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Project Timeline

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The project timeline is the beating heart of every project. It captures the essence of what the project will accomplish and how it will be done. Knowing how to create a project timeline is one of the most essential skills a project manager needs to develop in the early stages of his or her career. Building comprehensive, accurate timelines will help you get every project off on the right foot. The size and structure of a project timeline naturally depends on the project it is describing. A project timeline can be highly detailed, with hundreds of tasks and subtasks, or very simple, listing only a few deliverables and deadlines. Regardless of how it is constructed, a project timeline needs to capture the following key pieces of information – the list of tasks to be completed, the dates on which the tasks need to be complete, the expected duration of each task, dependencies between tasks. Project timelines can take many forms, but the standard format for decades has been the Gantt chart. A Gantt chart timeline provides an easy-to-grasp visual depiction of the project, using horizontal bars to represent the duration of each task in the project. When all the tasks, sub-tasks, deadlines and resource requirements have been defined, the project manager completes the timeline and distributes it to the individual members of the project team. More often than not, the timeline will be revised several times over the life of a project, as priorities change and new requirements are added to the scope.

Project Timeline Template will be primarily useful for project managers and specialists in the planning department. The first slide of the template is presented as a slightly modified Gantt chart. You can display on a slide an action plan for your three development teams. Some of the processes can take place in parallel, and the other part sequentially. Only with data visualization will it be clear how the teams interact with each other and the risks when one of the teams lags behind the work schedule. This slide can also be used by construction organizations when planning supplies and works for their contractors. The second and third slides of this template have a similar block layout. These slides can be used when setting long-term company goals. For example, a new director of a company might use this slide to prepare the company’s strategic plans for shareholders. The last slide can be used for the initial presentation of your plans. This slide will present your information in a concise manner and grab the audience’s attention with its large infographic.

All template slides can be used with our other templates. You will be able to independently customize the color, size and type of font on each slide. Project Timeline Template will also be useful for university teachers and business trainers. Also, the slides of this template can be used by logistics managers when building a presentation on the topic of the supply chain.

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The Ultimate Guide…

Project Timeline

Brought to you by projectmanager, the online project timeline tool used to plan over 2 million projects..

What Is a Project Timeline?

What is project timeline software, benefits of online project timeline software, must-have features of project timeline software, example of a project timeline, how to build a project plan timeline in projectmanager, best practices in making a project management timeline, project timeline template, how to update your project timeline, how to share your project timeline.

A project timeline is a visual list of tasks or activities placed in chronological order, which lets project managers view the entirety of the project plan in one place. 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. You can see when a task starts and when it’s due—and importantly, whether or not it’s dependent on another task.

A project timeline can be priceless for a project team, but they can be challenging to make by hand or even in Excel. Fortunately, project planning software can create an interactive timeline in just a few clicks.

With ProjectManager, all you have to do is add your tasks and due dates. Want more detail? Add subtasks, milestones, dependencies, cost estimations and more. As your team executes their tasks, your timeline updates instantly, turning it into a powerful tracking device. Try it for yourself with a free 30-day trial.

With ProjectManager, you can make a timeline in a matter of minutes— Learn more .

Project Timeline Uses

Project timelines give project managers an opportunity to:

• Organize their tasks
• Show when in the project the tasks start
• View task deadlines
• Link dependent tasks
• Break the project into phases
• Identify team members assigned to a task

How Do You Calculate a Project Timeline?

To make a thorough project timeline with a Gantt chart , follow these steps:

• Write a project scope statement: A scope statement outlines the tasks, milestones and deliverables for the project. It’s an essential part of the project management plan and it has all the information you need for your project plan timeline
• Make a work breakdown structure (WBS): Use this graphic tool to break down the project scope into smaller work packages. The WBS allows you to visualize and organize the project’s tasks, milestones and deliverables by hierarchy to establish a chronological order
• Identify task dependencies: Now that you’ve identified every task required for the project, find out which of those activities are dependent on other tasks to start or end
• Estimate task duration: Make a reasonable time estimate for each task. This is a critical step to create your project management timeline, and determine the time required to complete the project
• Define deadlines: Determine how much time your team can spend on each task
• Set milestones: Milestones are important dates that mark the end of one phase and the beginning of the next, which makes them an important component of a project management timeline. Milestones are reached by completing task sequences and deliverables

Free Project Timeline Template

Need help building a project timeline? Try ProjectManager’s free project timeline template and practice adding tasks, dependencies, phases, milestones and more on a dynamic timeline.

On the left-hand side is the data grid, where the various phases of the project are outlined. Under each color-coded phase are the tasks associated with it, including WBS, assignees, due dates and other resources needed to execute the scheduled tasks.

The project timeline on the right is where things get interesting. You can see the whole project in one place, dependent tasks can be linked and milestones added. Put your project timeline knowledge to the test and build one today. Get started for free.

How To Create a Project Timeline

Project management timelines can take many different forms with varying levels of efficacy. They can be drawn by hand, or on a whiteboard, but this method is inflexible and large changes to your project might require scrapping the entire timeline.

Using a spreadsheet loaded up with macros can make for very capable, if time consuming to create, timeline. A project timeline excel template can save you the effort and time it takes to create your own spreadsheet. However, such macro-heavy Excel sheets can prove difficult to maintain for larger products.

To run projects effectively and efficiently, project managers prefer project timeline software that integrates their tasks with an interactive, feature-rich Gantt chart that can schedule, assign tasks, monitor progress and report on performance. Project timeline software is more versatile than project timeline templates because it allows project managers to easily update the timeline and keep track of tasks with dashboards and reports.

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Use this free Project Timeline Template for Excel to manage your projects better.

As stated, software is commonly used by project managers to create their project plan timelines. Project timeline software is an integral part of the planning process and often includes additional features that help to monitor progress when executing the project.

Using project timeline software is generally regarded as a necessity for keeping a modern project on schedule . It allows managers and teams to see the status of their tasks; that is, whether they’re in progress, overdue or done.

At its most basic, project timeline software creates a graphic representation of the project on a timeline with tasks and milestones plotted across. Tasks can be assigned start and end dates, and display a duration bar that indicates the planned amount of time to complete the tasks. More powerful software offerings can also include further options to manage tasks. Microsoft Project is one of the most commonly used project management software, but it has major drawbacks that make ProjectManager a great alternative .

In ye olden days, project timelines were charted on paper—or a chalkboard, if ye olde project manager was lucky. While it did get the job done, these early solutions were extremely limited. Having to make changes required creating a whole new timeline, which takes time.

As project management has emerged from the caves and embraced digital technology, the humble project timeline grew dramatically in power. Online project timeline software offers a centralized data repository in which everyone involved in the project can access the project timeline and other critical project documents and data. This means that managers and teams can access the project timeline when they need to, even if they’re working different shifts and located in different timezones.

Using an Online Project Management Timeline

Every project is impacted by the triple constraint of time, cost and scope. To start controlling the time and scope part of that important triangle, you need to create a project timeline during the planning stage.

The project timeline helps everyone on the project team by giving them a roadmap of where they are, and where they should be, at every point in the project. Timelines and schedules are essential to execute the project plan.

Tasks are given start and end dates and show on the timeline as a line connecting to points in time. If some of those tasks are dependent on another to start or finish, these task dependencies can be indicated on the project timeline as well.

This assists a manager by keeping those dependencies visible and preventing possible bottlenecks that could block the time during the execution of the tasks.

If you’re in the market for project timeline software, make sure it has these key features.

Define Project Phases and Set Important Deadlines

You can use a milestone feature to break up a larger project management timeline into more manageable phases. Milestones mark the end of one phase and the beginning of a new stage of the project. They can also be used to indicate any important dates or deadlines in the project.

Link Dependent Tasks to Avoid Bottlenecks

Connecting dependent tasks is essential to avoid bottlenecks later on in the project. Look for a tool that can do this quickly and simply, and that also has the ability to identify and assign all four types of task dependencies.

Know the Percentage Compete for Each Task

Tracking the progress of tasks once they’re being executed is a crucial component of knowing if your project is on schedule. A robust timeline software will have features that do this on the timeline itself, but also hopefully with a dashboard that provides instant status updates.

Make Quick & Easy Changes to Your Timeline

A must-have feature is the ability to simply edit your timeline as changes occur in the project. Rather than rebuilding your timeline, you want a tool that can drag and drop the tasks to their new dates and update all related tasks to keep your timeline accurate.

Help Your Team Work Better Together

Teams need to be given the tools they need to work more productively. Project timelines should be shareable to keep everyone on the same page. Tasks should be able to have files attached and teams need to be able to communicate at the task level, especially if they work remotely.

Share, Manage & Update Anywhere and Any Time

Organizing tasks is essential to executing your timeline efficiently. A timeline tool needs the ability to share to keep everyone on the same page. Improve productivity by tagging tasks by priority. You should be able to add tags to filter your tasks and quickly find what you want.

Let’s look at an example of a project timeline to get a better idea of what it’s used to accomplish.

On the right-hand side of the timeline is a list of your tasks and subtasks. These tasks can be further broken down by phases, and given different colors to distinguish one from another. It is, for all intents and purposes, a regular spreadsheet; it has columns for dates, costs, etc., and rows signifying each task or subtask.

But it’s on the left side where the timeline comes to life. Every task listed on the right is represented on a Gantt chart. Each task is represented by two points in time, the start and end dates. Between those two points is the duration bar.

Those diamond symbols indicate milestones . When you see a dotted line connecting two tasks, that tells you that the tasks are dependent on each other to start or finish before the other can start or finish.

ProjectManager is an award-winning project management software that helps you build better project plan timelines and stay on schedule. Our interactive Gantt chart is more than just a timeline—it’s an integral part of our larger feature suite. To build your timeline, try our software free for 30-days and import your task list.

Set Task Duration

Tasks need to have an estimated start and finish date to chart on a timeline. Once you’ve identified the task and its priority, you need to figure out its duration and dependencies.

As shown in the project timeline example below, add the start and finish dates on the left hand column and the timeline will automatically display those tasks with a duration bar connecting the start and finish dates.

Link Dependencies

Dependent tasks can bottleneck teammates unless you keep track of them. Having a tool on your timeline to identify task dependencies will help you keep your team working uninterrupted. Check out the dependencies in the project timeline example below.

Linking dependent tasks is easy, just drag and drop one dependent task to the other. There’s also a link button that will also do this function.

Create Milestones

A milestone is a way to break up the project into phases or to note important dates. A milestone is one point in time that marks the end of one phase and the beginning of another. Milestones are represented as diamonds in our sample project timeline.

Highlight the task you want to turn into a milestone for the project. Just click the milestone button and you’ll see it on the timeline symbolized by a diamond.

Set Baseline

A schedule baseline captures your project management timeline as planned. Now when you execute the project and start recording actual progress, you can compare one to the other and see if you’re on track.

Automatically set a project baseline (once you’ve completed filling in your project timeline) by using the settings bar. Once set, our tool will automatically compare planned to actual progress.

Assign Team

Turn your project management timeline into an active planning tool by using it as a springboard to assign tasks to your team.

Teams can be assigned tasks directly from our Gantt chart. They can then easily collaborate by commenting at the task level to facilitate working with teammates who work different shifts.

Track your Project Timeline

As the project progresses you’ll need to make sure your project stays on schedule. ProjectManager offers you a variety of project tracking tools such as Gantt charts, project dashboards, calendars and task lists. On top of those tools, you can also use timesheets to keep track of your team’s time and workload.

Related: Free Timesheet Template

When you’re making a project management timeline, there are a few tools and practices that will help you to ensure it is as accurate as possible.

Gantt Charts

Gantt Charts are the perfect tool to create a project management timeline. They allow you to visually represent tasks, dependencies, milestones and deadlines

Estimate Duration of Tasks

A successful project manager must be able to determine the time each task will likely take. An accurate time estimate of the duration of each task is essential for planning, scheduling and creating project management timelines. The Program evaluation and review technique (PERT) is a useful method to estimate the duration of tasks.

Identify Resources

Resources are necessary to execute the tasks and produce deliverables. They can be people, materials, tools and other supplies. A project plan timeline is important to understand when you will need those resources and who is going to use them.

Revise Your Project Management Timeline Regularly

Projects change and your timeline must always reflect those changes. Using project management software is the best way to create timelines that can be updated as your project progresses.

Communicate with Your Team and Stakeholders

Meet regularly with your team members and stakeholders to communicate any changes made to your project management timeline. Project timeline software facilitates the communication process because it allows you to easily make those changes and share your timeline with your team and stakeholders.

Critical Path

Identifying the critical path is important because it allows you to know which are the critical activities that determine the duration of your project. Knowing which tasks must be completed on time to complete the project on schedule is important to create project management timelines.

Using project timeline software can help you streamline your project and get your team to work more productively, but not everyone is ready to make the leap. A project timeline template can be the perfect solution to get you acquainted with one.

Check out our free Gantt chart template , which organizes your tasks on a timeline. You can set dates and duration of tasks. It will even allow you to differentiate project phases customizing colors on the Gantt.

We’ve also created a blog explaining how to make a project timeline in Excel from scratch. However, you’ll likely soon want to try our online tool, as it will allow you to link task dependencies, assign those tasks to teams and automatically update in real-time as teams file their status.

These and other features make our Gantt chart software a better choice than a project timeline template to create and update your project management timeline.

Communication is the common thread that ties together all aspects of managing a project, and it is a core pillar in maintaining a project timeline. A timeline is only as good as the schedule it reflects. As that schedule changes , and it will, the timeline must change with it.

Project changes can come from various places. You can have external issues, such as weather or a disruption in your supply chain, which causes delays. If and when these happen, you need to keep your timeline current.

Communication can help keep you updated on changes like these—by staying in touch with your suppliers, for example. Your team is an invaluable resource, too. Stay in regular communication with them. They’re on the frontlines of the project and will catch issues first.

Other changes can come from stakeholders whose expectations alter. To manage your project timeline more effectively, schedule presentations with stakeholders to keep them updated on progress and to field any questions or requests they might have about the project.

In order to facilitate communication, your project timeline has to be shareable. Your team needs a copy to know when the tasks they’re assigned to execute must be completed within the project timeframe.

Stakeholders also need to have the project timeline. They are invested in the success of the project and want to know the big picture as it moves from stage to stage. To keep them updated, you’ll need to have them shared on current copies of the project timeline.

How to share the project timeline depends on the tool you’re using. If you use a project timeline template it can be printed and distributed. Obviously, this isn’t ideal. As noted, projects change and the last thing you want is to have multiple copies of various iterations floating around.

Sharing with Project Timeline Software

If you’re using a digital tool, then you can export the project management timeline and save it as a PDF. This can then be printed out or emailed to whoever needs it. The timeline is still a static document, but you can name it by date and avoid confusing it with an older version.

The best option is using a cloud-based tool that gives you a shared timeline that everyone can access but only certain team members can edit. That way the timeline is always front and center in the project management tool they’re using and is updated in real-time to make sure everyone has current data and is working from the correct schedule.

ProjectManager is a cloud-based software that delivers real-time data to help you make better decisions when managing your project. Online Gantt charts help you organize tasks on a timeline, real-time dashboards monitor progress and one-click reports keep stakeholders informed. Try our timeline tool today from free with this 30-day trial .

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Create a timeline in PowerPoint

Use a SmartArt graphic to create a timeline showing target dates for an assignment or project.

Create a timeline

On the Insert tab, click SmartArt .

In the Choose a SmartArt Graphic gallery, click Process , and then double-click a timeline layout.

Tip:  There are two timeline SmartArt graphics: Basic timeline and Circle Accent Timeline , but you can also use almost any process-related SmartArt graphic.

Click [Text] , and then type or paste your text in the SmartArt graphic.

Note:  You can also open the Text Pane and type your text there. If you do not see the Text Pane , on the SmartArt Tools Design tab, click Text Pane .

Add more dates to your timeline

Click a shape in the timeline.

On the SmartArt Design tab, do one of the following:

To add an earlier date, click Add Shape , and then click Add Shape Before .

To add a later date, click Add Shape , and then click Add Shape After .

In the new date box, type the date that you want.

Move a date in your timeline

On the timeline, click the date you want to move.

To move a date sooner than the selected date, click Move Up .

To move a date later than the selected date, click Move Down .

Change to a different timeline layout

Click the SmartArt graphic timeline.

Note:  To view only the timeline and process-related layouts, at the bottom of the layouts list, click More Layouts , and then click Process .

Pick a timeline or process-related SmartArt graphic, like the following:

To show progression in a timeline, select  Accent Process .

To create a timeline with pictures or photos, click Continuous Picture List . The circular shapes are designed to contain pictures.

Change the colors of your timeline

On the SmartArt Design tab, select  Change Colors .

Note:  If you don't see the SmartArt Tools Design tab, make sure you’ve selected the timeline.

Click the color combination that you want.

Tip:  Place your pointer over any combination to see a preview of how the colors look in your timeline.

Apply a SmartArt style

A SmartArt style applies a combination of effects, such as line style, bevel, or 3-D perspective, in one click, to give your timeline a professionally polished look.

Click the timeline.

On the SmartArt Design tab, click the style you want.

Create a timeline in Visio

Import and export timeline data between Visio and Project

Create a timeline in Project

Get Microsoft timeline templates

On the SmartArt Tools Design tab, do one of the following:

To show progression in a timeline, click Accent Process .

On the SmartArt Tools Design tab, click Change Colors .

On the SmartArt Tools Design tab, click the style you want.

Create a timeline 

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.

Optionally, you can make a sub-item in the bulleted list by clicking the bullet with the text you want to use for a sub-item, and on the Smart Art tab, clicking Demote .

Change the color or style of a timeline

You can change the color or style of the timeline graphic. You can also choose a different graphic layout entirely.

Select the timeline.

Select the SmartArt tab of the Ribbon, and then select either Change Colors or Styles to see a menu of available options for the timeline graphic. Click the style or color you want to select it.

You can also try changing the layout by opening the layout gallery to the left of Change Colors . Some of the options in the List and Process sections of the gallery are suitable for timelines.

Resize the timeline

You can change the size of the graphic so it fits better on your slide.

Point at one of the corner sizing handles until you see the two-headed arrow, and then click and drag to resize the timeline.

Create a SmartArt graphic

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Home Blog Business How to Create and Present a Project Timeline

How to Create and Present a Project Timeline

Creating and presenting project timelines can be a game-changer in project management. A well-constructed timeline outlines key milestones and deadlines and serves as a crucial communication tool for stakeholders. Designing these timelines with clarity and precision is essential to ensure everyone involved understands the project’s flow and expectations. 

This article will guide you through the steps to develop a coherent project timeline from scratch, highlight what information to include, and share tips on presenting it clearly to your audience. Whether you’re a seasoned project manager or just starting out, these insights will help you build an informative and easy-to-digest timeline, facilitating better project tracking and management. By the end, you’ll be equipped to create a timeline that enhances project visibility and coordination, making your work smoother and more predictable.

Table of Contents

What is a Project Timeline?

Components of a project timeline, why should we use project timelines, is a project timeline the same as a gantt chart, how to create an actionable project timeline, how to present a project timeline in a business meeting, how to keep a project timeline updated, case study: organizing a charity event with a two-phase timeline, recommended powerpoint & google slides templates for project timelines.

A project timeline outlines a project’s entire journey, dividing it into smaller, manageable tasks and significant points, each with its due date [1] . This timeline for the project helps teams understand when each part needs to be completed and the overall deadline for the project’s completion.

These tools in project management help indicate the status of various tasks. It shows what is completed, what is underway, and what remains to be done until the project’s due date. Through visual representation of every task involved, timelines help managers keep track of crucial tasks and their respective timelines.

Incorporating a few elements into a visual aid is essential when developing and overseeing efficient project timelines.

While you might add additional components to suit the specific requirements of your project, the components listed below are fundamental to every project timeline [4] :

These are the jobs that need to be done. When breaking down tasks, it is important to ensure they are specific and clear. When listing all the tasks related to your project, also include them in your timeline. Keep the titles of each task short and to the point. A lengthy explanation of the task’s scope in the timeline is unnecessary. This would only consume time and unnecessarily complicate the chart.

Start and End Dates of Tasks

You need to estimate the time required to complete each task. It is important to mention a clear start and end date for the task. While setting dates, do not be overly optimistic; choose timeframes that motivate your team and create a sense of urgency [5] .

These are significant achievements or steps in your project. They signify progress points or the completion of crucial stages within the project. Milestones could include completing a major phase of work, meeting a key deadline, or achieving a critical deliverable. Identifying milestones in your project timeline provides a roadmap for progress.

How long tasks will take?

This is how many days or weeks you think a task will need. Project timelines should effectively communicate essential task information with a glance. Therefore, it is necessary to include the estimated duration for each task. For example, one task might be expected to take three days.  However, a more complex task needs more days to complete.

Task Dependencies

Dependencies are other tasks that must be completed before starting the next task. When you create a project timeline, you will notice that your project has few dependencies at the start. However, as you progress, there will be more dependencies.

Project timelines guide you and your team along the way till completion. However, why are they so important? Let us break it down:

Clarity and Direction

Imagine driving without a map or GPS. You’d probably end up lost or taking the wrong turns. Similarly, in a project, a timeline provides clear direction. It will take you to the right destination and specify when you need to get there. It also ensures everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goal.

Effective Resource Management

Likewise, just as you would want to save gas by driving in circles, you want to save resources by efficiently allocating them. Whatever your resources are, whether people or money, a project timeline helps you allocate efficiently. You can see which tasks require what resources and plan accordingly, avoiding shortages or overages.

Risk Management

Every journey has its obstacles, from unexpected detours to road closures. Similarly, every project faces risks, such as delays, budget overruns, or resource shortages. A project timeline helps to identify potential risks early and plan for them. By foreseeing challenges, you can have a contingency plan in place. This will minimize their impact on your project’s success.

Deadline Management

Just like you would not want to miss a flight or arrive late for an important meeting, you don’t want your project to miss its deadlines. A project timeline helps you stay on track by clearly presenting when each task needs to be completed [3] . It creates a sense of urgency that motivates everyone to meet their deadlines.

Stakeholder Communication

Similarly, a project is not just about completing tasks. It is also about keeping stakeholders informed and engaged. A project timeline can be a communication tool to update stakeholders on progress. Meanwhile, you can address any concerns or questions. This can ensure that everyone is aligned with the project’s objectives.

The Gantt chart is one of the types of project timelines that offers a user-friendly way to visualize project schedules [1] . It presents a graphical presentation of the time required for various tasks within a specific timeframe. However, timelines can be in multiple forms. You can also show different events of your project in a single-line form.  This visualization displays the start and finish times of other activities. In addition, it can organize them based on project objectives or categories. However, a Gantt chart is two-dimensional [2] . For more information, check out our articles about gantt chart examples and how to make a gantt chart in PowerPoint .

There are a few steps that will guide you in creating a timeline for a project.

Set the Project Scope

Before you start listing tasks or making a timeline , you need to know what your project is all about. This means figuring out what you want to achieve and what needs to be done. It is like planning before you begin. This way, everyone knows what they’re supposed to do. Each segment is clearly defined, allowing the audience to understand the journey ahead.

With an example, we will better understand ways to create a project timeline.

Sarah is a seasoned project manager. She is going to launch a new software product. They set the project scope to develop a user-friendly application for managing finances. 

Divide the Project into Tasks

After figuring out what needs to be done for the project, the next step is to break it down into smaller tasks. It is like making a to-do list for the project. This helps everyone know what to do and when to do it.  The project would be easier to manage.

Following this step, Sarah breaks down the project into various phases. These phases include research and development, production, marketing, and launch. Each phase represents a leg of the journey towards the destination: the successful launch of the new product.

Highlight Key Milestones

After the division of the tasks, key milestones along the project timeline are highlighted. These milestones present significant progress points and checkpoints for the project’s advancement.

In Sarah’s case, one of the initial milestones is the completion of the product design phase. It signifies that the product’s conceptualization is ready for the development stage. Another critical milestone is the completion of the prototype, which marks the transition from development to testing.

Visualize Task Timelines

Visualizing task timelines involves using various tools designed for this purpose. Using the tool, you will form a timeline for the project. These tools help organize tasks, set deadlines, assign responsibilities, and track progress throughout the project lifecycle. Interactive tools like Microsoft Project, Asana, or Trello are better suited for complex projects with many tasks and dependencies.

However, static timelines created using PowerPoint or Google Slides can be sufficient for more straightforward projects. These tools can create chronological timelines, such as roadmap templates , visually representing task sequences and deadlines. They do not offer the same level of interactivity as dedicated project management software, but they are user-friendly and accessible for basic project planning and communication purposes.

A chronological timeline would work well as a roadmap for Sarah’s project. This type of timeline shows tasks in the order they need to be completed, like journey steps. Sarah uses colors or symbols to represent different phases of the project, such as design, development, testing, and launch.

Add Dependencies

Adding dependencies to your project tasks is like connecting the dots between different tasks. It is about identifying which tasks need to be completed before others can start. By adding dependencies, tasks are completed in the correct order.

Sarah highlights that the development phase must be finished before the testing phase can begin. Similarly, the product must be fully developed and tested before the marketing phase.

Add Progress Indicators

Progress indicators track task completion and project status, similar to mile markers on a road trip. Using symbols or colors, they highlight completed tasks, tasks in progress, and upcoming deadlines to inform everyone of the project’s progress.

Sarah highlights completed tasks with green checkmarks, tasks in progress with yellow labels, and upcoming deadlines with red flags. This helps her team stay informed and motivated; thus, the team remains on track to meet project milestones and deadlines.

Assign Tasks to Team Members

Assigning tasks to team members is like dividing the work among friends for a group project. It is about ensuring that each person knows what they’re responsible for and when it needs to be done. By assigning tasks, you distribute the workload evenly and ensure that everyone contributes to the project’s success.

Sarah allocates specific responsibilities to each team member based on their skills and expertise. For instance, Sarah assigns the coding task to a developer with programming experience, while designing the user interface is given to a graphic designer.

Track your Project Timeline

After you’re done assigning and your project has already started, it is time to monitor and keep a record. Tracking your project timeline is like watching the clock during a race. It is about monitoring your project’s progress to ensure you’re staying on schedule. Similarly, by monitoring your project timeline, you can identify any delays or issues early on and take steps to address them. It ensures that you complete your project successfully and on time.

In Sarah’s project, tracking the project timeline involves monitoring the progress of each task and milestone using her chronological timeline created in PowerPoint. Sarah diligently updates the timeline with specific deadlines for each task, ensuring that she has a clear visual representation of the project’s progress. She regularly reviews the timeline to assess if tasks are being completed on schedule and if any adjustments are necessary. For instance, if the development phase takes longer than expected, Sarah may need to revise the timeline for subsequent phases to prevent delays in the overall project timeline .

Presenting a project timeline in a business meeting is like telling a story about your project’s journey. You want to make sure your audience understands what is happening. Here’s how you can do it:

Start with Context

Start your presentation by providing background information about the project and why the timeline is essential. This helps set the stage and ensures everyone is on the same page.

Use Visuals

You can display your project timeline using PowerPoint templates or similar presentation software. Keeping it simple and easy to follow helps a lot; clear labels and colors are used to distinguish different tasks and milestones.

Pointing out the significant milestones on the timeline, such as project kickoff, important deadlines, and completion dates, will help the audience understand the timeline’s progress. It also forecasts what to expect in the coming weeks or months.

Discuss Progress

Apart from displaying the timeline, you can also provide updates on the project’s progress orally. You can highlight completed tasks and any challenges or delays encountered along the way. However, we suggest being honest and transparent about the project’s status and focusing on the positive achievements.

Invite Questions and Discussion

It is also important to encourage questions and discussion from your audience. It will ensure that everyone understands the timeline and feels engaged in the project.  You can also address any concerns raised and be open to feedback and suggestions for improvement.

Reiterate Next Steps

End your presentation by summarizing the next steps in the project and any upcoming milestones or deadlines. This helps reinforce the timeline’s importance and keeps everyone focused on moving forward.

Maintaining an updated project timeline guarantees that the project remains on course. This enables all team members to be informed about the project’s progress. Below are the steps to update the task effectively:

Regular Review

We suggest to keep a schedule for regular reviews of the project timeline. You can check the timeline weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly to assess progress and make any necessary updates. However, it depends on the project’s duration and complexity.

Update Completed Tasks

When tasks are completed, you can mark them completed on the timeline. This assists all individuals in identifying what has been achieved and what tasks remain outstanding.

Adjust Deadlines

Sometimes, tasks take longer than expected, and new priorities may arise. We need to adjust the timeline accordingly. We will be realistic about what can be achieved within the given timeframe. All the changes will be communicated to the team.

Use Collaboration Tools

We can also use project management software or collaboration tools that allow team members to access and update the timeline quickly. This ensures that everyone always has the most up-to-date information.

This case study explores how “Hopeful Hearts,” a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting pediatric healthcare, successfully organized a charity gala using a two-phase timeline approach. The organization aimed to raise funds and awareness for pediatric medical research while engaging the community and stakeholders.

Phase 1: Planning and Preparation (Duration: 3 months)

Step 1: concept development (month 1).

In one month, the “Hopeful Hearts” team brainstormed ideas for the charity gala, considering factors such as the target audience, fundraising goals, and available resources. After careful consideration, they decided on a “Carnival of Dreams” theme, creating an immersive experience that resonated with their supporters and attracted participants.

Step 2: Venue Selection and Logistics Planning (Month 2)

During this phase, the organization researched and secured a prestigious venue for the gala, the Grand Ballroom at the Harborview Hotel. They also decided on logistics such as catering, audiovisual equipment, and permits. Additionally, they drafted a comprehensive budget to ensure financial feasibility and accountability.

Step 3: Sponsorship and Partnerships (Month 3)

The team contacted potential sponsors and partners to secure financial support and in-kind donations for the gala. They targeted local businesses, corporations, and healthcare organizations known for their philanthropic efforts and community involvement. Through persuasive pitches highlighting the benefits of sponsorship, such as brand exposure and association with a noble cause, they successfully negotiated agreements with interested parties.

With this, the first phase is completed, and the project’s second phase starts.

Phase 2: Execution and Implementation (Duration: 1 month)

Step 4: marketing and promotion (month 4).

With the event details finalized, the organization launched a marketing campaign to promote the charity event. They used various channels such as social media, email newsletters, and local advertisements to reach a broad audience and drive attendance.

Step 5: Volunteer Recruitment and Training (Month 4)

Simultaneously, the organization recruited volunteers to assist with event logistics, fundraising activities, and attendee engagement. They provided training and resources to ensure volunteers were well-prepared for their roles during the event.

Step 6: Event Day Operations (Month 4)

On the charity event day, the organization executed its plan with precision. Volunteers assisted with setup, registration, and event coordination, while staff members managed fundraising activities, entertainment, and guest interactions.

Adopting a two-phase timeline approach, “Hopeful Hearts” successfully organized a charity gala that exceeded its fundraising and awareness goals. The structured approach allowed them to plan and execute each phase strategically, resulting in a well-coordinated and impactful event that brought the community together to support pediatric healthcare initiatives.

1. Tiered Project Timeline Roadmap Template

Give an overview and a detailed, phase-by-phase guise of what your project timeline consists of by using this implementation timeline template. Available in light and dark layouts.

Use This Template

2. Project Timeline Workplan Template for PowerPoint

Picture the different stages of your project organized by blocks with this best PPT template. Ideal for projects with multiple milestones per phase.

3. Horizontal Timeline for Project Template

As seen in our examples above, you can create an easy-to-understand project planning timeline with this PowerPoint template.

4. Circular Project Timeline Template

If you aim to represent a six-year project timeline, then opt for this timeline PowerPoint template in a segmented semi-circular format. With bold colors and icons, you can easily make elements stand out.

Creating and presenting a project timeline helps get things done effectively.  Breaking down tasks into smaller pieces with deadlines helps teams stay focused and meet goals. It also assists everyone in seeing the big picture and where they fit in. When presenting a project timeline, keep it simple and focus on what is important. You can use visuals like charts and graphs to make it easier to understand. Lastly, remember to keep your project timeline updated as things change. Regularly review and adjust it based on new information or unexpected challenges. Alternatively, if you are looking for alternative templates, we recommend you our collection of timeline templates , vertical timeline templates , horizontal timeline templates and our free timeline template for PowerPoint and Google Slides .

[1] https://caes.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk1721/files/inline-files/2018%20RIFA%20Timeline-Gantt%20Chart.pdf

[2] https://www.umsl.edu/~sauterv/analysis/488_f02_papers/ProjMgmt.html

[3] https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/create-a-project-timeline/

[4] https://hub.misk.org.sa/insights/education-career/2023/how-to-create-project-timelines-for-project-management/?allowview=true

[5] https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter-11-resource-planning-project-management/

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How to Create a Project Timeline: Free Templates for PowerPoint, Word, & Excel

Your projects aren’t static entities. Things happen over time. That's why it’s important to be able to show important dates and events visually on a timeline so others can see the full picture of your project. 

In this guide, you’ll learn how to make a simple timeline in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, with free downloadable templates to help you get started faster.

What is a project timeline?

A project timeline is a chronological graph of activities and milestones scheduled in your project plan . You might break your timeline down by day, week, month, quarter, or even year, depending on the project’s scope of work and level of detail you need to share.

In project management, timelines provide a simple way to communicate important deadlines and deliverables to your teams and stakeholders.

Project timeline examples

Let’s take a look at 2 common types of timelines, with examples of how you might use them in project management. 

Linear timeline

Linear timelines are often found in history books, but their simplicity comes in handy for project managers too. 

A linear timeline plots a series of dates and events in sequential order along a single horizontal or vertical line. This type of timeline is perfect for communicating high-level project information and status. 

Here’s an example of how you might use this type of timeline to give executive leaders a broad overview of project work without overloading them with too many details.

Gantt chart timeline

A gantt chart is packed with details about the whole project—things like dependencies, resource assignments, task discussions, and important project files. 

A gantt chart is versatile enough to communicate whatever level of detail you want to show in your timeline—whether you’re outlining your annual project roadmap or scheduling day-to-day tasks for a digital marketing campaign . 

Here’s a simple example of a gantt chart timeline for building a treehouse, with resource assignments and task dependencies noted.

If you're looking to build a gantt chart, we recommend you create one in TeamGantt .

4 steps for planning a project timeline

Timeline planning is an important part of any project management process . Let’s walk through 4 simple steps you can follow when creating a timeline for your projects.

1. Decide which format to use for your timeline

Different timeline styles serve different purposes, so choose the format that aligns best with your overall goal and target audience.

For example, let’s say you need to communicate who’s responsible for what and when to your team. In that case, a gantt chart is your best bet. That’s because it allows you to assign specific deadlines and resources to the work and connect related tasks with dependencies.

If you simply need to give managers or stakeholders a 10,000-foot view of the project, a linear timeline will do. Go vertical with your timeline if you plan to share or print it in portrait orientation. Presenting your timeline on screen in a meeting? Horizontal timelines make the best use of space in a slide deck.

2. Break your project down into smaller pieces

Breaking your project down into phases, tasks, and key milestones is a good practice to get into whether you use a timeline or not. Considering the steps in your project as part of a hierarchy can help you stay organized and determine task priorities.

Let’s use a construction project as an example. You might include these first few steps on your timeline:

• Grade the lot
• Lay the foundation
• Frame up walls and a roof
• Add siding, doors, and windows
• Install plumbing, electrical, and HVAC

Of course, that’s just the beginning, and there are many smaller steps that make up each of those phases. A work breakdown structure is a great tool for scoping out all the granular details. For a basic timeline, however, keeping it simple will suffice.

3. Figure out key deadlines and task timing

Now that you’ve broken your project down into manageable chunks, it’s time to determine how long each timeline event will take and when major deliverables are due. If you’ve done similar projects in the past, reviewing those timelines is a good place to start.

Conversations are your best friend at this stage of timeline planning. Get input from the people who will actually be doing the work to be sure your estimates are on point. And don’t be afraid to ask stakeholders for more information along the way if you can’t find an answer in the scope document .

4. Place events on your timeline in chronological order

Finally, take your list of project activities, and add them to your timeline in the order work needs to happen. Don’t forget to clearly label the start and end dates of your project.

If you’re making a linear timeline, you might want to set your intervals by week or month, depending on the length of the project. 

A gantt chart makes it easy to zoom in at a daily or weekly level if you’re building a timeline for your project team. Be sure to add dependencies between related tasks that need to happen in sequential order.

Easy drag and drop features with templates for faster scheduling. Plan a project in minutes, collaborate easily as a team, and switch to calendar and list views in a single click.

How to create a timeline in PowerPoint, Word, or Excel

Luckily, creating a timeline for your project is a pretty easy task once you know where to look. And the process is basically the same whether you choose to use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel to do it.

While none of these applications are the most flexible solution for managing projects , they can be helpful for sharing project timelines with executive leaders or other key stakeholders, as well as creating client presentations.

Which application you choose to create your timeline is completely up to you. There are no real benefits of one over the other as far as the timeline itself is concerned. The best option is to choose the application either you're most  comfortable with or that's most commonly used by your team and project stakeholders .

Follow these basic steps to create a project timeline in PowerPoint, Word, or Excel.

1. Open a blank or existing file in Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, or Excel

If you already have a presentation, document, or workbook you want to insert a timeline into, open your existing file. 

Starting from scratch? Create a new presentation, document, or workbook by opening the program and clicking on File > New . Here’s an example of how this step looks in PowerPoint:

2. Add a SmartArt timeline from the Insert tab.

Next, decide where you want the timeline to go in your document. Then click Insert > SmartArt , and choose a timeline style from the Process menu. Select any design you like—it can be changed easily later.

Here’s what this step looks like if you build your timeline in Microsoft Excel:

3. Edit the timeline entries with events from your project

Now that your timeline has been created, it’s time to add your project events to it. 

Remember, this timeline is for the main phases and high-level events. You don’t need too much detail here. The event, event date, and event status are probably plenty, but every project is different.

The timeline comes preloaded with a few placeholder events. Simply click on [Text] in the first placeholder event, and rename it to match your first project activity. Repeat the process for the remaining 2 default entries. 

Once you’ve edited your final default entry, just hit Enter or click + to add a new project activity. Continue this step until all your main project events have been added to your timeline.

Here’s a sample project timeline we created in Microsoft Word:

4. Customize the visual style of your timeline.

There are many different styles of timelines available to you. They all function the same, but some may be easier to read than others, depending on the amount of data in your timeline.

To change timeline styles, highlight your timeline, and choose new a new design from the Smart Art > Process menu. The design will update, and your data will stay intact.

Free PowerPoint, Word, and Excel timeline templates

Want a head start creating your project timeline? Download one—or all—of our free templates to save time on setup.

• PowerPoint timeline template (.pptx)
• Word timeline template (.docx)
• Excel timeline template (.xlsx)

Want to create a more detailed timeline with resource assignments? See our Excel gantt chart template or try one of our online project planning templates .

Build a free collaborative timeline in minutes

When you’re a project manager, every minute counts. So why waste time building out a bunch of complicated spreadsheets just to keep tabs on a project?

At TeamGantt, you don’t have to. Our free online timeline maker enables you to stay focused on the tasks that move the needle. Whip up a project timeline in minutes, and watch your team cross the finish line faster. It really is that simple.

Get started for free!

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How To Create A Project Timeline: A Comprehensive Guide

If you’re struggling with deadlines and tasks, creating a project timeline might be the key to your project’s success! When creating your project timeline with a short 6-step process, you can pick from a variety of formats as per your requirements. There are several benefits of creating a project timeline, such as improved communication and increased accountability.

Just like a road trip needs a detailed map with turns, stops, and estimated travel times, every project needs a plan. A project timeline acts as your roadmap, giving you a clear picture of the project’s journey. It helps you anticipate potential problems and refines your time estimates for completion.

Using a timeline for project helps you visually communicate your project’s purpose and progress to your team. Before we get into how to create a project timeline, let’s first take a look at what exactly constitutes a project plan timeline and its types and benefits? 

What Is A Project Timeline?

A project timeline is a roadmap that guides the project to its destination. It lays out the key phases and their deadlines and breaks everything down into manageable tasks — just like a schedule. This lets you monitor progress by tracking each task’s completion. Building your timeline can be done with project management software or simple tools like Gantt charts. Regardless of the project’s size, a timeline project is a vital tool in the world of project management .

Types Of Project Timelines

However, Project timelines aren’t one-size-fits-all. When it comes to visualizing your project schedule, there’s a variety of timeline project formats at your disposal. Each offers a distinct lens to view your project’s journey, ranging from a straightforward chronological list to a detailed chart that maps task dependencies. Here are the popular timeline formats and how they can empower your project.

1. Gantt Chart Timeline

Ideal for: Projects with complex dependencies, multiple tasks, and need for visual representation of timelines.

Named after Henry Gantt, an American engineer and management consultant, a Gantt chart is a popular way to visualize a project’s tasks. In this chart, you’ll find several horizontal bars, each representing a task and its attributes. The length of the bars matches the duration and depicts dependencies in a simple manner.

2. Vertical Chart Timeline

Ideal for: Projects with sequential tasks or phases where time is the primary focus.

A vertical chart timeline is a graphical representation of events or milestones arranged along a vertical axis, usually with time progressing from top to bottom or bottom to top. Each point or bar on the timeline depicts an event or milestone, with the position indicating its occurrence relative to other events.

3. Historical Timeline

Ideal for: Projects with historical context or events and storytelling elements.

A historical timeline is a chronological representation of past events or milestones, typically presented in a linear format with dates along an axis. While historical timelines are commonly used to illustrate the progression of significant events over time, you can also use them for project management purposes.

4. Kanban Timeline

Ideal for: Projects with agile methodologies, continuous delivery, and focus on workflow management.

A Kanban timeline, often called a Kanban board, is a visual project management tool used to track and manage work as it progresses through various stages of completion. While not inherently a timeline in the traditional sense, a Kanban board can still serve as a project timeline by visually displaying tasks and their status over time. 

5. Critical Path Method (CPM)

Ideal for: Projects with complex interdependencies that focus on identifying critical tasks.

The Critical Path Method (CPM) is a project management technique used to identify the sequence of tasks your team must complete on time to ensure the project’s swift completion. It helps project managers identify the most critical tasks and determine the shortest possible duration for completing a project.

6. Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

Ideal for: Projects with uncertain durations, probabilistic time estimates, and focus on risk management.

The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is a project management tool used to analyze and represent the tasks involved in completing a project, especially when the time required to complete each task is uncertain. PERT charts are beneficial for projects with high levels of uncertainty or complexity. 

Benefits Of Using A Project Timeline

Creating a project timeline management can be a hassle, but the advantages of having one ready certainly outweigh the effort the process requires. A project management timeline can act as a preventative measure for several common issues of working on projects, such as missed deadlines, miscommunications, and even resource constraints. It helps you proactively prepare for challenging situations instead of reacting to challenges when chaos and frustration strike. Here’s how it can help:

1. Improved Planning and Organization

A project management timeline streamlines the planning process, ensuring tasks are executed logically and deadlines are met. This enhances overall project organization and efficiency.

2. Enhanced Communication and Collaboration

By visually representing project milestones and tasks, the timeline facilitates clear communication and fosters collaboration among team members, minimizing misunderstandings and improving productivity.

3. Effective Resource Management

With a project management timeline, resources such as budget, human resources, and materials can be allocated efficiently, maximizing utilization and preventing bottlenecks or overallocation.

4. Increased Accountability

The timeline serves as a roadmap, clearly outlining individual responsibilities and deadlines, fostering accountability among team members, and ensuring everyone remains committed to project objectives.

5. Risk Mitigation

By identifying potential obstacles and dependencies early on, the timeline allows for implementing proactive risk management strategies, minimizing the impact of unforeseen events, and keeping the project on track.

6. Client Satisfaction

A well-executed project management timeline ensures timely delivery of milestones and transparent communication, leading to increased client satisfaction as expectations are consistently met or exceeded.

7. Informed Decision-making

With real-time updates on project progress and milestones, stakeholders can access valuable insights, enabling them to make informed decisions and adjustments to ensure success.

How To Create A Project Timeline

To create a project timeline, you must familiarize yourself with the correct steps and order. Skipping an important step or switching up the order could, in some cases, easily confuse the entire project, causing several issues in its wake. Here are the steps for creating a project timeline and their ideal order.

1. Map Out The Project Scope

Start off by defining the project’s scope by asking yourself these questions:

• What is the project trying to achieve?
• What should the team be able to present by completing the project?
• What steps must the team take to prepare these deliverables?
• How will you measure the success of your project?
• What limits must the team stick to to execute this project successfully?

You identify the project’s objectives, deliverables, OKRs , and constraints by answering these questions. If you fail to establish a clear scope, you might face confusion and delays as your project’s parameters shift.

2. Break It Down To Bits

No matter the project’s size, you must break it down into smaller and more manageable tasks to efficiently track the task’s progress. Let’s take the example of building a Lego house. In this case, the deliverables would be:

• Gather Legos
• Design the House
• Build the Walls
• Add Finishing Touches
• Test Stability

Each of these deliverables requires a set of tasks to be completed. You can further break these down into smaller tasks.

3. Identify Dependencies

Next, you want to understand the dependencies between each task. The tasks in your project can be divided into concurrent and dependent tasks. Concurrent tasks can be performed simultaneously with other tasks, saving you time. In our example, you can’t add the roof until you build the walls, which means that the roof’s installation is dependent on the completion of the wall’s construction. Not identifying such dependencies might lead to bottlenecks or delays in the project.

4. Estimate The Duration

The next step is estimating how long it might take to complete each task. When doing so, you must consider factors such as the resources needed, the complexity of the task, and any potential obstacles you might face. Making inaccurate estimations could lead to unrealistic deadlines and delays in the project.

5. Set Up Deadlines

Once you have the project’s deliverables, dependencies, and time estimates, you can assign realistic deadlines based on the dame. Setting specific deadlines helps avoid procrastination and adds a sense of urgency to each task, ensuring project completion as per the decided delivery dates.

6. Plan Milestones

Creating a project timeline is setting up milestones or checkpoints that help you track progress and celebrate achievements. This will allow you to identify possible issues early and gauge the speed of progress, enabling you to adjust the timeline as required.

The best way to communicate your project timeline to your team is with the help of a presentation. Google Slides and MS PowerPoint are a few of the tools you can use to do so. You can use a pre-designed template to create presentations when presenting your project timeline.

Best Practices For Making A Project Management Timeline

Several additional measures can help you create an efficient and productive project timeline. These help you streamline processes and allocate resources effectively. These practices can improve your team’s collaboration and communication, ensuring your project’s success.

• Use SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to set a direction for your project that aligns with stakeholders’ expectations.
• Getting everyone involved early helps you understand what matters, get buy-in, and consider different viewpoints throughout the project.
• Break big goals into smaller tasks to make planning, assigning people, and tracking progress a lot easier.
• Plan realistically to figure out exactly how much time, money, and people you’ll need for each step to avoid delays and going over budget. 
• Figure out what needs to happen in what order to help you avoid roadblocks and keep things moving smoothly.
• Match the right people to the right tasks, considering their skills, availability, and what the task needs to get done efficiently and avoid conflicts.
• Set achievable deadlines by taking into account the project size, who you have to work with, and what stakeholders expect. This keeps everyone motivated.
• Track your progress and make sure you’re on schedule. You can adjust your plans as needed to stay on track.
• Encourage open communication as it helps address problems, share updates, and ensure everyone’s on the same page.
• Regularly review how things are going, identify what worked and what didn’t, and use that knowledge to improve future projects.

Project Timeline Examples

We’ve created a few timeline project examples using SlideUpLift’s project timeline templates to help you understand exactly how a project timeline can be used and how it should look once completed. Each example shows how this can be used in various industries.

1. Community Green Space Development Project Timeline

The timeline slide displays the six-month journey of the Community Green Space Development project. It starts with brainstorming design ideas in August and moves through team formation, plan approval, permit acquisition, and construction, concluding with the project’s completion and opening in January.

2. App Launch Project Timeline

The slide outlines a strategic action plan for a tech startup’s web development, mobile development, and digital marketing operations over six months. Each vertical—Web Development, Mobile Development, and Digital Marketing—is aligned with monthly targets leading up to significant deliverables, such as the website launch and the mobile app deployment. The timeline is a visual roadmap designed to guide the team through each development and marketing phase, ensuring a synchronized launch of their digital products.

What’s the difference between a project schedule and a project timeline?

While project schedules help you break down your process into steps to create a detailed plan, a project timeline allows you to give a bird’s eye view of the project, tracking its overall progress with ease through milestones.

What are the four things a project timeline consists of?

A project timeline consists of:

• Deliverables: The outputs that need to be produced throughout the project lifecycle.
• Dependencies: The relationships between different tasks – concurrent and dependent.
• Deadlines: The dates or times by which a particular task needs to be completed.
• And Milestones: Significant achievements or events that help track the progress of the overall project.

What are the five main phases of a project?

The five main phases of a project are initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. Each of these phases has a variety of task items included. These help the team and stakeholders track the progress of the project.

What is the project lifecycle?

The project lifecycle is the series of phases that a project goes through from its initiation to its closure. This includes the key stages and activities occurring during the lifespan of the project. A project timeline chart can help you track this.

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Free Project Timeline Templates for Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and More

By Kate Eby | July 17, 2019 (updated March 23, 2024)

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We’ve compiled the most useful collection of free project timeline templates for project managers, sponsors, team members, and other project stakeholders to better track and manage their projects. 

Included on this page, you’ll find a simple project timeline template , a project milestone chart template , a weekly project timeline template , an annual project timeline template , and a multiple project timeline template , among others. We’ve also included a list of helpful tips for completing these project timeline templates .

Project Timeline Template

Download a Sample Project Timeline Template for Excel | Google Sheets

Download a Blank Project Timeline Template for Excel | Google Sheets | Smartsheet

Display key project information, like tasks and important milestones, using this simple project  timeline template. Track task start and end dates, and view them against each other in weekly, monthly, or yearly views. Color-code the tasks based on phases or categories to gain a quick overview of how your project is progressing.

You can also make your own timeline from scratch — learn how to create a timeline in Microsoft Word .

Project Timeline Presentation Template for PowerPoint

Download the Project Timeline Presentation Template for PowerPoint  

Use this simple presentation-ready project timeline presentation template to introduce key milestones to project team members and other stakeholders, or update them on project progress. Enter your project timeline details about its conception and initiation, definition and planning, the project launch and its execution, its overall performance and the project closing. With drag-and-drop project features, tasks, and milestones, this template is the perfect solution for all project team members and sponsors to ensure your project remains on track.

For Microsoft Project Gantt chart solutions and resources, learn how to create a Gantt chart in Microsoft Project .

Weekly Project Timeline Template

Download a Project Timeline Template for Excel | Microsoft Word | PowerPoint  

See your project at a glance with this timeline template designed for weekly viewing. Track each task by the week, identify who is responsible for what task, and document task names — or color-code them — with this easy-to-use, weekly project timeline template.

Project Milestone Chart Template

Download a Project Milestone Chart Template for Excel | Google Sheets | Smartsheet

Plot important project milestones and view their dates of delivery, their status, and the person responsible with this visual project milestone chart template. Stay on top of each important project date and task, and share among team members to improve visibility into how a project is progressing.

Learn how to Learn how to make a free Excel timeline template with step-by-step instructions.

Event Marketing Timeline Template

Download an Event Marketing Timeline Template for Excel | Google Sheets | Smartsheet

List all the important information for a specific marketing campaign or initiative, like campaign type, phase name, and start and end dates, so you’re always on top of the marketing projects that are going live. You can plan, track, and monitor the success of your efforts and customize the template for all sizes and types of events.

Marketing Project Timeline Template

Download a Marketing Project Timeline Template for Excel | PowerPoint | Smartsheet

Visually show each stage of your marketing plan with this colorful, customizable marketing project timeline template. Use this template to show the phases of the plan and all associated details, and present specific information to key stakeholders in order to keep them informed of your progress. With this professionally designed template, you’re bound to gain buy-in and streamline your planning process.

Simple Project Timeline Template

Download a Simple Project Timeline Template for  Excel | Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF

With this simple timeline template, document tasks and subtasks, assign them to team members, and mark them off as the team completes them to stay on top of your project. Identify start and end dates for each task, and the duration will automatically be calculated (in days).

Strategic Project Planning Timeline Template

Download a Strategic Project Planning Timeline Template for  Excel | Google Sheets  

Designed to help you strategically think through and plan out your project, this timeline template highlights specific goals and tasks over a predetermined period of time. Use this template to separate tasks by category and facilitate discussion around the most important tasks and when team members should complete them.

Annual Project Timeline Template

Download an Annual Project Timeline Template for  Excel | Google Sheets  

Track every task or initiative that goes into a project on a visual, 12-month timeline, so you can better prepare for all project efforts over the course of the year. This template gives you the ability to track current projects and view past tasks in a summary view in order to assess performance and make future business decisions.

6-Month Project Timeline Template

Download a 6-Month Project Timeline Template for  Excel | PowerPoint

Track your project in increments of six months, or plan a six-month-long project, with this timeline template specifically designed for half-year-long projects. List your start and end dates and their durations, and compare them against other project tasks to get an accurate picture of how your project is progressing.

3-Month Project Timeline Template

Download a 3-Month Project Timeline Template for PowerPoint | Google Slides  

Use this presentation-ready, 3-month project timeline template to keep track of quarterly project progress, and share it with team members and other project stakeholders. The template enables you to list each task and show month-by-month progression towards completion. Use the drag-and-drop start and end-date bar charts to set task durations, and provide a status of each project’s task progress and percentage of completion. 

Download free PowerPoint project timeline templates to help ensure your team is on track.

Multiple Project Timeline Template

Download a Multiple Project Timeline Template for Microsoft Word | Google Docs

Track multiple projects’ progress across a customizable timeline with this multiple project timeline template. Create tasks for each individual project, and extend or shorten task duration with the drag-and-drop feature. The template also includes a way to add color-coded status (e.g., planning, approved, development) and risk level (high, medium, and low) so any project sponsor or team member can see how the project is doing at a glance.

Construction Project Timeline Template

Download a Construction Project Timeline Template for Excel | Google Sheets

Use this construction-specific project timeline template to schedule all your construction project’s deliverables in chronological order. The template includes editable example construction tasks (e.g., demo prep, framing, electrical) to show how you can schedule each task sequentially and keep the whole construction project moving. Plus, the built-in Gantt chart provides a visual record of each task’s due date, duration, and status.

IT Project Timeline Template

Download an IT Project Timeline Template for Excel | Google Sheets

With this project timeline template designed for IT projects, you can list sprints, assign each one to a specific team member, and track their progress. Maintain visibility into any project changes as you view the status of each sprint to ensure your time-sensitive project conforms to the proposed timeline.

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. Use the template to plan your project, and to keep team members and other stakeholders up to date on progress. 

Project managers, project sponsors, team members, and clients know that having an accurate project plan is crucial for ensuring that you proactively define the project’s objectives and goals, anticipate individual project tasks, as well as how you will implement the project. While a project plan defines all project work and the individuals who will complete it, a project timeline puts all of this information into a visually dynamic, chronological format so that you can better track and manage your project. 

Project timeline templates also include your project’s key milestones, task owners, start and end dates, and individual task statuses. A thorough project timeline template provides project managers, team members, and project sponsors with phase-by-phase and task-by-task details and their current – and collective – status, so that the project can be successfully completed on time. 

While project timeline templates may vary, most of them include the following components: 

• Project Name: Enter the name of the project. 
• Project Manager: List the name of the project manager ultimately responsible for managing project day-to-day tasks and ensuring successful project delivery.  
• Start Date: Set the project start date. 
• End Date: Set the project end date. 
• Phase Title: Enter a name for each phase or stage of your project timeline. 
• Task Name: List each individual task.  
• Assigned To: List the team member responsible for completing each individual project task. 
• Task Start and End Dates: Set the date the task owner is scheduled to begin and finish working on each individual task. 
• Duration: Review the task duration to ensure that the task owner has sufficient time to complete it. 
• Status: Provide the status for each individual task (e.g., not started, in progress, on hold, complete, etc.).  

Additionally, some project timeline templates include the following additional components: 

• Milestones: List the project’s key milestones. 
• Project Scope: Provide brief details of the scope of the project (i.e., product or project features).  
• Objectives and Goals: List the project’s key goals or objectives.   
• Task ID: Provide a unique task ID for each project task for easier task-by-task status tracking. 
• Department: List the department responsible for each project phase or individual task.  To keep track of the time spent by individual teams or department members, use one of our free timesheet templates.
• At Risk: Mark tasks that are at risk of not being completed on time, and whether this jeopardizes project delivery.  
• Sprint: If your project timeline is structured according to Agile sprints , enter the name or number of the sprint.  
• Project Notes: Provide any notes about schedule, budget, resources, risks, or other issues that may affect successful project delivery.
• Status Key: Provide a color-coded status for each project phase, feature, or task (e.g., planning, approved, development, launched). 
• Risk Level: Provide a level for any particular project phase, feature, or task that is at risk of not being completed (e.g., high, medium, low).

Create Powerful Project Timelines with Smartsheet for Project Management

From simple task management and project planning to complex resource and portfolio management, Smartsheet helps you improve collaboration and increase work velocity -- empowering you to get more done. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed.

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time. Try Smartsheet for free, today.

Discover a better way to streamline workflows and eliminate silos for good.

Customizable project timeline and roadmap templates

Plotting your course isn't just clarifying, it can be captivating too. build your next project timeline or roadmap using designer-developed, customizable templates. no matter what kind of project you're planning or managing, there's a timeline template that'll keep you on track..

Show your plan at a glance with timeline templates

Don't waste any time—start your next project plan or production roadmap with a timeline template. Timelines are a great way to visually organize your thoughts, plotting each step that you plan to execute. Making planners and trackers into timelines is a snap when working with templates. You can also use timeline templates to show how far a project has come along, every milestone accounted for. Small businesses can find timelines helpful for pitching new business during presentations as well as planning new products. And adding a timeline to a wedding save the date or an invitation is a great way to let guests know everything they can look forward to during your celebration. Timelines aren't just for project planning. Resumes are themselves a kind of timeline, and there are some fantastic graphic resume layouts that incorporate easy-to-read timelines that make your work history stand out.

Discover our diverse collection of 49 Timeline templates for PowerPoint and Google Slides, expertly crafted to help you create visually stunning presentations that effectively showcase your project milestones, history, or plans.

Timelines are invaluable tools for illustrating a sequence of events, whether it’s for business, education, or personal use.

Our professional templates offer a variety of designs, styles, and formats to suit your specific needs.

Pin Timeline

Google Slides , PPTX

Speech Bubble Timeline

Neumorphic Bubble Timeline

Timeline Milestone Chart for PowerPoint and Google Slides

Block Timeline for PowerPoint and Google Slides

Alternating Speech Bubbles Timeline for PowerPoint and Google Slides

Radar Timeline for PowerPoint and Google Slides

Word Cloud Timeline for PowerPoint and Google Slides

Infographic Timeline for PowerPoint and Google Slides

Doodle Timeline for PowerPoint and Google Slides

Line Design Timeline for PowerPoint and Google Slides

Horizontal Timeline for PowerPoint and Google Slides

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• How to create a project timeline in 7 s ...

How to create a project timeline in 7 simple steps

Wondering how to transform your project management game? Learn how to streamline your tasks and dependencies by creating an adaptable project management timeline that's suitable for any industry and profession.

Fret no more. This guide offers a comprehensive example of how to create a project timeline suitable for any professional, regardless of their job title, industry, or department. Follow these steps and learn how to build project timelines that put you in the driver’s seat and build your own project timeline template .

What is a project timeline?

A project timeline is an important project management tool that visually represents the schedule and details the sequence and duration of tasks. It breaks down a project into parts and supports effective workload management by using integrations such as a work breakdown structure (WBS). A project timeline is more than a static calendar; it functions as a dynamic guide that adapts to the project's developing needs, ensuring that goals are completed quickly and within anticipated timescales, whether in a major enterprise project or a small business initiative.

How to create a project timeline

Creating a project timeline is a structured process that lays the foundation for successful project execution. It begins with defining the project’s scope and objectives.

A good timeline not only displays tasks in chronological order but also incorporates critical elements like task dependencies, resource allocation, and milestones. 

This is where the functionality of the timeline comes into play. It should provide a clear, visual representation of the project’s flow and allow for easy tracking and updates. The timeline should be both comprehensive and flexible, able to adapt to changes while keeping the project on track.

1. Create a project brief

To keep all project stakeholders aligned on the plan, every project should start with a project brief . It serves as a roadmap and is a way to explain big picture details, like the purpose, goals, milestones, and vision of the overall project. Here are a few questions to answer in your brief:

What are your goals for the project, both internally and externally? What are the project deliverables?

Which internal and external stakeholders are a part of the project? What are their roles?

What is the timeframe for the project? What are the most important dates?

What is the project scope ? Do you have a project scope statement?

What are the key milestones of the project?

Let’s put this step into practice. You’re responsible for planning this year’s client appreciation dinner. Your personal goal for the event is to be as organized, productive, and efficient as possible . You’re confident you can do it, and understand it all starts by putting together a cohesive brief for your event. Your answers to the four questions listed above are:

What are your project goals, both internally and externally?

The internal goal is to plan a high-impact client event under $15,000. The external goal is to achieve a 50% RSVP rate and 80% attendance rate.

Which internal and external stakeholders are a part of the project?

The internal stakeholders are the event’s planning committee (John, Sam, Tara, Linda), the VP of Client Success, and the Marketing team. Externally, the stakeholders include all current clients, and certain vendors (catering company, event venue, etc.).

What is the time frame for the project?

The project planning kicks off on January 15, and the event will happen on August 30.

Which tasks should be considered project milestones?

Publishing the registration page, securing the venue, and signing certain vendors.

Once you have your project brief and goals outlined, you’ll be ready to work backwards and figure out all of the steps you need to take to get there, and you can start creating a project timeline.

2. List your to-dos

In order to have a successful project timeline, you’ll need to create a list of everything that will need to happen throughout the project planning process, all the way to your final deliverable, whether it is a report or an event. Think both big and small in terms of steps. Any tasks that will help you get your project completed on time and on budget should go on this list.

At this point, don’t worry too much about the order of all of your steps or when you need to get them done—we’ll cover that later.

For example, the breakdown for our client appreciation dinner might look like this:

Write an event plan

Finalize budget

Confirm event venue

Select catering

Choose event theme

Design creative concepts for event

Set up an RSVP page

Send invitations

Advertise event

Finalize presentations

Prepare all event collateral and swag

Create a day-of checklist

For longer or more complex steps, break them into smaller, easy-to-digest subtasks. Not only will it help you figure out the true scope of a step, but it’ll also ensure you don’t forget any small details and make tackling it more manageable.

In our event example, to make the "Select catering" step less overwhelming, we would split this part of the project into a digestible task list:

Create a list of possible caterers

Get quotes from each caterer

Compare quotes and menus

Meet with top picks

Choose caterer

Finalize contract

3. Estimate how long each step will take

Once you have a comprehensive list of every step in your project, you’ll allocate an amount of time each will take to complete. When doing this, balance giving your team enough time to get project tasks finished and staying within your overall time frame. Once you know how much time each task will take, you’ll be able to properly plan and sequence each task to create a project roadmap.

Continuing on with our client appreciation event example, let’s take the “Select catering” step, along with each of its subtasks, and estimate how much time the smaller tasks will take, in chronological order.

Select catering (9 weeks)

Create a list of possible caterers (1 week)

Get quotes from each caterer (3 weeks)

Compare quotes and menus (1 week)

Meet with top picks (2 weeks)

Choose caterer (1 week)

Finalize contract (1 week)

Based on our time projections, the process of selecting a catering company will take a total of nine weeks. By working backwards, you can determine when you need to start on this particular step and fill in your project timeline with actual dates.

4. Map out dependencies

As you’re running a project, some steps can be worked on simultaneously—especially if different teammates are responsible for each of the overlapping tasks. However, others cannot be started or completed until another step is finished. In other words, some steps are dependent on others getting completed first. For instance, you can’t order food before you’ve selected the caterer. This is one of the many reasons why a timeline is so important. Visually seeing each step, how the steps overlap, and the amount of time each one takes will keep you on course.

This is also the time to figure out who’s responsible for each step. Assigning who’s responsible for what to every part of the project early on will help you spot and adjust timing or resource conflicts, and avoid future surprises and delays. In Step 6, you’ll learn how to share your project timeline with those involved, making responsibilities crystal clear.

One of the tasks for our example event is to send out invitations. While this particular step seems like an easy one, there are several other things that need to happen before we can even think about sending invitations. The invites must be designed, and we can’t design them until a theme has been chosen for our event. One task needs to occur before another starts. For example:

Event theme (Event Planning team) → Design concepts (Linda) → Choose design (Event Planning team) → Create invitation (Linda) → Send invitations (Tara)

It’s worth the time to map out each dependency and the sequence (or order) of each task. You’ll quickly start to see your project puzzle coming together. Deciding who will do what is critical as well. Who will be working on finalizing the event theme? Who will design the invitations? Don’t wait until it is time for a task to start before assigning it to someone—get everything ironed out early to avoid conflicts or hiccups.

The good news is the invitation process and catering selections can happen at the same time, which will be shown on our project timeline.

5. Create your timeline

Are you beginning to visualize what your project timeline could look like ? While it’s not practical to keep that image (and all those tasks and due dates) in your head, it is realistic to get them down on paper (or on screen). Your first instinct might be to open up an Excel spreadsheet or Microsoft presentation—but wait. Since neither were designed to plan or manage projects, you’ll run into some challenges you could avoid by choosing a better tool .

Instead, opt for a project management tool that’s designed to build and manage project timelines —like Asana. Not only will it save you time drawing your timeline (since you won’t have to attempt to hack merge cells and add formulas to turn a spreadsheet into a project timeline), it will allow you to continue managing your timeline after the project kickoff. Dedicated project management software allows you to easily adapt your timeline as you work, and update your stakeholders on changes and progress in real time.

With the right tool, your timeline will be tied to your underlying work and will always stay up to date. It can be the difference between a project running on track and one going haywire.

How to create a timeline in Asana

Use Asana’s Timeline feature to create your own project schedule :

Enter all of your project steps as tasks in a list

Add start and end dates to each task

Add a task owner for each one

Draw dependencies between tasks

Click "Timeline" view to see your list translated into a visual timeline.

Tip: If you’ve already created your plan in a spreadsheet, you can quickly import it into Asana using our CSV importer integration , and skip to step four.

Project timeline templates to get you started

The easiest way to set up a project timeline quickly is to start with a project template . Below are a couple of project templates, created by Asana, that you can use now. Each type of project starts as a List View, but you can click the "Timeline" tab to convert it into a Timeline:

Product marketing launch template

Event planning template

Product roadmap template

General project plan template

6. Share it with stakeholders

Remember when you added a list of all project stakeholders to your brief at the very beginning of this process? Now that you’ve built your timeline, it’s important to share it with everyone involved. We can promise they will be thrilled to see how clear your plan is. The easier you make their part of the project, the more kudos will come your way throughout the process.

When you use a project management tool to build your timeline, sharing it is quick and seamless. Forget emails and multiple docs—in no time, your stakeholders will know who’s doing what by when.

For the client appreciation event, we will want to share our timeline with everyone involved in the entire project, not just those who have immediate responsibilities. At any time, someone will be able to track their part of the project and its dependencies without having to ping you for information.

7. Manage and adapt as you go

If you’ve ever worked on any project, you know things don’t always go as planned. However, when you’re prepared to adapt, changes don’t seem so difficult to handle. Timelines aren’t just great for planning; they will also help you adjust as delays or changes inevitably happen.

Moving tasks around doesn’t have to be daunting or disrupt the entire project. If one part of the project runs into a delay, as the project owner, you will have clarity on the impact of the rest of the project. Then, you’ll be empowered to move things around accordingly so the overall project can still move forward productively.

As The Balance Careers notes, project changes can be managed within their own specific steps, but once the change is final, it’s time to update your timeline. Because timelines go out of date quickly when plans change, relying on a project management tool , rather than email or spreadsheets, offers a major benefit. As the project owner, it’s your responsibility to communicate to all stakeholders what the single source of truth is (your timeline) and make sure it’s always updated.

Take immediate action. As soon as the change is confirmed, update your timeline to reflect it.

Notify stakeholders. Anyone that is affected by the change to your project timeline should understand how it impacts them and be able to visually see the change on the project timeline.

Determine the impact. Once your timeline is updated, you’ll be able to see if there are time periods that are overcrowded and stakeholders that have too many tasks. Can you move a task to ensure more time? Can someone else take over that responsibility or lend a hand?

To wrap up our event example, let’s say you managed to choose a caterer for the client appreciation dinner. You’re about to finalize the contract when a call comes in that the catering company double-booked themselves. Unfortunately, you must find a new catering company.

With a timeline, it's easy to adjust due dates for any task or any team members that are impacted by this change. The positive part of this challenge is that we’ve already gone through several of the initial tasks and can see that reflected on the timeline. While this is a frustrating problem, it feels more manageable because our timeline has kept us organized and on track.

Types of project timelines

Project timelines are as diverse as the projects themselves. The reason for this variety lies in the distinct nature of each project, where factors like scope, complexity, industry, and team size dictate the most suitable timeline format. This diversity ensures that every project can have a timeline tailored to its specific needs.

Choosing the right type of project timeline is an important step in project management. The key is to assess the project’s requirements and consider factors like: 

Project duration

Level of detail needed

Team's working style 

For instance, projects requiring close monitoring of deadlines might benefit from a Gantt chart, while those emphasizing flexibility might opt for a Kanban timeline. Additionally, the availability of project timeline software and tools should also be considered to ensure compatibility and ease of use.

Knowing you've selected the right type of timeline often comes down to its effectiveness in project execution. A suitable timeline will streamline the planning process, facilitate clear communication among team members, and provide a realistic overview of the project’s progress. 

If the timeline allows for easy identification of bottlenecks , supports effective time management , and aligns with the team’s workflow, it's likely a good fit for the project.

Gantt chart timeline

A Gantt chart is a popular project timeline tool that provides a visual overview of tasks scheduled over time. It helps teams see the start and end dates of project phases, helping with time management and identifying potential bottlenecks.

For example, a Gantt chart can be used to manage deadlines and identify potential delays in a construction project by outlining stages such as design, procurement, and construction.

Vertical chart timeline

This timeline is a variant of the traditional Gantt chart, displaying tasks along a vertical line. It's effective for smaller projects or when you need a concise list of tasks without detailed scheduling.

In event planning, such as organizing a conference, a vertical timeline can efficiently display the sequence of tasks like venue booking, speaker confirmation, and marketing.

Historical timeline

Particularly useful in educational or retrospective projects, a historical timeline outlines key events in chronological order. When dealing with complex projects, this format can help streamline the visualization of project phases.

A historical timeline, for instance, could be used to help with the educational component of a museum exhibit project by listing important historical events or eras in chronological order.

Kanban timeline

Kanban timelines, inspired by Kanban boards , focus on the progress of tasks from "to-do" to "done." They're excellent for teams emphasizing teamwork and agile methodologies, where tasks move through different stages.

For example, software development teams often use a Kanban board to track the progress of features from conception to implementation. 

Critical Path Method (CPM)

The Critical Path Method is a more sophisticated approach that identifies the sequence of interdependent tasks that affect the project's timeline. It's pivotal in complex projects where time tracking and precise planning are key.

In a big manufacturing project, for instance, CPM can identify and keep track of important steps like design, production, and quality control to make sure the job is finished on time.

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

PERT is similar to CPM but focuses more on the time each task takes. It's beneficial in projects where time estimation is challenging by providing a project plan timeline that considers uncertainty.

In a research and development project, for example, PERT can be used to estimate the time needed for various phases like conceptualization, experimentation, and product testing.

Project timeline examples

Effective project timelines are more than just theoretical concepts; they are proven tools that drive successful project outcomes. They enable precise coordination, effective resource allocation, and timely completion of tasks.

A notable example is NASA's Mars Rover Curiosity Project. The mission's success was heavily reliant on a meticulously crafted timeline, coordinating hundreds of scientists and engineers. This precise planning facilitated the rover's successful landing on Mars in 2012, demonstrating how a well-managed timeline can lead to extraordinary achievements in highly complex projects.

Project timeline example 1: Digital marketing campaign

In a digital marketing project, a Gantt chart timeline could delineate phases like market research, content creation, and campaign execution. The project team might use timeline tools to track critical tasks, ensuring effective time management when meeting campaign deadlines.

Scenario: A digital marketing team at a tech startup is launching a new app.

Market research phase: The team sets a two-week period for market analysis to understand the target audience.

Content creation phase: Over the next month, the team develops blog posts, social media content, and email campaigns.

Campaign execution: The final phase involves a six-week rollout of the created content across different platforms, with weekly reviews.

With the Gantt chart timeline, the team can see how each phase is progressing, adjust to delays in content creation, and move resources around more efficiently, all of which led to a successful campaign launch.

Project timeline example 2: Boutique retail business

For a small business project, a simple vertical chart timeline or a Kanban timeline might be more suitable. Businesses can use this kind of timeline to make project timelines that are easy to follow and keep up-to-date by showing important tasks like product development, marketing, and sales.

Scenario: A boutique clothing store is planning to expand its online presence.

Product development stage: Tasks include selecting new products and setting up an online store. Each task is moved from "to do" to "doing" to "done."

Marketing stage: This involves social media marketing and email marketing tasks, tracked similarly through the Kanban board.

Sales monitoring: The final stage tracks online sales performance and customer feedback.

Using a Kanban timeline, the store effectively handles its growth into e-commerce, keeping task management flexible and ensuring a smooth transition to online sales.

Common questions about project timelines

Knowing how to create a well-organized project timeline is a great first step towards understanding how to use this powerful tool, but you may still have a few more questions. You’re not alone. Here are answers to a couple common questions people have about project timelines:

What’s the difference between a timeline and a Gantt chart?

Gantt charts focus more on workflow and task dependencies. They are more linear and don’t account for changes or multiple things happening at once. Timelines are flexible and adapt easily to changes in project plans. They allow the workflow to be updated effortlessly. Both are organized as bar charts and serve as visual tools.

How can you track project progress, especially if you’re managing multiple projects?

This is tough to do in spreadsheets, but easier in a project management tool. There are multiple views to be able to see one project at a time, or you can manage multiple projects through a portfolio-style view .

In other words, you can visualize when you’ll have more time to work on specific tasks, and when you’re at capacity, you can adjust as needed to even out your entire team’s workload .

Create your next project timeline confidently

It’s not enough to just come up with a project plan. Determining how to execute it is just as important . Developing a timeline of how the plan will evolve is critical to the planning phase and also makes managing the project more efficient.

Using this step-by-step process for every project management timeline will keep you on task and less stressed. Try it out, adapt it to your business, and share it!

To take your project timelines even further, create your next timeline using Asana .

Related resources

3 visual project management layouts (and how to use them)

Grant management: A nonprofit’s guide

Everything you need to know about waterfall project management

Smooth product launches are simpler than you think

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Timeline Infographics

Free google slides theme, powerpoint template, and canva presentation template.

Timeline infographics are simply great if you need to create a list of events, steps or processes in chronological order or if you want to mark some milestones! Never miss a key action, a date or a deadline again! They are very visual, clear to follow and logical.

What will you find in these slides? We have added a lot of different timelines: curved, straight, resembling a road, hand-drawn, formal… You choose! Their designs are varied, so you can select your own one depending on the purpose: school, business, marketing… As usual, blue, yellow and red predominate- In addition, you will also find icons that you can relate to your timeline.

Features of these infographics

• Infographic templates with plenty of timelines
• 100% editable and easy to modify
• 30 different infographics to boost your presentations
• Include icons and Flaticon’s extension for further customization
• Designed to be used in Google Slides, Canva, and Microsoft PowerPoint and Keynote
• 16:9 widescreen format suitable for all types of screens
• Include information about how to edit and customize your infographics

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Attribution required If you are a free user, you must attribute Slidesgo by keeping the slide where the credits appear. How to attribute?

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Parks Commission hears ‘The Rink’ report

C ity of Santa Clarita staff Thursday presented their plans for The Rink Sports Pavilion to the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission, a $25 million multiuse roller skating rink the city is looking to open between April and June 2026. 

The presentation by Araz Valijan , city project manager, included goals for a projected timeline, features and other facilities the city looks to add as its next “crown jewel.” 

Santa Clarita Mayor Cameron Smyth said the roots of the project can be traced back to 2020, when people looked outside for more recreational activities during the pandemic. 

He said he’s excited for the project’s potential, adding the city is always looking for ways to meet the recreational needs of the community, and The Rink project does that in several ways. 

“But what’s unique about it, is the ability for that space to be used for multiple recreational activities, like small-side soccer, pickleball, some temporary basketball courts there as well,” he said, “so we’re excited about that. It’s more than just a roller-skating facility.” 

While the cost is high, Smyth said the city considers many factors and priorities when it decides on capital improvement projects, and that building an athletic facility doesn’t preclude the city from providing other services or addressing city needs. 

The 25,000-square-foot facility is being planned for a site adjacent to the gymnasium in the Santa Clarita Sports Complex, Valijan said, which is also near the city’s Aquatics Center and skate park off Centre Pointe Parkway. 

“We’ll have three pickleball courts inside this venue,” she said. “So the rink itself is 12,000 square feet with three pickleball courts, a volleyball court and a full-size basketball court inside the rink, and then folks can obviously roller skate. The material will be wood so they can easily skate throughout.” 

Using lessons in efficiency the city has garnered from The Cube, the interior will have some amenities that might be conceptually similar, like the concession and rental areas, she added. 

The exterior design will have similar construction look and materials as the Canyon Country Community Center and the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station. 

One thing The Rink won’t offer, officials said, is roller hockey or roller derby. 

“We know that’s kind of, ‘Hey, is that something we’re going to do?’” said Lance O’Keefe, recreation and community services manager for the city, referring to local interest in hockey. “When we looked at how to best maximize the use, roller hockey, because of the demands on the floor, the building, it really limits what we can do.” 

He said staff who work in recreation are already referring to the space as a championship venue for city athletic competitions like intramural basketball. 

Valijan offered a virtual guided tour with her presentation, walking the public past the rentals area to the locker area, and one could see another example of how the project has grown from a roller rink. 

The plans include cement bleachers, with storage underneath, where up to 200 people could watch an event on the main court area. These lead to the men’s and women’s restrooms, which also feature a single-stall family bathroom near the entrance. 

One of the highlights for the project is a DJ-audio-visual booth, which is 2 feet off the ground, so the person in the booth can see the whole floor and direct the action from above when desired. 

The facility also has a party area for special events that can fit about 50 people. Another space offered an area for visitors to enjoy food and drinks from the kitchen. 

“One thing that we have added more recently is our fully stocked concession-kitchen,” she said. “It’s very similar to what we have at The Cube as far as square footage,” she said, adding, “the world is our oyster with what we would like to have served in this kitchen area.” 

The next step for the project is a groundbreaking for the construction grading, Valijan said, which is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Aug. 29 at the project site. 

The post Parks Commission hears ‘The Rink’ report    appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal .