A Gantt chart shows your whole project on one screen: what happens when, who’s doing it, and what’s running late. This free template builds the chart for you. Just type each task’s start and end date, and the bars appear automatically.
Download the free Gantt chart template (.xlsx)
What is inside
| Feature | How it works |
|---|---|
| Automatic bars | Each task’s bar fills the days between its start and end dates |
| Progress shading | The dark part of the bar shows the % complete |
| Today marker | Today’s column is highlighted yellow |
| Overdue alerts | Unfinished tasks past their end date turn red |
| Status drop-down | Not started, In progress, Done, Blocked, each color-coded |
| Weekend shading | Friday–Saturday weekends shaded grey (easy to change) |
| 70-day timeline | Change the start date to scroll through longer projects |
How to use it
- Set the start date in the yellow cell, usually the first day of your project.
- List your tasks in order, with an owner for each one.
- Enter start and end dates. The number of days and the bar appear automatically.
- Update % done and status once or twice a week.
- Look for red: these tasks are past their end date and need attention.
Tips for a good project plan
- Keep tasks small: 1–10 days each. Long tasks hide problems.
- Add buffer: leave a few days before important deadlines.
- Show dependencies with order: list tasks in the order they happen, and start a task only after the one it depends on ends.
- Review weekly with your team and update the dates honestly.
- Print it for meetings. See how to print on one page.
Gantt chart or project tracker?
Use this Gantt chart when timing matters and tasks follow each other. For a simple list of tasks with owners, priorities and deadlines, use our project tracker template. Many teams use both.
Use it in Google Sheets
Download the file, then in Google Sheets go to File → Import → Upload. The bars and colors keep working.
FAQ
My weekend is Saturday–Sunday. Can I change it?
Yes. Go to Home → Conditional Formatting → Manage Rules, edit the weekend rule, and change it to =OR(WEEKDAY(I$5)=7,WEEKDAY(I$5)=1).
Can I add more tasks?
There’s room for 30 tasks. To add more, copy the last row down. The formatting copies with it.