How to Make a Gantt Chart in Excel?

A Gantt chart is the easiest way to visualize your entire project plan into an easy-to-digest chart. Most project managers, product owners, and engineers widely use Excel Gantt charts to plan, schedule, and execute projects. These charts in an Excel format have become a staple in the corporate world.

If you are new to project management and still don’t know how to make a Gantt chart in Excel, here is a complete tutorial with examples. So, dive right in.

What Columns Should an Excel Gantt Chart Include?

The columns included in an Excel Gantt chart include the task names, task owners, start dates, end dates, duration, and project progress, left to right. On top of these columns, project managers also add key milestones, task dependencies, and progress percentages. Let’s break this down in detail one-by-one.

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gantt chart format in excel

Task Name, Owner, Start Date, and End Date

At the structural level, a Gantt chart plots tasks in a project. So, the first column always goes to the task list, also called task names. It enlists all the tasks or activities involved in the project, so the team can easily identify them. Place it on the left side of the chart.

The next column stands for the task or resource owner. These are the people and teams project managers assign specific tasks to. Owners are accountable for deliverables at each stage.

After the task owners come the next two columns, representing the start and end dates for individual tasks. These dates give you a clear idea of your task breakdown: when an activity starts/finishes, the operational sequence, and so on.

Duration, Status, and Percent Complete

Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to include the project status as anticipated. Here, three things matter the most.

The fifth column in the Gantt chart starts from task duration. It is the time between the start and end date, indicating how long each activity lasts.

After duration, we have task bars. These are horizontal task markers that show how complete a project or task is. Project managers use color-coding techniques or percentages to represent progress. This helps the team measure their progress at each stage.

On top of the task bars, you can also see a vertical line, often dashed and color-coded. This line indicates your current date or status on the Gantt chart. Project managers call it the dateline.

Milestone and Dependency Columns

Finally, milestones and task dependencies are built on top of the task bars and your project timeline instead of having separate columns. But what do each represent?

Project milestones are diamond-shaped markers on the timeline. These diamonds indicate completion of a specific phase, major progress, or deliverable. Often included in formal Gantt charts, milestones allow clients and stakeholders to see progress as the project moves.

After milestones, Gantt charts have task dependencies, represented by an arrow line linking two or more task bars. Dependencies show how tasks are related and which activities need to be completed before the next ones start.

How to Build a Gantt Chart Format in Excel?

Creating a Gantt chart in Excel can be challenging for beginners. But with the right approach, you can overcome it. Here is a step-by-step guide to creating this chart in MS Excel.

Create the Task Table

Almost every Gantt chart format in Excel starts with a well-organized task structure. Within this task structure, you have the task names/ lists, task owners, start and end dates, and duration. So, let’s plot them one by one.

From the left side, the first column should list the project’s tasks or phases, with one row per task. We’ll be building a software launch Gantt chart. As it is a longer and more complicated project, we will be dividing the work structure into different phases, including

Planning - outline goals, define audience, and collect data.

Discussion - gather feedback and set performance metrics.

Design - transform product ideas into a system blueprint.

Development - programmers write code and build features.

Testing - check the program for bugs and errors.

So, once on the Excel sheet, title the first column Task List and add one phase per row. You may also include a short description for each phase (optional). To make an edit, you double-click any cell on the Excel sheet and start typing.

Proceed to the next column and label it Task Owners. In front of each phase row, mention the name of the task assignee responsible for managing that phase. By the end, the task table should look something like this.

The next columns would be labelled Start Date and End Date. Type dates into these two columns in front of each phase/ task row.

After dates, add a column for Duration. This column determines how long each phase takes. You can add it manually or use an Excel formula.

Pro Tip: To use an Excel formula for duration, go to the first task row and enter (=end date - start date). Drag the cursor down till the last task row, and it will automatically update the duration.

Set the Timeline Scale

The next step is where you build a visual timeline beside the task table. Before we jump into building the Gantt chart, decide the scale of your timeline. Since the software launch is a longer project, we will opt for a month-based scale. Hence, our unit of time would be months.

The opposite logic applies to the shorter and fast-paced projects. For instance, if you are planning a study assignment or launching a small blog project, a daily or weekly timeline scale would do the job.

Format Bars Across Date Ranges

Now that everything’s decided, we can start data visualization. For this step, we will create the Excel stacked bar chart from the created spreadsheet. Here is how it goes.

First, select the C column, which represents the Start Dates.

While it’s selected, go to the Insert tab, click Chart, and choose Stacked Bar Chart under the Bar section.

This will generate a stacked bar graph with your start dates on the X-axis. The next step is to add other series into this graph. So, let’s begin with task duration.

Right-click anywhere on the graph and choose Select Data from the menu.

A new pop-up window will open. Notice that Start Date is already listed in this window as a series. Click Add from this window under the Legend Entries, and a new pop-up will open.

It’s time to name the new series. For this, place your cursor in the series name field and click the header of the Duration column, which in this case is E. Also, click the Upward Arrow icon in the Series Values field, and you will see a new Edit Series menu.

While it’s open, select all the cells in the Duration column. Do not include the header or any empty cells in your selection. Click OK to close the window.

You will be reverted to the Data Source window. Once you see the Duration series added, click OK.

Repeat these steps for any other series you want to include in your Gantt chart, such as task description, end date, etc.

Notice that the vertical axis shows digits instead of task names.

To fix this, open the Data Source window by right-clicking the chart and clicking Select Data. Once in the Data Source window, locate the Horizontal (Category) Axis Label and click Edit.

A new Axis Label Range window will open. While your cursor is on the range field, select the Task list from your spreadsheet data. Click OK to continue.

Now, you have an Excel bar that lists your tasks and dates in reverse order.

To solve this issue, right-click the task list on the left side of the chart and click Format Axis.

Now, go to the Axis options from the right-side tab and click Categories in Reverse Order. That’s it.

Finally, it’s time to convert this bar graph into a functional Gantt chart. Here is how it goes.

Begin by removing the bar representing the Start Date. For this, click any bar in the chart; it will select all of them. Right-click and click Format Data Series.

From the menu on the right side of your screen, click Fill and select No Fill. Likewise, choose No Line under the Border Color section.

Add Milestones, Dependencies, and Progress

It’s time to add key details in the Excel Gantt chart. For this, we will use the Shapes function.

Go to the Insert tab, click Shapes, and choose a Diamond to represent milestones in the Gantt chart.

Draw this milestone anywhere you want to indicate major progress or completion of a task. You can format the color, style, and size of this shape from the top menu.

Repeat this step for adding task dependencies. This time, we will replace the milestone with arrow connectors. These connectors will link tasks that are dependent on each other.

Finally, it’s time to add progress percentages for every task bar. These percentages tell the audience how much of a task has been completed. For this,

Go to the Insert tab, locate the Text icon, and click Text Box. Draw this text box right beside the task bars and type the progress percentage accordingly. Repeat this for every phase.

There you have it, a complete Gantt chart format created in Microsoft Excel. You can download it in an XLSL format.

Excel Gantt Chart Examples

Don’t know which format best suits your project’s scope? Check out these Excel Gantt chart examples and learn what to include in your project plans.

Construction Project Timeline Example

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gantt chart format in excel

Here is a depiction of a complex, long-term Gantt chart construction project that covers two years. The designer has intentionally taken a minimalist approach for data visualization to manage a higher number of task sequences and dependencies. For this reason, the timeline is also broken into quarters. In addition, the chart has two-toned bars, which is a common method to separate the task duration from actual progress.

Marketing Campaign Schedule Example

Here is a project-based Gantt chart showcasing a marketing campaign, which spans over a year and includes multiple channels running in parallel. At first glance, you can spot the order of operations and how activities link with their pre-requisite tasks. The current progress line and vibrant color codes suggest that this chart is designed for formal presentations and engaging stakeholders.

Product Launch Plan Example

Here is a typical product development cycle Gantt chart Excel template. Because the project spans over the year and has multiple phases, the timeline follows a quarterly scale rather than weeks or months. As for structure, this chart follows a clean color-coding strategy. It uses different shades of teals to differentiate phases while maintaining clarity and a polished look.

Student Assignment Timeline Example

Unlike previous examples, this Gantt chart Microsoft Excel template is built for smaller academic or personal projects. It shows a few activities plotted over two months, with key details like task name, start and end date, duration, and the progress bar. The chart uses a single blue color for every horizontal bar. Doing so keeps your attention focused on the data rather than aesthetics, which works best for such projects.

What Are the Limitations of Excel Gantt Charts?

While useful for someone already familiar with the Excel interface, Gantt charts are still challenging to create. This is because the toolkit is not designed for advanced notifications. Here are some reasons why Excel might not be a good choice for Gantt charts.

Manual Updates and Formatting Errors

Excel is not meant for a project management tool; it is essentially a data entry tool. So, it’s foolish to expect advanced formatting and automated updates from it, like a dedicated platform. You can produce a detailed project plan in Excel, and that’s it.

While your team is executing this plan and changes occur, someone will have to go and modify the chart manually. This manual upkeep can quickly become overwhelming with larger projects.

The same goes for formatting. Individually changing shapes, managing dependency arrows, and task bars is effort-consuming. A small mistake and everything goes down the hill.

Dependency Tracking Challenges

Excel does not have built-in task dependency. It has arrow connectors you can use to link interdependent activities. However, when tasks run parallel across multiple departments, handling these connectors can become a burden. Imagine a task relies on three other tasks that are finishing earlier. Having multiple connectors to show these dependencies becomes hard.

Sharing, Version Control, and Collaboration Issues

Typically, a single individual handles Excel Gantt charts, considering they are mostly designed for smaller or personal projects. As soon as you scale it to three or even five people, the system collapses.

Colleagues have to go back and forth emailing spreadsheets and using extra tools to co-edit the chart. This approach makes project planning infeasible. No one knows who is making edits, what has changed, and how to progress further.

Download or Customize a Gantt Chart Template

Have no time to build a Gantt chart from scratch? Check out these Gantt chart templates, edit them, and save your time.

Simple Gantt Chart Excel Template

Anyone just stepping into the project management world can use this Gantt chart format for Excel. It follows a fast-paced, shorter project that spans over four weeks. By structure, this chart combines a vertical dateline showing the current status of the project, progress percentages, and shorter implementation cycles. Overall, it’s minimal and easy to digest for beginners.

Monthly Gantt Chart Excel Template

Work ID: 1071679

Eddx File

Here is a conventional month-based Gantt chart, representing a large-scale project with parallel task sequences. It gives clients and stakeholders an overview of multiple project phases in one diagram. The creator has used vibrant colors to separate task bars from progress. It’s great for team leads managing a portfolio of projects for progress tracking and clarity on projects.

Online Gantt Chart Template Alternative

This R&D Excel Gantt chart format gives you a detailed overview of the multi-departmental research project. The chart follows a monthly timeline with a complex work breakdown structure. Anyone who wants a combination of well-structured tasks, progress percentages, and activity labels can edit this chart. Plus, the white background works best for formal projects.

Wrapping Up!

We hope you have an idea about how to create a Gantt chart in Excel. Take a moment to gather your project data, including the task details, owners, milestones, and dependencies. Instead of rushing the process, set aside some time and plot the Gantt chart format.

But if you do not have the time or effort to spend on an Excel Gantt chart, it’s better to switch to ready-to-edit templates. These templates have standard layouts, so you can always modify them to your project details. Explore similar samples from the EdrawMax template community and start your journey of project planning.

FAQs

What are the main components of a Gantt chart?

The main components of a Gantt chart are the timeline, task lists, task bars, dates, duration, milestones, dependencies, and progress percentage bars.

Does Microsoft Excel come with a Gantt chart template built in?

Microsoft Excel does not have pre-defined, editable Gantt chart templates. You can use a stacked bar chart to create one manually.

Can I make a Gantt chart for free?

Yes, of course. Excel is a great way to create a basic Gantt chart for personal projects. However, if you want to save time, digital platforms like EdrawMax have free editable Gantt chart templates.

Can Excel automatically create a Gantt chart?

No, Excel does not have a built-in Gantt chart type. You can build one manually by using a stacked bar chart and a column-based spreadsheet design. However, with these methods, you have to arrange all the elements by hand.

How do I create a Gantt chart in Excel?

To make a Gantt chart in Excel, build a task table with key details, such as task labels, dates, owner, and duration. After this, use the start dates column to build a stacked bar chart. Add other series like duration, task description, and progress tabs. Finally, format the chart, and you are done.