How to Make a Gantt Chart in Excel

A Gantt chart shows a project as a set of horizontal bars on a timeline, one bar per task, so you can see at a glance what starts when, how long each task takes, and where tasks overlap. Excel doesn’t have a built-in Gantt chart type (confirmed in Microsoft’s Gantt chart guide), but you can build one from a stacked bar chart in about 10 minutes. You can also use a ready-made template or color cells with conditional formatting.

Set Up Your Project Data

Start a new worksheet and enter your tasks in a simple table with these columns:

• A: Task: the name of each task, such as “Research” or “Design.”
• B: Start Date: the date each task begins.
• C: End Date: the date each task ends.
• D: Duration: the number of days. In D2, enter =C2-B2+1 and fill it down.

The +1 counts both the first and last day. If you’d rather count working days only, use =NETWORKDAYS(B2,C2), but note that the chart will then draw bars by calendar days, so long weekends can make bars look short.

Tip: select the data and press Ctrl + T to turn it into an Excel table. The chart will then grow automatically when you add tasks.

Insert a Stacked Bar Chart

1. Select the task names and start dates (A1:B10 in our example). Don’t include the End Date or Duration columns yet.
2. Go to Insert > Insert Column or Bar Chart.
3. Under 2-D Bar, choose Stacked Bar.

You’ll see one set of bars showing the start dates. It doesn’t look like a Gantt chart yet.

Add the Duration Data

1. Right-click the chart and choose Select Data.
2. Under Legend Entries (Series), click Add.
3. For Series name, click the Duration header (D1). For Series values, select D2:D10. Click OK.
4. Under Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels, click Edit and select the task names in A2:A10 if they aren’t already listed. Click OK twice.

Each bar now has two parts: a start-date section and a duration section.

Hide the Start Date Bars

1. Click any of the start-date bars (the first color) to select that whole series.
2. Right-click and choose Format Data Series.
3. Under Fill & Line, set Fill to No fill and Border to No line.

Only the duration bars remain visible, floating at the right spot on the timeline.

Put the Tasks in Order

Bar charts list categories from the bottom up, so your first task appears at the bottom. Click the task names on the vertical axis, right-click, choose Format Axis, and check Categories in reverse order.

Fix the Date Range

Excel often starts the timeline far before your project begins, which leaves a large empty area on the left. To fix it:

1. Click your first start date in the worksheet, and change its format to General (Home > Number Format). You’ll see a number such as 46023. That’s how Excel stores the date. Press Ctrl + Z to undo the format change.
2. Right-click the dates along the top or bottom of the chart and choose Format Axis.
3. Under Bounds, type that number into Minimum. Do the same with your last end date for Maximum if needed.
4. Under Units, set Major to 7 to show one gridline per week.

Finish the Formatting

• Click a duration bar, open Format Data Series, and set Gap Width to about 30 to 50% to make the bars thicker.
• Delete the legend by clicking it and pressing Delete.
• Click the chart title and type your project name.
• Color individual bars by clicking a bar twice (to select just that one) and choosing a new fill color. This is useful for showing phases or owners.

Add Progress to Each Task

To show how much of each task is done, add a % Complete column (E) and a Done Days column (F) with =D2*E2, plus a Remaining column (G) with =D2-F2. In Select Data, remove the Duration series and add Done Days and Remaining as two series instead. Give Done Days a darker color and Remaining a lighter one, and each bar will show its progress.

Add Milestones

For a milestone, such as a launch date, add a task with the same start and end date and set its Duration to 0 or 1. Color it differently or add a data label so it stands out. Some people use a diamond shape from Insert > Shapes placed on the chart for key dates.

Another Way: A Conditional Formatting Gantt Chart

If you’d rather not build a chart, you can turn the worksheet itself into a Gantt chart:

1. Put your task, start, and end dates in columns A through C.
2. In E1, enter the project’s first date. In F1, enter =E1+1 and fill it to the right for as many days as you need. Narrow the columns so each day is a small square.
3. Select the grid area starting at E2, go to Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule, and choose Use a formula to determine which cells to format.
4. Enter =AND(E$1>=$B2,E$1<=$C2), pick a fill color, and click OK.

Each task’s days fill in automatically, and changing a date moves the bar. Add a second rule with =E$1=TODAY() and a red border to mark today’s date.

Use a Gantt Chart Template

For the fastest option, go to File > New and search for Gantt. Microsoft offers free templates such as Simple Gantt Chart and Gantt project planner. They include formulas and formatting, so you only need to fill in your tasks and dates.

Print or Share Your Gantt Chart

To print a wide timeline, select the chart, go to Page Layout > Orientation > Landscape, and use File > Print with Fit Sheet on One Page. To put the chart in a report or slide deck, right-click the chart border, choose Copy, and paste it into Word or PowerPoint. Paste it as a picture if you don’t want the numbers to change later, or keep it linked so it updates with your workbook.

When Excel Isn’t Enough

An Excel Gantt chart works well for projects with a few dozen tasks. If you need automatic scheduling, task dependencies that move other tasks, resource tracking, or a critical path, a dedicated tool such as Microsoft Project or Planner is easier to maintain. Many of these tools can import a task list from Excel, so the worksheet you built isn’t wasted.

Troubleshooting

The Bars Start in 1900 or There’s a Huge Empty Space

The horizontal axis is using Excel’s default minimum. Set the Minimum bound to your first start date’s number, as shown in Fix the Date Range above. If the date axis or bar colors still need work, see how to change axis bounds, colors and data in an Excel graph.

The Tasks Are Upside Down

Turn on Categories in reverse order for the vertical axis. The date axis then moves to the top of the chart. That’s normal and doesn’t affect the bars. To move it back, open Format Axis for the vertical axis and set Horizontal axis crosses to At maximum category.

The Chart Shows Dates as Numbers, or Bars Look Wrong

Make sure the Start Date column is formatted as dates and the Duration column as numbers. Avoid using Switch Row/Column on this chart, which mixes the start dates and durations together.

New Tasks Don’t Appear on the Chart

The chart only includes the range it was built from. Convert the data to an Excel table with Ctrl + T, or right-click the chart, choose Select Data, and extend the ranges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a Gantt chart in Excel without any add-ins?

Yes. A stacked bar chart, conditional formatting, or one of Microsoft’s free templates all work without add-ins.

What if a task gets delayed?

Change its start or end date in the worksheet. The duration formula and chart update automatically.

Can I show dependencies between tasks?

Excel can’t link tasks automatically, but you can make a start date depend on another task with a formula, such as =C3+1 to start the day after task 3 ends. Then a delay to one task pushes the next one out.

Can I use this Gantt chart for team collaboration?

Yes. Save the workbook to OneDrive or SharePoint and share it, and your team can edit it together in Excel or Excel for the web.

Is there a way to automate updates in my Gantt chart?

Formulas handle most of it: durations, dependent start dates, and conditional formatting all update when you change a date. For more automation, such as resource tracking, a dedicated project management app such as Microsoft Project may be a better fit.

Related: creating a stacked bar chart in Excel, the chart type this Gantt chart is built on, and creating an organizational chart from a list.