Using any of the following 18 timeline templates makes it easy to present your data in a way that is easy to understand and visualize.
Whether you're presenting your company's milestones to potential investors, breaking a project down into individual tasks for your team, or simply organizing your next week, thismodelsThis allows you to forget about formatting and start recording and using your relevant data right away.
Each of them is free and does not require an email address, account creation or anything. I've just collected the best templates from around the web in one place so you have plenty to choose from. The 18 are placed into one of four categories:
- calendar schedule
- linear timelines
- Project Schedule Templates
- Timeline Templates for Spreadsheets
One last note before we begin: obviously, this is not a list ofinfree timeline template for sale. While I reviewed many results, only these 18 were helpful or different enough to warrant a separate listing.
Now let's get down to business.
Calendar timeline templates
Calendars are great for recording work and personal schedules. Depending on the level of detail, you can plan your milestone events with short summaries for each month, or actively plan how you'll spend your time with specific events and deadlines.
The main limiting factor for calendar timeline templates is the format you use. programs likeoffice 365set of (Microsoft Wordand Powerpoint) can do a useful job of designing a calendar, but when it comes to customization or a reasonable level of detail, you'll quickly be left behind with clunky edits and incorrect formatting.
However, apps like Google Calendar allow you to plan milestones, tasks, projects, and events in great detail and with great flexibility, at the cost of a little extra setup time.
12 month calendar - Microsoft
First of all, we have some models ofmicrosoft, starting with a basic programming template forMicrosoft Wordwhich divides the year into months with a small space to describe what happens in each. Of course, you'll have to edit the year, but if you're planning high-level goals that can be summed up in a single sentence, this isn't a bad choice.
However, if you want to plan your timeline in detail, you're better off using one of the other options in this post. Word makes it difficult to edit anything but plain text, so I advise against extending the months to include more detail; would probably break the format.
Click here to download this template.
Project Planning Timeline - Microsoft
This timeline for PowerPoint is more like a traditional calendar allowing you to take more detailed notes on a daily basis. This template also includes some sample placeholders to show you how to use them to plan your projects or goals (which is especially helpful if you don't have a set of placeholders).project proposalModel).
While this template is much more versatile than the one in Word, there are still limits to what you can do while following this calendar layout. You can still only write one sentence for each day, and while that covers most situations, you can't go into detail or describe more than one event.
Click here to download this template.
print your own calendar
If you organize your time with a calendar, I recommend using Google Calendar. serve underGoogle Suite, Google Calendar is a free application that allows you to create events that will help you organize your time effectively. Indaily routineAssign emails and deadlines to goals and projects across the board, you can color code your events and stack them so they overlap to focus your time on getting things done.
Even better, you can print your calendar for free to use as your own schedule template. Granted, if you edit your calendar, you'll need to print it again, but if you use the app to keep track of your current tasks and just print copies for your records, you don't have to worry about using an out-of-date version.
Click here to learn how to print your calendar.
Linear Timeline Templates
Linear timeline templates are more milestone based than calendar based as they are really only good for showing longer periods of time in smaller details. However, they are also much less time-dependent and therefore more versatile for projects and goals that don't have fixed deadlines or are still in the planning phase.
These timelines are also great for summarizing a project for your teammates or your manager, as the flow from one task to the next makes it much easier to understand how everything will fit together and progress.
In other words, if you're not sure about certain dates or want to present a stripped-down version of your timeline in a visually easy-to-understand way, use one of these linear timeline templates.
Business Story: Microsoft
Another official Microsoft template for Word, this timeline shares many of the same pros and cons as the calendar template for the same program. If you want to give a quick overview of each month in a sentence or two, this timeline is easy to customize and displays your information clearly enough (especially for ease of use, since everything is set up for you).
If you want to customize the template beyond the text for each month, it's not worth the effort. Again, Word is terrible to use if you're editing anything other than plain text. So if you need to give a more detailed overview of the timeline, it's better to use another template.
Otherwise, it's easy to use and serves its purpose. What more can you ask?
Click here to download this template.
Basic Chevron Process - Microsoft
I already said that linear timelines are great for presenting milestones or task streams to others, and this chevron template doubles that by being a PowerPoint file.
While this timeline is a bit basic, it's a great starting point for a presentation where you need to show a timeline to others. It's not very pretty, and anyone looking at it will probably know that you took a template and customized it, but for basic presentation aids, you couldn't ask for a better place to start.
However, like Word's timeline template, this one is severely lacking in customization options, except that the basics below are changed every month. PowerPoint makes editing images (such as individual chevrons) much easier than if you were working in a Word document, but the best way to add more detail to your timeline is to create separate slides to represent each month on your line. of time to break down. .
Click here to download this template.
Bubble Chart Timeline Template - Vertex42
apex42The bubble chart timeline is a bit different in that it generates your timeline and visuals from two charts that you can edit.overcome. This is a great template if you want to add some sparkle to your timeline and are willing to play around with the tables provided to get the results you want.
With options to change the number, size, and content of each bubble, along with the X and Y axis positions and the message that comes out of each bubble, this is perfect if you want to create a more traditional timeline that won't be boring. to the viewers. who stare at him to death. However, when you want to break a project into tasks, the lack of space for detailed text is a big drawback.
Click here to download this template.
Timeline model - model laboratory
laboratory modelThe PowerPoint template is a cross between a traditional linear timeline and a project-oriented one, it uses the linear timeline to provide the timeline and then supplements it with bars that show how long different phases of a project will take. This makes it useful for managing a team, as everyone can see how far they are from a scenario and how much time they have left to complete their tasks.
Again, you won't be able to provide much detail for a specific phase or task, but for giving an overview of a project and breaking it down into actionable milestones, this is a great visual aid. And since this is PowerPoint, there's nothing stopping you from expanding each stage to a new slide.
Click here to download this template.
Timeline-Infographic – Microsoft
One of the more brilliant timeline templates in our range, this entry from Microsoft has all the ins and outs of other PowerPoint timelines, but its design is more of a visual piece than a strong practical use.
With the length of the timeline spanning multiple years and limited space for more than six highlights, this timeline is more useful for presenting something like company history or milestones than anything else at a lower level. . That's not necessarily a bad thing – the ability to show key events in your company's history is a powerful tool you can use with potential clients and investors alike – but it does mean this timeline template is less useful on a day-to-day basis. day. the base is activities.-per day.
If you share your major achievements or progress points with a specific person or in a shared document (for example,Employee Handbook) So this is a good start.
Click here to download this template.
Spotlight-Timeline-Kreis – Microsoft
While not quite as "professional" as many of the other templates here, this PowerPoint template is a nifty little timeline for dividing your week into color-coded tasks at a glance.
Although currently defined as a learning/lesson plan, you can easily change it to prioritize your tasks and identify them at a glance. Instead of having to read your text, you may know that on Monday (for example) you should research one blog post, write another, and edit a third based on the color and position of the circles that follow.
Alternatively, you can use it as a display of company-wide meeting dates or times for different teams, with each team having a defined color. This can help increase accountability andaccordance, because everyone knows when each other's deadlines are, and when a team works together, it's even clearer when they need to complete their tasks to pass them on to the other team.
Click here to download this template.
Project Milestone Timeline - Microsoft
This Microsoft Excel timeline is particularly striking for its color scheme. A stunning white-on-black presentation with blue frames will catch the eye of all passers-by, while the frames themselves are easily customizable. As the data in the table below the timeline changes, the chart updates automatically (the wonders of an Excel formula), making it incredibly easy to customize the name and position of each point on the timeline. .
However, the reverse color scheme has a major drawback. As Ogilvy tells us in his heartMarketing Tips, White text on a black background is obviously harder to read than the other way around, so you should avoid writing too much detail on your timeline. It is attractive but not easy to read.
Click here to download this template.
Project Schedule Templates
These are templates that focus on breaking down a project into its individual elements (and don't fit into a "linear", "calendar" or "spreadsheet" format). As such, they are best used when you want to develop a specific project without focusing on deadlines.
For example, if you're making a project proposal and want to create a timeline of what the work cycle will look like, how long a step might take (no set deadlines), and how the work will be distributed, these are the templates for you. .
Line Chart Template - Slide Hunter
slide hunterThe Microsoft PowerPoint template focuses solely on breaking down the amount of work behind each phase of a project. A single progress bar is divided into colored segments to show the amount of work required for each, while a brief description of what each color represents follows below.
As mentioned above, this project work plan is best used to support a project request form and shows the breakdown of work into what you are submitting.
Click here to download this template.
Scrum Process Timeline – Slide Hunter
Again, this Scrum timeline from Slide Hunter is a high-level overview of the process, best used as part of a presentation. While it may seem too general to be useful at first, whether you're presenting a product you're about to start working on or as part of a post-mortem analysis, this is a great way to summarize, such as yours. Scrum works and how long each cycle will (or at least did) take when reviewing a completed project).
OfI couldDo this as part of your daily scrum (since there is little space to complete your daily tasks), the huge graphics make it much better suited to providing a snapshot of the process in a presentation. For an actionable process that you can use to track your daily scrums, it's much more effective.Create your own model.
In other words, this timeline is great when you're asked to present your team's roles or explain them to someone who doesn't know your job.
Click here to download this template.
Timeline Templates for Spreadsheets
For those who love to analyze large data sets and stay organized with detailed spreadsheets, these are the perfect timeline templates.
From organizing your project elements into simple rows and columns to tracking your data in tables that automatically update charts, all of these inputs are focused on letting you organize each detailed element that makes up your projects and your schedule.
Chronology-Vorlage - California State University Northridge
California State University NorthridgeThat didn't cross my mind when I was researching the best timeline templates, but with a few tweaks, your historical timeline is a great base for defining your tasks and how they intersect.
As with other spreadsheet timeline templates, a chart is created based on the data you insert into a spreadsheet, including the name of each point (or task) on the timeline, its start and end. This time, however, the generated graph is on a separate worksheet from the data table, so you don't have to awkwardly scroll through the table each time you want to review or present the graph.
Whether you're creating a personal timeline to see your workload over the next few months, to show when multiple teams will be working on a project, or simply to break a project down into small tasks, I recommend you try this spreadsheet template. .
Click here to download this template.
Excel Project Timeline – Smartsheet
smart sheetThe first entry in this list allows you to drill down into a single project timeline in Excel and color-code your tasks based on what stage they're at. Project as a whole, but not that good at explaining your tasks or projects beyond simple names and labels.
It's also very easy to edit: the task names can be edited and the bars showing the duration of the tasks can be dragged to increase or decrease them. However, you can't easily edit the number of tasks at each stage without incurring additional editing work. If you're okay with the project task list shown, that's fine, but adding line breaks to your stages breaks things like the bar that shows the current date.
Click here to download this template.
Project plan - Vertex42
Vertex42 re-enters this list with a robust project schedule spreadsheet – this file is actually a few models combined, each with different timescales so you can approach your projects with the right amount of detail. One version is for a weekly schedule, the other is for a monthly schedule, and there is also a demo version to demonstrate how to set it up efficiently.
All versions of this template are easy to edit since it's just a color-coded spreadsheet, but visual enough to see the duration of all your tasks at a glance. There's even an extra column to add notes for each task, making it much more useful for items that need a little extra explanation.
Click here to download this template.
Diagrama de Gantt: Smartsheet
This Gantt chart timeline template is great for organizing your Excel projects with colorful charts. As you enter your tasks and their start and finish dates, this Smartsheet template automatically calculates how long the task will take and updates a graph to visually represent that time.
Unfortunately, like many others on this list, there's no room to expand the task beyond a name (you can't annotate details other than creating a new sheet or linking to additional resources). However, if you want a quick and easy way to see your task or project list and how items overlap, this is a great option.
Click here to download this template.
Project Timeline Google Sheets - Smartsheet
While visually much simpler than previous spreadsheets, this Smartsheet template is a dream come true for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the data behind their projects.
What the chart lacks, this worksheet makes up for in the various columns with details like task names, priority, start and finish dates, status, description, accomplishments, and more. While it's true that it's a "program" in a pretty broad sense, the power it gives you to plan your projects and predict your deadlines is tremendous.
Whether you're looking for a way to submit a project proposal with lots of supporting data, or just want to effectively track your projects over time, this is a fantastic option if you don't worry too much about the visual representation. do. .
Long Term Gantt Chart - Vertex42
This timeline template is awesome for anyone who wants to write everything on a single spreadsheet. As with the other spreadsheets here, you can break your projects down into smaller tasks and automatically generate a graph to represent the time they're taking. However, Vertex42's Gantt Chart template has a chart that spans two years each week, which means you can easily add new rows to continue expanding this unique template over time.
If you want to create a single, tightly knit spreadsheet to track your projects and the time each task took to complete (or predict the time spent ahead of time), this template will help.
Didn't find your perfect timeline template? Why not create it yourself?
Everyone is different and it's important to get a template that fits your schedule, otherwise your efforts could go to waste. Try some of the templates above to get a feel for what works for you, and look forward to weeks of organization and productivity to come.
What is your favorite way to organize your timeline? When creating them, are visualizations more important than detailed data? Let me know below in the comments.
FAQs
How do I create a timeline template? ›
- Go to Insert, select SmartArt.
- In the Choose a SmartArt Graphic gallery, click Process.
- Select a timeline layout (Basic Timeline or Circle Accent Timeline) and then click OK.
- Edit text and change items format and colors as needed.
With Venngage, you can create Word and PowerPoint timeline templates for free. The customizable templates can be edited in minutes to tell visualize your project. Pick one of the 40,000 icons and illustrations, as well as charts and graphs to make the timeline easier to understand.
What is a project timeline template? ›A project timeline template is a tool that displays the project schedule, including individual tasks, key milestones, and due dates.
Does Microsoft Office have a timeline template? ›On the Insert tab, click SmartArt. In the Choose a SmartArt Graphic gallery, click Process, and then double-click a timeline layout.
How do I create a timeline workflow? ›- Step 1: Create a Project Brief. ...
- Step 2: Organize the Project Scope. ...
- Step 3: Estimate How Much Time per Task. ...
- Step 4: Define Task Dependencies. ...
- Step 5: Make Note of Milestones. ...
- Step 6: Build the Project Timeline.
Timelines are displays of events arranged in chronological order. An example of a timeline can be an overview of important events, a detailed agenda or itinerary, or a schedule of activities that conveys information such as milestones, due dates, and ongoing tasks for any project work.
What office program is best for timelines? ›Office Timeline
OfficeTimeline add-in for PowerPoint provides a timeline creation wizard that allows adding basic information regarding a project which is then translated into a timeline. For more details, check out our review of OfficeTimeline.
From your Google Doc, select Add-ons > Lucidchart Diagrams > Insert Diagram to open the sidebar. Click “+” in the bottom-right corner. Select a blank document or a timeline template to customize.
What is timeline in a plan or checklist? ›An event planning timeline is a checklist, in chronological order, of all the stages and steps involved in planning an event.
What is a good project timeline? ›A project timeline typically takes the form of a horizontal bar chart, where each task is given a name and a corresponding start and end date. A project timeline provides an in-depth overview of the entire project from start to finish.
What is a step by step timeline? ›
A timeline specifies a step-by-step list of all the tasks that need to be implemented at the right time. The project timeline mainly focuses on what task to complete, the next task, updates on the task mentioned, and other details shared among team members.
Does Excel have a project timeline template? ›An Excel project timeline template is a visually dynamic tool that project managers can use to plan and monitor project progress. Use the template for a visual representation of your project's goals, scope, and tasks to ensure timely project delivery.
How do I create a timeline chart in Excel? ›- In the "Insert" tab on the ribbon, select "Smart Art" from the "Illustrations" section.
- In the left pane of the new window, select the "Process" option, then double-click one of the timeline options, or select an option and select "OK."
- Your timeline will appear on the spreadsheet.
- Choose the. icon, enter Workflows, and then choose the related link.
- Choose the Create Workflow from Template action. ...
- Select a workflow template, and then choose the OK button. ...
- Proceed to create the workflow by editing the workflow steps or add new steps.
- Choose the. icon, enter Workflows, then choose the related link.
- Choose the New Workflow from Template action. The Workflow Templates page opens.
- Select a workflow template, then choose OK. ...
- Proceed to create the workflow by editing the workflow steps or adding new steps.
3 types of project timelines. There are three main types project timelines: Gantt charts, PERT charts, and calendar/chronological timelines.
What is a work timeline? ›A project management timeline is a detailed schedule for your project. It spells out all of the tasks involved and a deadline for each so that your entire team can see when individual steps will take place and when the whole project will be wrapped up.
What is a professional timeline? ›Timelines are a basic, popular method of charting milestones, goals and important events that happen over a specific time. Professionals can benefit from using devices like this to show achievable expectations and project guidelines.
What are the two types of timeline? ›As in the previous studies, there were two types of timelines, which are linear and staggered.
What is create a realistic timeline? ›- Define Your Project's Scope. A project's scope includes the goals, deliverables, and resources required to complete the project. ...
- Create a Work Breakdown Structure. ...
- Find Dependencies. ...
- Estimate How Long Your Project Will Take. ...
- Establish Milestones. ...
- Create your timeline.
How do I get a basic Office Timeline? ›
Make it from scratch: From the Office Timeline ribbon in PowerPoint, click New and choose Timeline from scratch. Use a timeline template: Again from New, select one of the pre-designed timeline and Gantt templates available and update it with your project's data.
Which software is best for office use? ›- Microsoft 365.
- Google Workspace.
- WPS Office.
- OpenOffice.
- iWork.
- LibreOffice.
- ONLYOFFICE.
- WordPerfect.
On the Insert tab, click Smart Art. Pick a timeline layout from the gallery that appears, such as this Basic Timeline in the List section. On the slide, a text editor opens next to the graphic so you can easily add words to the graphic. In the text editor, enter the dates and descriptions, and then press Enter.
Can I Download my Google timeline data? ›- Open Google Takeout.
- Find and Select Location History.
- Select JSON File Format to Export.
- Choose a file type to compress (we recommend a ZIP file), export frequency, and destination on your computer.
“Only you can see your timeline,” Google says. From its post: Your Timeline is private and visible only to you; and you control the locations you choose to keep.
What is Google timeline app? ›Google Maps Timeline shows an estimate of places that you may have been and routes that you may have taken based on your Location History. You can edit your Timeline anytime and delete your Location History in Timeline. Your Timeline is private, so only you can find it.
What are the 9 steps in project planning chronologically? ›- Determine the project goals and objectives.
- Determine the project scope.
- Build your work breakdown structure (WBS)
- Set timelines.
- Determine and plan resources.
- Estimate costs.
- Determine risks and constraints.
- Plan out communication.
A project checklist is a list of the steps required to successfully complete a project. These steps focus on the planning and setup phases. Using a checklist helps teams prepare sufficiently for future project work.
What are the 5 steps in making a project plan? ›- Step 1: Identify and meet with stakeholders. ...
- Step 2: Set and prioritize goals. ...
- Step 3: Define deliverables. ...
- Step 4: Create the project schedule. ...
- Step 5: Identify issues and complete a risk assessment. ...
- Step 6: Present the project plan to stakeholders.
- Preventing scope creep, which means keeping the scope of the project from growing.
- Staying within a given budget.
- Completing all aspects of the project.
- Providing quality work.
- Completing work on time.
- Securing the right resources in advance.
What are the seven 7 stages of project cycle? ›
The Project Lifecycle consists of seven phases intake, initiation, planning, product selection, execution, monitoring & control, and closure. These phases make up the path that takes your project from start to finish.
What is a high level timeline? ›What is a high level timeline? The high level project Gantt chart or timeline can be an example of a simple project plan that can ensure all critical path requirements are taken into consideration.
What is timeline and its parts? ›Timeline is the alignment of time, a chronological statement, to define a certain chain of events or activities that happened at a particular phase. In a visual context, it is a representation of the data, defined through lists, tables or graphics, where its all jotted down, sequenced in the same chronological order.
Where is Excel template? ›Go to Office.com. Click Templates at the top of the page. On the Templates page, click Excel. Tip: To see more templates, under BROWSE BY CATEGORY, click the category (like Calendars) that you want to see.
What is the timeline function in Excel? ›Instead of adjusting filters to show dates, you can use a PivotTable Timeline—a dynamic filter option that lets you easily filter by date/time, and zoom in on the period you want with a slider control. Click Analyze > Insert Timeline to add one to your worksheet.
How do I organize my Excel project management? ›Excel can create a visual timeline chart and help you map out a project schedule and project phases. Specifically, you can create a Gantt chart, which is a popular tool for project management because it maps out tasks based on how long they'll take, when they start, and when they finish.
What is Gantt chart Excel template? ›The Excel Gantt chart template breaks down a project by phase and task, noting who's responsible, task start and end date, and percent completed. Share the Gantt chart in Excel with your project team to review and edit collaboratively.
Is a Gantt chart a timeline? ›A Gantt chart is a 2-dimensional chart of a sequence of tasks and their dependencies while a timeline is a simpler visualization of events on a single line. A Gantt chart offers you a microscopic view of every detail of your project like current task progress, task priorities, milestones, time estimates, etc.
Is there a timeline template in Google Docs? ›From your Google Doc, select Add-ons > Lucidchart Diagrams > Insert Diagram to open the sidebar. Click “+” in the bottom-right corner. Select a blank document or a timeline template to customize.
How do you make a simple timeline chart? ›- In the "Insert" tab on the ribbon, select "Smart Art" from the "Illustrations" section.
- In the left pane of the new window, select the "Process" option, then double-click one of the timeline options, or select an option and select "OK."
- Your timeline will appear on the spreadsheet.
Does Google have a timeline app? ›
Google Maps Timeline shows an estimate of places that you may have been and routes that you may have taken based on your Location History. You can edit your Timeline anytime and delete your Location History in Timeline. Your Timeline is private, so only you can find it. Timeline available on mobile and computer.
How do I create a timeline project template in Excel? ›- Click on the Insert tab on the overhead task pane.
- Select Insert a SmartArt Graphic tool.
- Under this, choose the Process option.
- Find the Basic Timeline chart type and click on it.
- Edit the text in the text pane to reflect your project timeline.
On your computer, go to Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, or Forms. At the top right , click Template Gallery. Click the template you want to use.
Is there a free version of Office Timeline? ›The Free Edition is a lightweight tool good for making simple timelines or Swimlane diagrams that don't require a great level of detail. It has almost all the features available in the premium versions, but limited to maximum 10 milestones and/or tasks per slide.
What program to use for timeline? ›Preceden is an easy-to-use timeline maker and roadmapping tool that helps you quickly create professional timelines. With its intuitive web-based editor for creating interactive timelines, timeline templates, and numerous export options you'll be able to build and share your timeline in no time at all.