How To Make A Gantt Chart In Google Sheets +(FREE Templates)

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by countless deadlines and struggled to keep track of who’s responsible for what and when it needs to be done?

If so, then you are not alone.

Google Sheets is the top spreadsheet program many decision-makers use to manage tasks. It avoids headaches associated with tracking and delivering projects on time. Using built-in tools, you can quickly create comprehensive Gantt charts and Kanban boards.

A Gantt chart is one of the powerful tools that help teams distribute, share, and assign tasks to different individuals, making project management more effortless.

The good news is that Google Sheets’ recently launched timeline feature also uses Gantt charts to help users quickly navigate their projects.

This is the ultimate guide to how to make a Gantt chart in Google Sheets. We have also included top FREE Google Sheets Gantt Chart templates.

So, make sure to read the article to the end and do not miss any crucial information on managing tasks or projects like a pro.

What is a Gantt Chart?

Image Source: Canva.com

Gantt Charts visually represent a schedule of tasks over a given period.

It displays the project tasks or activities using horizontal bars along a chronological timeline. Each bar’s length represents the task’s Duration, and they are demonstrated based on start and end dates.

Project managers generally use these charts for the following purposes,

Plan and schedule tasks
Track progress
Communicate and coordinate
Manage resources

These charts help you stick to the project timelines and delivery dates. You can use the charts to keep stakeholders up-to-date.

Why are Gantt Charts Templates created using Google Sheets a Must-try?

Google Sheets is a cloud-based spreadsheet program that organizes and analyses massive datasets.

It has many built-in features to structure your complex data properly.

When it comes to visually representing complex data, many Gantt chart templates are available online, and they are free. Here are a few of the benefits of Google Sheets Gantt Chart templates:

Accessibility – Google Sheets can be accessed from anywhere worldwide as long as you have an active internet connection. You can view and edit the information using your laptop, smartphone, and tablet.
Team Collaboration – You can share Google Sheets with unlimited users and assign specific roles to each. Depending on their role, users can view, edit, or comment on your document. All edits made by shared users are saved and can be accessed from the Version History tool of Google Sheets.
Cost-effective – Google Sheets is a free program. You can leverage hundreds of spreadsheet tools and functions for free without any limitations. In contrast to dedicated task managers or Gantt Chart tools, Google Sheets won’t break the bank.
Extensive Customization – Google Sheets templates can be easily customized with a range of tools. You can change the font style, cell background color, and much more. Many templates allow you to add a company logo, name, address, and more.
Ease of Use – All crucial tools and functions can be accessed from the main menu and the toolbar section. Google Sheets has a very short learning curve, so anyone can start using it within a few minutes.

These are just the tip of the iceberg.

Google Sheets is becoming the go-to tool for many business owners to organize their daily activities.

Top Free Gantt Chart Templates in Google Sheets

There are many Gantt Chart templates available on the internet. You can’t try each one to find the right fit for your unique requirements, and it will be tedious and time-consuming.

So, we have done the heavy lifting for you.

Here are the best free Google Sheets Gantt Chart Templates of 2024.

#1 – Gantt Chart Template By SoftwareAccountant

Click Here To Use This Template!

Are you looking for a simple-to-use Gantt Chart template?

This one by SoftwareAccountant requires some manual work when organizing tasks.

You can add information like the project title, the company name, the responsible manager, and the date to let your colleagues collaborate seamlessly.

Note that each task is divided into phases to keep track of its start and end dates, duration, and progress. The program also displays the progress of each task in percentage.

#2 – Basic Gantt Chart Template by Analysistabs.com

Click Here To Use This Template!

This Gantt chart template best fits individuals and business owners looking to track activities independently.

It helps you track the progress of small projects. You can enter the task name and the start and end date. Differentiating completed and pending tasks makes it easy to visualize the project timeline.

The template is free, and you can customize it to your taste. Make sure to double-click on the progress bar to change the colors.

#3 – Weekly Project Gantt Chart Template by Unio

Click Here To Use This Template!

This template displays your project’s schedule week by week.

If you have deadlines each day or week, and your project will go on for up to 32 weeks, then this template is for you.

It focuses on projects that have short-term goals and a limited time frame.

The template is pretty straightforward. It is the top Google Sheets Gannt chart template to optimize your weekly routine.

#4 – Monthly Project Gantt Chart Template

Click Here To Use This Template!

Small businesses can use this Gantt chart template for their long-term project.

Instead of specific dates, you must pick the start and end weeks to plan your project for the whole year ahead. Here, the task is divided into different stages, and this template allows you to add the name of the person to whom the task is assigned.

So, if you have big plans for the future, this template is perfect for mapping your entire project journey.

#5 – Software Development Gantt Chart Template by GanntPro

Click Here To Use This Template!

This template is designed to help your entire software development team communicate and execute the assigned tasks smoothly.

In this template, you can enter the task name, responsible person, start and end dates, status, etc. You can also set the priority for each task.

The template has minimum formulas, so do not hesitate to customize it. You can easily edit template sections to fit your project needs without worrying about complex calculations.

Using this template, you can enhance your productivity and meet deadlines more efficiently.

#6 – Communications Management Gantt Chart by Instagantt

Click Here To Use This Template!

Are you looking for a template to simplify the blogging process, publish a newsletter, run a content strategy, and create regular press releases?

This template helps you track the progress using bars. It displays a separate column to record the percentage of progress made on each task.

This can be easily customized using the formatting options available in Google Sheets. You can even play around with the colors to make your template and chart more attractive.

#7 – Gantt Chart Google Sheets Template by Smartsheet

Click Here To Use This Template!

This Gantt Chart Template by Smartsheet can be used by small businesses to track their project flow and create dependent tasks.

It can be used to visualize how each project is moving forward. You only need to enter each task’s start and end dates, and you can see that the timeline is created automatically.

The status field dropdowns are color-coded to indicate different states or conditions.

This is a fully customizable template. Feel free to add more fields and create a proper Gantt chart showcasing the workflow for meeting deadlines.

#8 – Medical Research Project Gantt Chart Template

Click Here To Use This Template!

Are you conducting medical research?

This Gantt chart template helps you organize and manage the timeline, milestones, and tasks associated with conducting medical research projects.

It records information across various stages of the research process, including primary, epidemiological, and secondary research.

You can create a Gantt chart to display the progress of the research activities, their Duration, and dependencies. This allows researchers to plan and manage their projects effectively and ensure the on-time completion of critical milestones.

It is a straightforward template, suitable for users of all levels, including beginners with no prior Google Sheets experience.

#9 – School Assignment Gantt Chart Template by Smartsheet

Click Here To Use This Template!

A school assignment Gantt chart template is designed to help students manage their time and prioritize tasks based on their deadlines.

Students can use this template by Smartsheet to keep a record of the courses they are taking.

They can track their important exams, quizzes, papers, projects, and presentations.

This template will never let the students miss their due date, ensuring they stay on top of their assignments and complete them on time.

You can change the color of each task to suit your preferences or highlight different functions.

#10 – Gantt Chart Template for Sales Team

Click Here To Use This Template!

This Gantt chart template is specially designed for the sales team to efficiently plan and track their sales activities and targets.

It includes columns or tasks related to lead generation, helping you identify customer needs, prepare sales presentations, deal with objections, and close deals.

In this template, you can record your financial sales for a particular year in four quarters.

Note that the template allows you to design a Gantt chart with sections for each deal stage and project date.

It is a pretty straightforward template with minimum fields to fill in to get the desired chart.

How to Make a Gantt Chart in Google Sheets

If you are not satisfied with the ready-to-use Gantt chart templates discussed above, don’t worry—you can create a new one from scratch.

Preparing a basic Gantt chart in Google Sheets is just a piece of cake.

To start, you will need a perfect set of data, including the task name, start date, and required duration.

Without any further delay, let’s start.

STEP #1 – Creating a Header

A Header is a crucial part of any template. It includes the information that quickly conveys the purpose of the template.

Here are the steps to create a header for our Gantt chart template,

Open a new Google Sheet by clicking here
Select the entire first row
Increase the height of the first row
Select the cells “A1” to “G1”
Click on the “Merge Cells” icon in the toolbar as shown below
Type “Gantt Chart Template“
Increase the font size to 24
Change the font to “Lexend“
Make the font bold
Change the cell background color to dark blue (Hex Code – #001149)
Change the font color to white

After following the above steps, our header should look like the one below.

STEP #2 – Adding the Project Details

By including the Project details at the top, you ensure that everyone quickly understands the project’s purpose and duration.

It is beneficial when sharing the template with team members, stakeholders, or clients.

Let’s begin,

Select the cells “A3” and “B3”
Click on the “Merge cells” icon from the main menu
Type “Project Title“
Change the font type to “Lexend“
Adjust the font size to 10
Change the font color to dark blue (Hex Code – #001149)
Now merge the cells “I3” to “O3”
Type “Company Name“
Enter the remaining project details like the Project Manager and date, as shown below

STEP #3 – Enter the Task Details

The Task Details table includes the activity name and the start and end times.

Here are the steps to create a task details table,

Select all the cells from “A7” to “A9”
Click on the “Merge cells” icon from the toolbar section
Type “WBS Number“
Change the font type to “Lexend“
Make the font bold
Change the font color to dark blue (Hex Code – #001149)
Adjust the font size to 10
Change the background color to light gray
Now select the cells “B7” to “B9”
Click on the “Merge cells” icon
Type “Task Title“
Apply the same formatting as of “WBS Number“
Select the cells “C7” to “C9”
Click on the “Merge cells” icon again
Type “Task Owner“
Similarly, complete the table as shown below

You can even apply borders to the table by using the “Borders” option in the toolbar, as shown in the snapshot below,

STEP #4 – Validate the Date fields

We need to make sure the calendar popup appears when you wish to enter a date in the Start and Due Date columns.

Google Sheets comes with a built-in functionality to display a calendar popup, as shown below,

Here’s how to enable this feature for a given set of cells,

Select the fields “D11” to “D17”
Hover to the main menu
Click on the “Data” tab
Choose the “Data validation” option the available ones
A dialog box will appear on the right side of your screen, as shown below
Click on the “Add Rule” button from the dialog box
In the “Criteria” dropdown, select “Is valid date“
Finally, press the “Done” button

Follow the same steps for the dates in the “Due Dates” column to ensure a calendar popup appears every time we try to enter a date.

STEP #5 – Calculate the Duration

We will calculate the Duration because the Gantt chart will require start dates and Duration to showcase your project timeline.

For that,

Select the cell G11
Double-click to enter the formula,

=DAYS360(E11,F11)

Apply the formula to the remaining cells by dragging the fill handle at the bottom of the cell.

STEP #6 – Validate the Progress field

The progress of each task is generally measured in Percentages. To change the format of the “Progress” fields to Percentage,

Select the cells “G11” to “G17”
Go to the main menu and click on the “Format” tab
Choose the “Number” option from the popup
Next, select the “Percentage” option as shown below,

This will make sure to take your entered number as a Percentage.

You can even color code the progress percentage using ‘Conditional Formatting’. For that,

Select the cells “G11” to “G17”
Click on the “Format” tab from the main menu
Choose the “Conditional Formatting” option
A new popup window will appear on the right side of your screen as shown below
Switch to the “Color Scale” tab as shown below
In the “Format rules” section, choose from the available color scales as shown below
You can also customize the color for the minimum, middle, and maximum points to highlight the contrast between the lowest and highest values

STEP #7 – Creating the Timeline

To create a timeline, we first need to add a date range. Here are the steps,

Click on cell “I9“
Enter a date and drag it to 6 more cells to create a column for the whole week
Now, hover over the main menu and click on the “Format” tab
Choose the “Number” option from the popup
Click on the “Custom Number Format” option at the end of the list
Change the date format to “d”, as shown in the following GIF, and click on the “Apply” button

Now, only the day of the month is visible in the timeline. Similarly, we would like to display only the first letter of the day. For that,

Click on the cell “I8“
Double-click on the cell to enter the following formula,

=LEFT(TEXT(I9, "ddd"),1)

With this formula, you can display the first letter of the day of the week. Drag it to apply the same to 6 more cells, and now the template looks like this.

To add the Week number,

Select the cells “I7” to “O7”
Merge the selected cells
Type “Week 1“
Make the font bold
Change the font type to “Lexend“
Adjust the alignment to the center

Now, let’s repeat the set of days and dates for the whole month. Here are the steps,

Select the whole date and day columns using “Ctrl + Space“
Copy them using the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl+C“
Paste it using “Ctrl + Alt + V”
Now drag the data to copy it to a whole week for a month, as shown below

Edit the week numbers to Week 2 and Week 3. To continue the dates,

Click on cell “P9”
Double-click to enter the formula “=O9+1”
To apply the formula to the remaining cells, drag the fill handle
You can change the background color of the Weeks to dark blue (Hex Code – #001149)

You can do the necessary formatting, like applying the borders, turning off the gridlines, etc.

STEP #8 – Adding the Bars

We can manually add the bars of the Gantt chart, which is time-consuming. However, conditional formatting makes this easy.

Let’s see how to do this,

Select the entire timeline cell range
Click on “Format“
Select “Conditional Formatting“
In the newly appeared window, click on the “Format rules” dropdown
Select “Custom formula is” at the bottom
Enter the formula “=AND(F$5>=$B7, F$5<=$D7)”
Please change the color of the bars to make it clearly visible by clicking on the fill color option as shown below

The final formula we used in the above steps is as follows,

=AND(F$5>=$B7, F$5<=$D7)

STEP #9 – Formatting

Using the options available in Google Sheets’ toolbar, you can format the template by changing the text styles, adjusting the background colors, and much more.

Using our Google Sheets expertise, we have developed the following template.

How To Make A Gantt Chart In Google Sheets + FREE Templates

To download the template created by us, click on the link below,

Click Here To Make A Copy!

If you want to create a simple Gantt chart for small projects, refer to the following section.

How to create a Basic Gantt Chart using a built-in Stacked Bar Graph in Google Sheets

The template we created in the previous step may not be appropriate for freelancers, individual contractors, and small business owners.

They may need a simple Gantt Chart that can be created quickly.

This section will teach us the steps to create an easy-to-use Gantt chart template from scratch.

But before we jump into the actual discussion, make sure to download the example dataset used in the following sections.

Download the Example Dataset

Click on the link below to download the Google Sheet containing the dataset we used in the following sections.

Click Here To Make A Copy!

STEP #1 – Open a New Google Sheet

To open a new Google Sheet,

Open the Google Drive Homepage
Click on the “New” button on the upper-rightmost corner of the screen
Select the “Google Sheets” option from the list
Next, choose the “Blank spreadsheet” spreadsheet option

You can even open a new spreadsheet by clicking here

STEP #2 – Input Project Data in the Google Sheet

We will require two data tables. Using the first one, we will make some calculations in the second table.

So the first table should contain the task name, start and end dates as shown below,

Create a second table with the task name, start on the day, and Duration as shown below,

To calculate the Start on Day, Select the cell B14 and enter the following formula,

=INT(B2)-INT($B$2)

Using the fill handle, you can drag the formula for the rest of the cells.

Next, to calculate the Duration, select the cell C14 and type the following formula,

=C2-B2

Apply the formula to the entire column by dragging the fill handle.

STEP #3 – Create a Stacked Bar Graph

To create a stacked Bar graph,

Select the entire second table, which includes the task name, start on day, and duration
Click on the “Insert” tab from the main menu
Select the “Chart” option from the list
This will open a “Chart editor” window on the left side of the screen
You need to select the “Stacked Bar Chart” using the “Chart type” dropdown

This will insert a Stacked Bar graph in the spreadsheet.

STEP #4 – Turn the Stacked Bar graph into a Gantt Chart

It is easy to turn a stacked bar graph into a Gantt chart. To do so, follow the steps below:

Click on any of the “Start on Day” bars in the Stacked bar graph
It will open the options to customize the chart series, as shown in the following image,
Change the color of the “Start on Day” bars to White, as shown in the GIF below

That’s it; now your Stacked Graph resembles a Gantt Chart.

What are the customization options available?

Google Sheets offers many customizing options for your Gantt chart. You can quickly edit everything, from the title to the data points.

In this section, let us discuss each element of the “Customize” tab from the chart editor dialog box.

Chart Style – This section enhances the overall appearance and design of the chart. You can change the background color, font style, and chart border color, maximize it, and even view the chart in 3D.
Chart & Axis Titles – This section allows you to customize the chart title, subtitle, and horizontal and vertical axes titles. You can also edit the text title, change the title font, change the font title font size, and even change the title text color.
Series – Each series represents a set of data points plotted on the chart. In this example, each date corresponds to a separate series. It allows you to change the color of the bars, adjust the opacity, change the line type, line color, line thickness, etc. You can add the error bars and data labels by clicking the respective checkboxes.
Legend – The legend explains the colors or patterns used to represent each series on the chart. You can edit the legend’s position, font size, and color to make the chart more attractive.
Horizontal Axis – In this section, you can style the horizontal axis components, such as the label font, color, font style, and scale factor. You can even select the checkboxes to display the log scale and customize the scale’s tilt angle to your preference.
Vertical Axis – Here, you can customize the title, style, position, and formatting of the vertical axis labels.
Gridlines and ticks – This section allows you to enhance the appearance of gridlines and ticks, ensuring the clarity and visual appeal of your bar graph.

To edit any part of the stacked bar graph or Gantt chart, double-click on it. This will take you to the Chart editor window.

FAQs

Q. Is there a Gantt Chart template in Google Sheets?

No!

There is no built-in Gantt chart template in Google Sheets. But you can even find tens of Google Sheets Gantt chart templates online.

Also, creating one is so simple. We have discussed the complete steps to make basic and advanced Gantt chart templates in Google Sheets from scratch. Refer to the above section of this article.

Q. Can Google Sheets Make Charts?

Yes. Google Sheets is one of the best tools for converting complex datasets into quick, easy charts or graphs.

Here are the steps to insert a chart in Google Sheets,

Open the desired Google Sheet
Select the table range you want to visualize
Hover to the main menu
Click on the “Insert” tab
Now, choose the “Chart” option from the list
Select the chart as per your preference

Inserting charts in Google Sheets is a breeze. You can choose from the line, bar, pie, scatter, area, column, and more.

Q. Does Google have a Gantt chart tool?

In Google Workspace Marketplace, you will find a Free Gantt Chart. You need to install the add-on from the G Suite and start using it. This free online Gantt chart helps you organize your work with support from Google Drive storage.

Q. What are the uses of Gantt Charts?

A Gantt Chart in Google Sheets uses horizontal bars to represent the scheduled tasks or projects based on their Duration. It has many uses, including,

Scheduling tasks
Planning projects
Tracking progress
Manage resources

Conclusion

Gantt charts are crucial for project management. They provide a visual roadmap for teams to plan, organize, and track their progress effectively.

Google Sheets offers a clear layout for Gantt charts. Individuals and teams can streamline their project management process, helping them meet their deadlines on time.

We have discussed some free Gantt chart Google Sheets templates that you can use immediately for your task management and gone through a step-by-step guide on how to create your own Gantt chart template from scratch.

If you need any further assistance or are stuck somewhere while using the above templates, make sure to drop a comment.

Please refer to our blog page for more templates to improve your daily routine and make the most of your day.