Vacation Days Tracker Spreadsheet Template (Updated for 2024)

Do you need a better way to track your vacation days for the calendar year*?  VacationCounts has created this Google Sheets (free online spreadsheet) document template that not only tracks your vacation benefits, it also tracks your company holidays, floating holidays, and bonus days off.  It includes a Dashboard which graphs your vacation usage to date along with statistics to show you how well you are maximizing your work-life-vacation balance.  Never lose a paid day off because you forgot to track it and use it!
*Updated annually: latest file version with 2024 holiday monthly calendar.

Looking for a free time off calendar template that has the power of a spreadsheet? Follow these instructions to make a private copy of the VacationCounts Google Sheet document and start tracking your holidays and vacation days for 2024.

Vacation Days Tracker Dashboard

How to Copy the Vacation Days Tracker Google Sheet Template

The following link opens the vacation tracker spreadsheet in Google Drive, now updated for 2024. Read the instructions below for how to create a private copy of the file using this template whether you are on a desktop or laptop computer or using an iPhone or Android mobile phone to track your vacation days online. No matter which device you start with, your vacation tracker can be opened on any device via web browser or Google Sheets app. Remember this is NOT an Excel spreadsheet – it runs for free on Google Sheets online which is part of the Google Docs and cloud office applications.

IMPORTANT: You need to login to your Google Account to be able to save a copy of this template for private use. Your secure copy of the vacation days tracker will be stored in your own personal Google Drive account. You do not need to request permission to edit this template as you’ll be making a private copy for yourself which you will own. No information is shared with VacationCounts since Google handles the secure sign-in, copy, and storage when you use any template file.

Desktop Browser Users

On Chrome or Safari for Windows and Mac, you should automatically be prompted by Google to make a copy of the document for yourself. If you are not already signed in to your Google (Gmail or Docs and Sheets) Account, you will first be prompted to do so. The behavior may vary so if you are not prompted, click on the File… menu to Make a copy for yourself to get started.

You’ll get a fresh copy of the latest version of the template to use as your own vacation days tracking spreadsheet. Your Vacation Days Tracker will be stored in your own private Google Drive folders (not shared with anyone including Meliovation or VacationCounts staff) which you may choose to share with specific family members if you like. To confirm just click the “Share” button in your copy and see who has access to the spreadsheet.

Mobile Browser Users

The mobile user experience may be slightly different. Depending on your mobile device such as iPhone (iOS) or Windows Mobile or Android OS with the Chrome browser, you may have to manually select the menu option to make a copy of the template. After opening the vacation template if you aren’t prompted to make a copy right away (similar to the prompt as above), follow these instructions to take the View Only mode and make a personal copy.

To make an editable copy and store it in your own Google Drive securely, open the file menu using the top right icon and select “Share & Export” then the “Make a copy” item.

Google Sheets on Mobile

You will be prompted to make a copy of the spreadsheet by entering a document title and selecting the drive folder to store your Vacation Days Tracker. Your mobile phone system may also recommend that you open your new vacation spreadsheet in the Google Sheets app for Android or Google Sheets for iOS which is streamlined for small screens and touch-screen tablets.

Open Vacation Days Tracker 2024 – Copy Google Sheet

Excel Warning: This spreadsheet template is only tested to function as a Google Sheet only. Do not attempt to download a Microsoft Excel .xls or .xlsx file. The time off calculated scripts only work online using Google Sheets which is free. Microsoft Office 360 and Microsoft Excel desktop Windows/Apple editions are not compatible software applications for the vacation days tracker file.

How to Use the Vacation Days Tracker

The full instructions are contained in the spreadsheet, but to get you started here are the step-by-step time-off tracking instructions:

1. Make sure that you are logged into your Google Account since Google Docs get stored securely and privately in your Google Drive.
2. Follow the desktop or mobile instructions above to “Make a copy” of the Vacation Days Tracker 2024 spreadsheet so that you get your own personal file using this template.
3. Rename the file if you wish. It will be stored privately in your Google Drive in a folder of your choosing.
4. Open the ‘Initial Setup’ sheet (tab at the bottom) to enter the details about your HR paid time-off benefits at work:
   • The total number of vacation days (including roll-over days) you will earn (accrue) this calendar year.
   • The number of personal days or floating holidays if applicable to your employment situation.
   • The list of all your official company holidays for which you receive a paid day off from work. View the 2024 list of official federal holidays in the USA and how to turn them into vacation opportunities.
   • Any bonus or make-up days off that can be used like vacation days (can be added later as needed) – this includes roll-over vacation days from 2023.
   • Your vacation goals for the year so you can view progress by using a single day of vacation, going on a weekend getaway, or taking a week or longer vacation.
     

     

5. As you plan and take vacations during the year, enter each in the ‘2024 Vacations‘ sheet – one per line.
   

   

   • This includes all your one-day trips, weekend trips, and week or longer vacations.
   • For each vacation enter the number of paid days off used in the matching column – vacation, holiday, floating, and bonus.
   • By entering the location (city, state or country) you can globally map your vacation destinations on the dashboard.
6. View your ‘Dashboard‘ (the first sheet in the spreadsheet) which will automatically update to display your vital vacation and holiday statistics.  It graphs:
   • Days Off Remaining in the vacation year by category.
   • Number of Days and the Percent of Days This Year “On Vacation”.
   • Your Vacation Goals progress so far and compared with last year.
   • A Vacations World Map showing where you traveled to this year.
7. Remember to input all your vacations as you plan and take them into the spreadsheet so you can track and use every paid day off and not accidentally take too many.  You never want to lose a paid vacation day or floating holiday simply because you forgot to use it before the end of the year.
8. Submit your feedback to VacationCounts (see below) so we can add new features and functionality to help you maximize your time off from work.

Is the Vacation Day Tracker Really Free?

This vacation spreadsheet is completely free to use, private when you make a copy, and contains zero advertising and cookies. All that I ask is for your feedback (see below) so that I can continue to add new features and smarter ways to track, visualize, and maximize vacations and work-life balance. You can support the VacationCounts  site by subscribing to the newsletter and sharing the link to this page with your co-workers and connections.

What Happened to the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Vacation Trackers?

You can still access the previous editions of the vacation tracking spreadsheet if you want to go back in time to track your past vacation days. The older annual versions are hosted on the public Google Drive folder of VacationCounts.com and you can still make a copy for your own private use as you wish.

• Vacation Days Tracker 2019 (copy template)
• Vacation Days Tracker 2020 (copy template)
• Vacation Days Tracker 2021 (copy template)
• Vacation Days Tracker 2022 (copy template)
• Vacation Days Tracker 2023 (copy template)

 Link to Google Sheets Vacation Days Tracker 2024

Send Feedback About the Vacation Tracker Template

The spreadsheet will be actively improved in response to your feedback. We plan to add new features in future releases and update the template every calendar year, usually at the end of December.  Any feedback that you care to offer or reports of bugs or strange behavior is very much appreciated.  Without your help and support the travel blogger and app developer at VacationCounts (that’s me, Scott) cannot make fixes and update the vacation tracker smart app scripts each year.

Go to the Vacation Days Tracker Feedback Form (hosted by Google Docs).

Thanks again for your support and please share this with your friends and colleagues and family using the social media and email sharing icons below.