YEAR in WPS on Windows: Introduction

YEAR extracts the year from a date in WPS on Windows; this guide covers 1 core task, with 1 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	1	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	1	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index

About This Feature

Overview

The YEAR function in WPS Spreadsheet on Windows returns the year from a date value. When you type =YEAR(, WPS can show syntax guidance, parameter hints, and examples in the formula bar, making it easier to split dates, organize year fields, and build date-based calculations.

Common uses include:

extracting the year from a date column for analysis
combining YEAR with other date functions
returning the year from cross-sheet references or nested formulas
recalculating results automatically when source data changes

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A Windows device that can run WPS Office normally
App version	It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office
Network	No mandatory internet connection is required for local YEAR calculations; downloading, installation, and account-related actions require internet access
Other	You need an editable spreadsheet file and valid date input, date references, or formulas that return date values

Download & Installation

Before using the YEAR function, install WPS Office on your Windows device.

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Post-install check	Open WPS Spreadsheet, select a cell, and type `=YEAR(` to confirm that function guidance appears or the formula returns a result

Source: WPS Download Center

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	In WPS Spreadsheet, entering `=YEAR(` lets you extract the year from a date and use syntax hints, parameter guidance, cross-sheet references, and nested formulas in the same worksheet workflow.	Excel provides `YEAR(serial_number)` to return the year that corresponds to a date.	Google Sheets provides `YEAR(date)` to return the year from a given date.	Notion database formulas support `year(date)` for returning the year from a date property, mainly in database property calculations.	Acrobat focuses on PDF form date fields and calculated values rather than a spreadsheet YEAR function.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: WPS lets you enter YEAR directly in spreadsheet cells and the formula bar, then use it with cross-sheet references and nested formulas in a familiar spreadsheet workflow.	Compared with WPS: Excel also offers a standard YEAR function, with syntax documented as `YEAR(serial_number)`.	Compared with WPS: Google Sheets also supports YEAR, but its help page emphasizes numeric date handling and date conversion rules.	Compared with WPS: Notion can return a year from a date, but the workflow is centered on database properties instead of cell-based spreadsheet formulas.	Compared with WPS: Adobe supports date fields and calculations in PDF forms, not a same-category spreadsheet formula environment.
Official Source	—	Excel YEAR function	Google Sheets YEAR	Notion formula syntax	Acrobat PDF form fields

Overall Conclusion: For spreadsheet-based date splitting and year extraction, WPS, Excel, and Google Sheets all provide a direct YEAR function. Notion is more suitable for database property formulas, while Adobe is more relevant to PDF form workflows, so WPS stays closer to everyday spreadsheet editing on Windows.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable for	Core need	How YEAR helps
1	Sales date breakdown	Sales teams, operations teams	Extract the year from order dates quickly	Use YEAR in a helper column to return the year
2	Financial year summaries	Finance teams, auditors	Group raw date data by year	Extract the year first, then combine it with summary formulas
3	Project timeline cleanup	Project coordinators, administrative staff	Organize many date fields without manual editing	Use YEAR to generate a consistent year column
4	Cross-sheet references	Data coordinators	Pull dates from another worksheet efficiently	Nest YEAR around referenced date cells
5	Dynamic report updates	Analysts	Keep year fields updated when source data changes	Let YEAR recalculate automatically

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Capability	Free users	WPS Premium
Basic YEAR function usage	✅ Available	✅ Available
Standard spreadsheet formula editing	✅ Available	✅ Available
Some additional value-added capabilities	Depends on the specific feature	More capabilities may be available depending on the subscription plan

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Usage scenario	Recommended plan	Why
Everyday date extraction and basic spreadsheet calculations	Free	The YEAR function itself is available for regular spreadsheet work
Long-term use with broader value-added office capabilities	WPS Premium	Suitable if you also need more extended tools or subscription-based benefits across WPS features

WPS membership center: Subscribe to WPS Premium