Free Excel Project Timeline Templates

By Kate Eby | May 17, 2022

In this article, you’ll find the most useful collection of free Microsoft Excel project timeline templates for project managers, project sponsors, project team members, and other project stakeholders. 

Included on this page, you’ll find a simple project timeline template, a project timeline Gantt chart template, a project milestone and task timeline template, a sample timeline template, and a monthly project timeline template, among others. You’ll also find a list of helpful tips for filling out these Microsoft Excel project timeline templates.

Simple Project Timeline Template

Simple Project Timeline Template Excel

Download Simple Project Timeline Template – Microsoft Excel  

Use this simple project timeline template to break down your project’s tasks into weeks, months, and phases. This visually dynamic timeline includes pre-filled, color-coded project phase swimlanes, such as Project Conception and Initiation, Project Definition and Planning, and Project Launch / Execution, so you can match each project task to a phase and track its progress chronologically. This timeline template uses a classic Gantt chart to help you plan and execute your time-sensitive project deliverables. 

Check out this article to get step-by-step instructions for creating the perfect project timeline template in Microsoft Excel.

Multiple Project Timeline Template

Multiple Project Timeline Template Excel

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This visually rich, dashboard-style multiple project timeline template enables you to be proactive and stay on schedule regarding project deliverables. Use the Delivery Timeline and Resources section to get a bar-chart overview of each project’s sequential progress. The Risk Analysis section’s vertical bar graph indicates the risk level of each project task (e.g., High, Medium, or Low). The Open and Pending Actions section lets you know how many project tasks have open issues, are undergoing revisions, or have pending actions. This project-by-project template provides a high-level overview of each project’s status and allows you to drill down into time-crucial, project-specific action items. 

To find additional resources and get the most out of your project planning timelines, see this collection of free project timeline templates.

Sample Timeline Template

Sample Timeline Template Excel

Download Sample Timeline Template – Microsoft Excel  

With this comprehensive sample timeline template, you can customize the task durations of each project phase in order to solidify your project’s key deliverables. The template includes editable example text to guide you through the project-development stages, from project conception and initiation through project completion. View project-task achievement in quarterly, monthly, and week-by-week stages with this easy-to-use template that keeps you and your team on track to successfully complete your project on time.

Monthly Project Timeline Template

Monthly Project Timeline Template Excel

Download Monthly Project Timeline Template – Microsoft Excel

Create accurate month-by-month project plans and track the progress of deliverables with this color-coded, monthly project timeline template. The template includes five horizontal Phase swimlanes in which to capture your project’s various tasks. Plan tasks within their respective stages by plotting them on the timeline and setting start and end dates for each. This fully customizable template is the perfect fit for project teams that want to plan and execute their tasks on a monthly basis and quickly view their project’s cascading progress in its entirety.

Weekly Project Timeline Template

Weekly Project Timeline Template Excel

Download Weekly Project Timeline Template – Microsoft Excel  

Easily manage the week-to-week logistics of your project tasks with this dynamic weekly project timeline template. Enter task names, their start and end dates, durations, and current status (e.g., Not Started, In Progress, Complete, or On Hold) so any team member can quickly determine how close a task is to completion. The template is ideal for teams undertaking single-week sprints or who want to keep tabs on week-by-week task interdependencies, while also viewing overall project progress.

Yearly Project Timeline Template

Yearly Project Timeline Template Excel

Download Yearly Project Timeline Template – Microsoft Excel  

Capture your project’s key milestones with this high-level, yearly project timeline template. Simply add descriptive text for each milestone, its delivery date, and any other relevant details, and arrange them chronologically on the horizontal timeline. This template is the perfect tool to help you prioritize tasks visually and ensure the timely delivery of your team’s long-term projects.

IT Project Timeline Template

IT Project Timeline Template Excel

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This IT project timeline template provides a comprehensive structure for everything you and your IT department need to plan and successfully complete IT projects. The template includes rows where you can list each project task, subtask, work breakdown structure (WBS), description, dependencies, and task owners. Schedule project task start and finish dates, compare the variances between proposed and actual finish dates, and enter the percentage complete of each task. The template also allows you to add visually compelling milestones to its weekly calendar section.

Project Tracker Timeline Template

Project Tracker Timeline Template Excel

Download Project Tracker Timeline Template – Microsoft Excel  

Use this dynamic project tracker timeline template to keep tabs on the deadlines, priorities, and statuses of each project task. Enter task name, description, assignee, deliverable, percentage complete, and estimated hours to complete. Team members can refer to the Status Key and Priority Key legends to help determine whether prioritized tasks are at risk of not being completed and how close the entire project is to successful completion.

Project Milestone and Task Timeline Template

Project Milestone and Task Timeline Template Excel

Download Project Milestone and Task Timeline Template – Microsoft Excel  

This timeline template provides you with a milestone-driven, visual illustration of your project’s primary events and their statuses. While many templates break project goals into individual tasks and subtasks, this template’s emphasis is on crucial project milestones. By referring to this visually rich timeline, any project team member can see, at a glance, if a scheduled milestone has been started, is in progress, is on hold, or has been completed.

Project Timeline Gantt Chart Template

Project Timeline Gantt Chart Template Excel

Download Project Timeline Gantt Chart Template – Microsoft Excel  

Provide team members with a proactive project timeline by using this all-inclusive, dynamic project timeline Gantt chart template. Break project goals down into achievable tasks, then assign task owners, and set start and end dates for each. Customizable, color-coded phase columns visually guide you through the sequential process of planning and successfully executing your project.

Agile Project Timeline Template

Agile Project Timeline Template Excel

Download Agile Project Timeline Template – Microsoft Excel

This Agile-specific project timeline is the perfect tool for Agile teams to perform sprint-by-sprint task scheduling and monitoring. The template enables you to assign a weight or story point to each task during Program Increment (PI) Planning, and update their statuses as your project progresses. An Overall Status section helps you keep track of overall project status so that you’re on track for on-time project completion.

Daily Project Timeline Template

Daily Project Timeline Template Excel

Download Daily Project Timeline Template – Microsoft Excel  

Clearly communicate your project’s deliverables and deadlines on a day-by-day basis with this daily project timeline template. Update the template frequently with overall project and individual milestone statuses so that all team members and stakeholders stay up to date on project progress. Enter the details, owners, due dates, and current statuses for each task in the appropriate field. This template is the perfect fit for teams working on short deadlines that need frequent updates on project status.

Hourly Project Timeline Template

Hourly Project Timeline Template Excel

Download Hourly Project Timeline Template – Microsoft Excel  

Break down your project’s work days into hourly tasks with this simple hourly project timeline template. For each task, you can easily add the task owner,  start and end time, and current status. The template also includes a visual day-by-day bar chart to show you the progress of each project task across any designated time period.

Six-Month Project Timeline Template

Six Month Project Timeline Template Excel

Download Six-Month Project Timeline Template – Microsoft Excel  

Track project tasks and milestones across a six-month period with this easy-to-use, broad-strokes project timeline template. List project start and end dates, and add project tasks to this visually dynamic timeline. The template includes example text for primary project actions (e.g., Project Kick-Off or Project Complete) and milestones so you can ensure that you capture all of your project’s deliverables.

Three-Month Project Roadmap Template

Three Month Project Roadmap Template Excel

Download Three-Month Project Roadmap Template – Microsoft Excel  

This dashboard-style three-month project roadmap template helps you capture your quarterly project goals with both a visually dynamic bar chart workstream timeline and project task Status and Priority pie charts. Enter task details under the template’s Workstreams section, including to-do task items, start and end dates, and task duration. Status Percentage and Priority Percentage tables give team members at-a-glance insight into overall project status and what tasks remain for successful project delivery.

Construction Project Timeline Template

Construction Project Timeline Template

Download Construction Project Timeline Template

Microsoft Excel  | Smartsheet

Ensure that you and your construction team are on track to complete all required project tasks with this construction project timeline template. The template includes pre-filled sample tasks, such as excavation, concrete, framing, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical, to help aid in quick and comprehensive construction project planning. This template is the perfect fit for construction project managers who need a project plan that can facilitate timely task completion and that they can easily present to project stakeholders. 

For additional resources and to get the most out of your construction project planning timelines, see this article on Microsoft Excel construction management templates.

What Is an Excel Project Timeline Template?

An Excel project timeline template is a visually dynamic tool that project managers can use to plan and monitor project progress. Use the template for a visual representation of your project’s goals, scope, and tasks to ensure timely project delivery. 

As the primary vehicle for managing your project’s deliverables, a project timeline template provides a comprehensive method for tracking project tasks, assigning them to team members, setting delivery dates, and monitoring their progress. Timeline templates also serve as a roadmap for your project so that all stakeholders are aware of project goals. Use a project timeline template to add key project milestones so that it’s clear during project planning what primary actions or events need to be met, and when. 

With its horizontal bar chart, a project timeline provides team members with a clear visual map of individual task delivery dates, priorities, and current statuses, as well as whether or not they have task dependencies. 

While project timeline templates may vary, most of them include the following components to ensure that you account for everything on your project roadmap: 

  • Project Name: Enter the name of the project that you and your teammates will be undertaking. 
  • Task Name: Provide a name for each project task that needs to be completed in order to meet the criteria for project success. 
  • Task Owner: Assign the team member who is responsible for completing each individual project task. 
  • Start Date: Enter the date that each individual task needs to be started. 
  • End Date: Set the date for when the individual task must be completed. 
  • Duration: Review the task duration, which is calculated by each task’s defined start and end dates. 
  • Status: Select a status for each individual project task (e.g., Not Started, In Progress, On Hold, or Complete).  
  • Milestone: Define your project’s time-sensitive milestones that must be met in order for the project to be successfully completed. 

 Additionally, some project timeline templates include the following components: 

  • At-Risk Tasks: Identify tasks that are in danger of not being completed, and notify relevant team members. 
  • Department: Include the name of any department responsible for a project task or phase, or the department on which a task or project phase has a dependency. 
  • Objectives or Goals: List the project’s key objectives, such as the problem it will address and what goals it must meet by project completion. 
  • Project Scope: Provide a brief description of what is in scope for the project. This includes all aspects of the project, including tasks, activities, departments, timeline overview, key deliverables, and milestones. 
  • Sprint: For Agile teams, clearly label each sprint on your project timeline so that team members can see which sprint-specific tasks must be completed within a specific timeboxed period. 
  • Stage or Phase: Break your project timeline down into stages that include key tasks for each phase of the project. 
  • Task ID: Provide a unique identifying number for each task on the project for easy reference.

Accurately Track Your Project Timelines with Smartsheet

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. 

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