Free Template · Excel · Updated March 2026
Free Gantt Chart Template
Excel Download
Turn your task list into a schedule people can see. This Excel Gantt chart draws the bars for you across a 12-week timeline. Enter a start week and a duration, and the bar appears. Milestones, dependencies, phases and % complete are all included.
12-week timeline
Weekly columns across a 12-week horizon. Extend to 26 or 52 weeks by copying the column format, the conditional formatting extends automatically.
40 task rows
Phase headers, task rows and milestone rows: colour-coded by row type with auto-formatting bars on entry.
Milestone markers
Diamond-shaped milestone markers auto-appear when duration is set to 0: visually distinct from task bars.
Gantt Chart Template
Free Excel template: instant download
Format
Excel (.xlsx)
Task rows
40 rows (phases + tasks)
Timeline
12-week default
Bars
Conditional-format auto-bars
Compatible
Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice
Price
Free: no signup needed
No email required. Instant Excel download.
Quick answer
A Gantt chart is a bar chart that shows each project task against a timeline, so you can see start dates, durations and overlaps at a glance. This free Excel template draws the bars automatically across 12 weeks: enter a start week and a duration for each task.
If you would rather build a chart online with drag and drop, use my free Gantt Chart Maker. This page is for the Excel template: how to fill in each column, a worked example and the mistakes I see most.
01 · What's Included
How do the Gantt chart bars work?
The file is one Excel sheet. Task details sit in the first seven columns and the 12-week grid starts at column H. Conditional formatting draws the bars, so you never colour cells by hand.
When a spreadsheet is no longer enough, look at my list of Microsoft Project alternatives. Several have a free plan with Gantt charts.
✦
From my experience: On every UAE project I worked to a baseline schedule, and the Gantt chart was the one view everyone understood: the client, the consultant and the site team. The detailed programme had hundreds of lines, but the version I took to meetings fitted on one page. When I teach scheduling to my PMP students, I tell them to keep the Gantt at a level people can read, and hold the detail in the full schedule.
| Column | Field | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A | Task ID | Pre-filled T-01 through T-40. Phase header rows use P-1, P-2 etc. Links to the WBS and resource plan. |
| B | Task / Phase Name | Phase headers are bold and shaded. Task rows are indented. Milestone rows are italicised. All three row types auto-format via conditional formatting on the Type column. |
| C | Type | Drop-down: Phase / Task / Milestone. Controls row formatting and bar style. Milestone rows generate a diamond marker (zero-duration bar) instead of a filled bar. |
| D | Owner | Named person responsible for this task. One name only: matching the Resource Plan. |
| E | Start Week | The week number (1–52) when the task starts. The conditional formatting formula uses this to position the bar start. |
| F | Duration (weeks) | How many weeks the task takes. Set it to 0 for a milestone, which shows a diamond instead of a bar. The formula fills a cell when its week number is equal to or greater than the Start Week and less than Start Week + Duration. |
| G | % Complete | Progress to date as a percentage. The bar uses a two-colour split: completed portion in green, remaining in violet. Updates visually as you change the percentage. |
| H | Predecessor | The Task ID of the task this one depends on (e.g. "T-03"). Tracked as a reference column rather than a drawn arrow: keeps the visual clean in Excel. |
| I–AT | Week 1–12 grid | Each cell is 28px wide. The conditional formatting formula checks: if this cell's column week number falls within the task's start-to-end range, fill violet (task) or green (completed portion). Week headers show W1–W12 with the calendar date beneath. |
Example: 12-Week Project Schedule
| Task | Owner | W1 | W2 | W3 | W4 | W5 | W6 | W7 | W8 | W9 | W10 | W11 | W12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 Initiation | |||||||||||||
| Project Charter | PM | ||||||||||||
| ◆ Charter Approved | |||||||||||||
| 2.0 Planning | |||||||||||||
| Risk Register | PM | ||||||||||||
| Resource Plan | PM | ||||||||||||
| 3.0 Execution | |||||||||||||
Prefer working online? Try my free Gantt Chart Maker, with drag-and-drop editing and no Excel needed. Use the Excel template when you need to paste the chart into reports and governance packs. Use the online tool for day-to-day schedule changes.
02 · Dependencies
What are the four types of task dependency?
The Predecessor column records which task must happen first. If you understand the four dependency types, you avoid the most common scheduling mistake: showing tasks side by side that cannot really run at the same time.
FS
Finish-to-Start
Task B cannot start until Task A is finished. The most common dependency type: represents work that must be completed sequentially.
"Design must finish before Development can start."
Most common: use by default
SS
Start-to-Start
Task B cannot start until Task A has started. Both can then run in parallel, but B cannot begin before A.
"Testing can start once Development has started (not before)."
FF
Finish-to-Finish
Task B cannot finish until Task A has finished. They can run in parallel, but B must complete with or after A. Common for review and approval chains.
"Documentation cannot finish until Development finishes."
SF
Start-to-Finish
Task B cannot finish until Task A has started. The rarest dependency type: used in just-in-time scheduling scenarios.
"Old system can be decommissioned only after new system goes live."
Critical path and dependencies: Once your chart is complete, the longest chain of linked tasks from start to finish is the critical path. Any delay on that chain delays the whole project. Use the free Critical Path Calculator to find which tasks are on it, then watch those most closely.
03 · How to Build It
How do you build a Gantt chart in Excel?
1
Start from the WBS
Copy your work packages from the WBS template into the Task Name column: grouped by phase. Your Gantt chart should include every work package in the WBS. If a task is in the WBS but not the Gantt, it is not scheduled. If it is in the Gantt but not the WBS, it is not in scope.
2
Estimate durations: conservatively
For uncertain tasks, use three-point estimates: PERT = (O + 4M + P) / 6. Where you have past data, use real durations from past projects. Hold schedule contingency at phase level where everyone can see it, not hidden inside task durations.
3
Map dependencies before setting start dates
Fill in the Predecessor column for every task before you enter start weeks. Let the links set the dates. Do not place bars by gut feel and then add a predecessor to match.
4
Assign owners from the Resource Plan
Check the Owner column against the Resource Plan. If one person has five tasks in Week 3 but is only 50% on your project, it will not happen. Fix these clashes before you baseline the schedule.
5
Add milestones at phase gates and key decisions
Add milestone rows (Type = Milestone, Duration = 0) at the end of each phase, at go/no-go decisions, at outside dates like authority submissions or client reviews, and at contract delivery dates. Milestones are what your sponsor and steering committee track. The task detail is yours to manage.
6
Update % Complete each reporting period
Update the % Complete column at each reporting period using your agreed measurement technique. The bar splits automatically, green (done) and violet (remaining), giving a visual progress indicator. The same % Complete values feed the EV column in the EVM Tracker if you are using earned value management.
Worked example
Example: the first rows of an office move schedule
Here is how the first rows look for a simple office move. This is an example only. Note the milestone with 0 duration and how each task points to the one before it.
| ID | Task | Type | Owner | Start week | Duration | Predecessor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P-1 | Prepare new office | Phase | Facilities lead | 1 | 6 | |
| T-01 | Network and power installed | Task | IT lead | 1 | 3 | |
| T-02 | Furniture delivered and set up | Task | Facilities lead | 4 | 2 | T-01 |
| T-03 | New office ready for move | Milestone | Project manager | 6 | 0 | T-02 |
Mistakes I see when people fill this in
- Start weeks typed by hand. If T-01 slips, T-02 must move too. Set the predecessor first, then the start week.
- No milestones. A Gantt with only bars gives the sponsor nothing to track. Add one at each phase end.
- Outside waiting time missing. Landlord approvals, authority permits and supplier lead times are tasks too. Give them a row.
- % Complete by feel. Agree how you measure it, for example 0, 50 or 100 percent, or the bars will look better than reality.
04 · FAQ
Gantt Chart: 4 Common Questions
A Gantt chart is a bar chart of the schedule: tasks down the side, time across the top. Each bar is as long as the task takes. You can see what runs at the same time, what follows what, where the milestones are and how far each task has got. It is the most widely used schedule view in project management, and you will meet it on the PMP exam in schedule questions.
Include task names and IDs, an owner, a start week and duration, dependencies, milestones for key deliverables and decisions, % complete and a status date or today line. Nice extras are colours by phase, critical path highlighting and resource names. This template has all the essentials in plain Excel.
The project schedule is the full model: tasks, durations, links, resources and sometimes costs. A Gantt chart is a picture of the time side of that schedule. It shows timing and order to people who do not need every detail. Most PM tools draw a Gantt view from the schedule data. To find the critical path, use the Critical Path Calculator alongside this template.
PM tools draw arrows between bars. In an Excel Gantt like this one, you list the predecessor's Task ID in the Predecessor column, which keeps the chart clean. The four types are Finish-to-Start (FS), Start-to-Start (SS), Finish-to-Finish (FF) and Start-to-Finish (SF). Most real project links are Finish-to-Start.
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