We don’t know if you’ve already noticed, but time is almost never on your side when there are tons of deadlines and due dates. 😠
However, with some proper planning and a Gantt chart, you can prevent this from ever happening.
Gantt charts (named after their creator, Henry Gantt) are tools that help you plan resources, set realistic timelines, manage task dependencies, identify blockers, and keep everyone on the same page. They provide a clear view of the project plan and progress so you can ensure its timely delivery.
But how do you create effective Gantt charts?
In this blog post, we’ll show you how to make a Gantt chart in Excel. Plus, we’ve got some templates and an alternative Gantt chart software.
So, stay till the end!
TL;DR: How to Make a Gantt Chart in Excel
How To Make A Gantt Chart In Excel? (With Templates!)
Summarize this article for me pleaseHow to Make a Gantt Chart in Excel
Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make a Gantt chart in Excel within minutes. 👇
Step 1: Enter project data
Start by filling in your entire project data in an Excel sheet—tasks, start date, end date, and duration. Once you enter the dates, you can calculate the duration using any of the two Excel formulas:
Duration = End date – Start date
Or
Duration = End date – Start date + 1
Step 2: Create an Excel bar chart based on the start dates
In this step, create a typical stacked bar chart. Here’s how:
- Select the Start Date column. Keep in mind to select the cells with data and not the entire column
- Click on the Insert tab
- Add Chart element
- Choose Bar
- Select the 2D stacked bar type
Once you follow these steps, you’ll have your bar chart ready as below:
Step 3: Add duration to the chart
Now, your Excel stacked bar chart needs a series to become a Gantt chart. For this, do the following:
- Right-click within the chart area
- Choose Select Data
As the Select Data window opens, you’ll see that the start date is already added under the Legend Entries (Series). You just need to add the duration.
- Click on the Add button to choose the data you want on your Excel Gantt chart. Once you click, the Edit Series window opens
- Type Duration in the Series Name field or simply click on the column header in the sheet to add your series name
- Click on the range selection icon that’s next to the Series Values field
- Choose your project Duration data. Make sure not to select the header or any empty cell
- Click on OK to return to the previous Edit Series window where you’ve already filled in data. Now, you’ll see that your Select Data Source has the start date and duration in the Legend Entries (Series) section
- Click OK. You’ll get a bar chart like this👇
Step 4: Add task descriptions to the Excel chart
Now, you need to add the tasks in your Excel Gantt. Here’s how:
- Right-click on the chart area
- Click on Select Data to open the Select Data Source window again
- Click Edit under Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels while ensuring that the Start date under legend Entries (Series) is selected
- Select the project tasks on your Excel spreadsheet. A gentle reminder to choose the cells with data only
- Now click OK twice and close the windows
At this point, your bar graph will look something like this after you remove the chart title 👇
Step 5: Convert the Excel Bar Chart into an Excel Gantt Chart
The chart you see above is still your Excel Bar chart, yet to become a Gantt Chart.
Now, follow these final steps for the ultimate Gantt chart transformation:
- Click on the blue bar (start date) of your chart. As all the blue areas get selected, right-click to select the Format Data Series option. The Format Data Series window opens
- Go to the Fill tab and choose No Color
- Go to the Border tab and choose No Line
As you can see, the project tasks show up in a reversed order. Follow these steps to fix it:
- Click on the tasks area of your chart (left-hand side). You’ll see the Format Axis window open
- Select Categories in reverse order under the Axis Options
- Click on Close to auto-save the changes
At this point, your bar chart will resemble a Gantt. Here’s what our bar-turned-Gantt chart looks like.
Step 6: Style your Excel Gantt chart
Phew! Your Gantt chart is ready, but it needs a little makeover to look better.
Tips to change your chart style:
First, remove the blank space to bring the orange bars closer to the tasks. To do this, follow these steps:
- Right-click on the first start date in your table—that’s 04-10-2024
- Choose Format Cells, then click on General
- Make a note of the number you see. Here’s its 45569
- Click on Cancel, as you don’t want to make changes to the dates
- Click on the Gantt chart dates and right-click to select Format Axis
- Change the Minimum value under the Axis Options by typing the number displayed in your previous step—45569
Note: If you’re using Excel 2010-2013, you’ll find two options—Auto and Fixed. Choose Fixed and then type out the number.
- Adjust the Major and Minor values by typing your preferred intervals. Generally, smaller numbers are used for shorter project timelines. For example, you can choose 2 or 3 in the Major value to display every other date on your Gantt chart. However, make sure your chart doesn’t look too busy
- Adjust the Minor value as per your preference
- Alter the gap and width of the bars to make it look more compact. Right-click on the bars to open the Format Data Series and make adjustments
Tips to change the look of your Excel Gantt chart:
- Select the blue bars and right-click to open the Format Data Series window. Under the Series Options, you’ll find various settings to change the look of the bars—color, 3D, preset, glow options, transparency, size, etc.
- Choose the settings you prefer to give your Gantt chart a quick makeover
After formatting, here’s what our final Gantt chart looks like:
If you use the 3D options, your chart will look like this👇
The idea here is to experiment and see what works best for you. So, make changes in your chart and reset if you don’t like them.
Once the chart is ready, you can change the task descriptions and dates based on your needs. Your Excel Gantt chart will resize accordingly. However, the standard features will remain the same until you make changes.
Lastly, you can save the chart as an image or as a template for future use.
Read More: How to Make Google Sheets Gantt Charts
Summarize this article for me pleaseExcel Gantt Chart Templates
Talking of templates, Microsoft Excel doesn’t have great options in Gantt charts. But, there are a few project timeline templates that come with the 2013-2021 versions.
1. Gantt Project Planner Template
via Microsoft
The Project Planner Template is a simple Excel Gantt chart template to track your project activities. It helps you monitor the start and end dates of tasks and their completion percentage.
There’s no learning curve to this template. You can simply enter the data and start using it.
2. Agile Tracking Gantt Chart Template
via Microsoft
You can find this Gantt chart project template in Excel under File > More Templates > Charts section. It lets you create a visual timeline for projects and track task assignees and milestones for each task.
Plus, you can track project progress in the percentage column.
3. Date Tracking Gantt Chart Template
via Microsoft
This Date Tracking Gantt Chart Template is slightly more comprehensive than the other two. It includes three tabs—milestones, tasks, and Gantt chart.
The template also includes an instruction tab for beginners. To use this template, all you need to do is enter the project tasks with start and end dates and the task milestones with dates to auto-create the Gantt chart.
Summarize this article for me pleaseLimitations of Creating a Gantt Chart in Excel
No matter how many Excel Gantt chart templates you try, the final results won’t be as satisfying as other project management tools. Ask why? Because Excel has certain inherent limitations that affect how you work with Gantt charts.
Here are a few limitations of creating a Gantt chart in Excel:
- Limited automation: Excel restricts the steps you can automate in a Gantt chart. The project tables are static, and they need to be created from scratch by manually entering data. This makes Excel time-consuming
- Inefficient data visualization: With Excel, your project team can’t visualize interconnected activities at a glance. They must map dependencies manually. Plus, if a specific task’s end date gets postponed, team members must manually update all dependent tasks. This increases the risk of errors and makes the tool inefficient for project time management
- No scalability: Managing large projects in Excel can be challenging. That’s because as data and resources increase, the tool becomes slow. Also, it might crash if there are too many things happening simultaneously
- Lack of real-time collaboration: With Excel, team members can’t work simultaneously on the same file. Every time you make a change in the Gantt chart, you must share the file with your team over email or other communication platforms. This makes the entire process confusing, resulting in miscommunication and task delays
- Basic features: Excel doesn’t offer advanced features to simplify project management. It does not integrate with other tools, lacks notifications for upcoming deadlines, and offers limited customization. Also, there’s a learning curve to make the most out of Excel features
Summarize this article for me pleaseCreate Gantt Charts With ClickUp
As we’ve seen, Excel isn’t the best tool for working with Gantt charts. That’s why you need an efficient project management tool like ClickUp.
ClickUp is an all-in-one project management tool that doubles as free Gantt chart software. It makes managing timelines and resources super easy.
ClickUp’s Gantt Chart View lets you visualize project workflows and timelines. You can view tasks, subtasks, folders, lists, and spaces. Unlike Excel charts, ClickUp also enables you to manage dependencies automatically. You can eliminate roadblocks by linking dependent tasks and rescheduling task chains.
👉 To learn more about ClickUp Gantt charts, check our detailed breakdown of ClickUp Gantt View in this quick video!
ClickUp’s easy-to-create drag-and-drop Gantt charts monitor progress in real time. You can track timelines and ensure on-time deliveries with automated alerts and by identifying critical paths and slack time.
Don’t believe us? See for yourself how ClickUp works better than Excel for Gantt Charts:
That’s not all; ClickUp makes your job easier with Gantt chart templates. These feature-rich templates can be customized to fit different projects—from construction and product management to marketing, event planning, employee onboarding, and more.
Here are three free Gantt chart templates from ClickUp to help you plan your project timelines.
ClickUp Simple Gantt Template
The ClickUp Simple Gantt Template provides you with the project’s big picture. It lets you visualize timelines and dependencies and identify potential blockers before they disrupt your workflow.
Plus, the template lets you view your weekly, monthly, and even yearly project timelines, making it ideal for long-term projects.
ClickUp Gantt Timeline Template
Project planning and tracking have never been easier. With ClickUp’s Gantt Timeline Template, you can not only visualize timelines but also collaborate with teams efficiently. This free Gantt chart template helps you:
- Create project tasks with timeline bars that update automatically
- Organize tasks and adjust their timelines
- Track project schedule at a glance with color-coded statuses
- Identify and schedule resources
- Track actual vs. planned project progress
- Reduce the risk of delays
💡Pro Tip: Before you create project tasks using this template, leverage ClickUp Docs to list the tasks and key stakeholders and capture project details.
IT Roadmap Gantt Chart Template
If you’re an IT professional using Excel for project management, this template is for you. The ClickUp IT Roadmap Gantt Chart Template is the perfect tool to simplify software development processes.
This template helps you create a roadmap outlining tasks, timelines, and resources. It lets you track your team’s progress toward project goals. Plus, it includes KPIs to make performance evaluation easy.
👉Want to learn more about using these templates for different project types? Read 20 Gantt Chart Examples for Project Management.
Summarize this article for me pleaseGet a Complete Picture of Your Projects With ClickUp
You can use Microsoft Excel Gantt charts for solo or small projects with limited data. But when it comes to managing larger projects, Excel Gantt charts aren’t enough. They lack significant features like real-time collaboration, customization, and automation. As a result, they won’t ensure seamless project management and delivery.
On the other hand, ClickUp’s flexible project management platform lets you create customized Gantt charts by capturing data, visualizing tasks, tracking timelines, managing resources, identifying critical paths, and more.
Plus, you can also use ClickUp’s templates and other features like docs, dashboards, and automations to handle projects and create an effective Gantt chart.
Want to explore more of ClickUp’s features?
Sign up for free! 🏃➡️
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