What is DATEDIFF in Redshift? Complete 2025 Guide

The DATEDIFF function in Amazon Redshift is a fundamental SQL operation for calculating the difference between two date, time, or timestamp values. Whether you're tracking user engagement, segmenting campaigns, or monitoring event timelines, DATEDIFF streamlines how you compute intervals between dates in days, months, or other units. Mastering DATEDIFF keeps your analyses accurate and your business insights timely.

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How Does DATEDIFF Work in Redshift?

The DATEDIFF function takes three arguments:

• datepart: The unit to measure (e.g., day, month, year)

• startdate: The first date

• enddate: The second date

The basic syntax is:

DATEDIFF(<datepart>, <startdate>, <enddate>

Real-World Examples of DATEDIFF in Redshift

1. Calculate Days Between Signup and First Purchase

SELECT user_id, DATEDIFF(day, signup_date, first_purchase_date) AS days_to_purchase FROM users;

2. Find Users with More Than 60 Days of Inactivity

SELECT user_id FROM activity_log WHERE DATEDIFF(day, last_login, CURRENT_DATE) > 60;

3. Compare Monthly Growth Intervals

SELECT DATEDIFF(month, first_transaction, last_transaction) AS active_months FROM revenue_data;

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Best Practices with DATEDIFF

• Always standardize date formats.

• Use timestamp data types in time-sensitive computations.

• For large datasets, index date columns for faster querying.

Further Learning

• Try AI2sql DATEDIFF Redshift Generator

• DATEDIFF Redshift Tutorial

• DATEDIFF Redshift Examples

• See the AI2sql platform for more SQL automation.

Conclusion

Amazon Redshift's DATEDIFF function remains the industry standard for measuring time intervals in the cloud data warehouse ecosystem. With its flexible syntax and multiple use cases, it's indispensable for everything from cohort analyses to user behavior tracking. But writing DATEDIFF queries repeatedly can become tedious and error-prone.

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