatically, but Excel often requires DATEVALUE() first: =WEEKDAY(DATEVALUE("2024-07-15"),2). Always test your date format to confirm the function recognizes it.

WEEKDAY function

WEEKDAY returns the day of the week (1–7) for a given date, with customizable numbering systems (Sunday=1, Monday=1, or ISO 8601).

=WEEKDAY(serial_number, [return_type])

Generate a WEEKDAY formula

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Arguments

How WEEKDAY reads its arguments

Argument	Required	Description
serial_number	Required	Required. A date value, typically a cell reference or DATE() formula. If omitted or not a valid date, returns #VALUE!.
return_type	Optional	Optional. An integer determining the day numbering: 1 (default) for Sunday=1; 2 for Monday=1; 3 for ISO 8601. If outside 1–3, returns #NUM!.

Returns

An integer from 1 to 7, representing the day of the week.

Availability

Excel: All · Google Sheets: Supported

Worked examples

1. Identify what day of the week a campaign launched

Campaign	Launch Date	Channel
Summer Sale	2024-07-15	Email

=WEEKDAY(B2,2)

Result: 2

July 15, 2024 was a Tuesday. With return_type=2 (Monday=1), WEEKDAY returns 2, indicating Tuesday is the 2nd day of the workweek. This helps determine whether launch timing aligns with business objectives.

2. Check if a campaign started on a weekend

Campaign	Launch Date	Spend	Clicks
Q3 Email	2024-09-02	3000	856
Fall Launch	2024-10-05	8000	2103

=OR(WEEKDAY(B2)=1,WEEKDAY(B2)=7)

Result: TRUE

October 5 was a Saturday (WEEKDAY with default return_type=1 returns 7). Since 7 matches the condition, OR returns TRUE. This flags whether campaigns were intentionally scheduled for weekends, which often show different engagement patterns than weekday launches.

3. Segment campaigns by launch timing: weekday vs. weekend

Campaign	Launch Date	Spend	Clicks	Conversions
Summer Sale	2024-07-15	5000	1240	187
Q3 Email	2024-09-02	3000	856	102
Fall Launch	2024-10-05	8000	2103	301

=IF(WEEKDAY(B2,2)<6,"Weekday","Weekend")

Result: Weekday

July 15 was a Tuesday (WEEKDAY returns 2 with return_type=2, Monday=1). Since 2 is less than 6, the campaign is labeled 'Weekday'. This classification enables ROI comparisons by launch timing—weekday campaigns often convert differently than weekend ones.

Common errors

Which WEEKDAY error are you seeing?

Error	Why it happens	How to fix it
#VALUE!	serial_number is empty, contains unrecognized text (e.g., 'Pending'), or is not a valid date.	Ensure the cell contains a valid date. Use DATE(year,month,day), TODAY(), or a recognized date format like '2024-07-15'.
#NUM!	return_type is a number outside the valid range 1–3 (e.g., 0, 4, or 10).	Set return_type to 1 (Sunday=1, default), 2 (Monday=1), or 3 (ISO 8601). Omit the argument entirely to use the default.
#REF!	The cell referenced in serial_number has been deleted, or the formula references a worksheet that no longer exists.	Restore the missing cell or update the formula to reference an existing date cell in your spreadsheet.

Tips and when to use something else

Use return_type=1 (default, Sunday=1) for general purposes, but choose return_type=2 (Monday=1) for business reporting where the workweek is the primary focus.
To display day names ('Monday', 'Tuesday') instead of numbers, nest WEEKDAY in CHOOSE: =CHOOSE(WEEKDAY(B2),"Sunday","Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday","Saturday").
For identifying which week of the year a date falls in, use WEEKNUM or ISOWEEKNUM instead—WEEKDAY only returns the day name, not the week number.
WEEKDAY ignores time; 2024-07-15 08:00 AM and 2024-07-15 05:00 PM return the same weekday number. Use DATE() to strip the time if precision matters.

Related functions

DATEDATE returns a date serial number from year, month, and day arguments, enabling date construction from separate numeric components.TODAYTODAY returns the current date as a date value, automatically updating each time the spreadsheet opens or recalculates.WEEKNUMWEEKNUM returns the week number (1–53) of a date within the calendar year, useful for identifying items expiring in the same week.CHOOSECHOOSE returns the value or range from a list of arguments that corresponds to the supplied index number, letting you pick one of several options.IFThe IF function returns one value if a condition is true and another (or nothing) if it is false, letting you branch logic in a cell.

Frequently asked questions

How do I display the actual day name like 'Tuesday' instead of a number?: Combine WEEKDAY with CHOOSE: =CHOOSE(WEEKDAY(B2),"Sun","Mon","Tue","Wed","Thu","Fri","Sat"). Alternatively, use TEXT(B2,"DDDD") in Excel or Google Sheets to display the full day name directly from the date.
What's the practical difference between return_type 2 and 3?: Both make Monday=1, but return_type=3 strictly follows ISO 8601 (Monday–Sunday = 1–7). Most users prefer return_type=2 for business applications. The difference rarely affects real-world results.
Why does my WEEKDAY formula return an unexpected number?: Check your return_type parameter. The default (1) makes Sunday=1 and Monday=2. If you expect Monday to be 1, explicitly use return_type=2. This is the most common source of confusion.
Can WEEKDAY work with text dates like '2024-07-15'?: Google Sheets usually recognizes text dates automatically, but Excel often requires DATEVALUE() first: =WEEKDAY(DATEVALUE("2024-07-15"),2). Always test your date format to confirm the function recognizes it.

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Reviewed 2026-09-17