Google Sheets offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface for effectively managing tasks, expenses, workflows, etc.
It is one of the top spreadsheet programs, powered by hundreds of tools and functions for streamlining tasks and projects. You can manage teams, assign tasks, track progress, and much more. Everything is possible!
Are you looking for a robust timeline template for an upcoming project?
This is a comprehensive guide to Google Sheets timeline templates. Let us discuss free templates and step-by-step processes to how to make a timeline in Google Sheets.
But before we jump in, let’s discuss the mystery of Google Sheets Timeline view.
What is Built-in Google Sheets Timeline View?
Google Sheets introduced a new feature called Timeline View, in November 2022.
It lets you optimize the project lifecycle and ensure success. Simply put, the timeline feature of Google Sheets is helpful to project managers looking for efficient ways to execute tasks with the help of their team.
But note that this feature is not available for free Google account users. You need to have a paid Google Workspace account to access the timeline view in Google Sheets.
Using the timeline view is pretty straightforward.
Here are the steps to create a timeline view in Google Sheets.
- Open the Google Sheets with the desired dataset
- Select the entire table range
- Hover to the main menu and click on the “Insert” tab
- Choose the “Timeline” option from the list
- A new popup will appear on your screen
- Press the “OK” button
Google Sheets will instantly take you to a new sheet named Timeline, as shown in the following image.
It is a super helpful tool to visualize your projects or events.
Depending upon the selected datasets, you should see the project name, start and end date, owner’s information, description, etc.
For further improvements, you need to use the “Settings” panel on the top right of the screen. It allows you to color-code your timeline and adjust other configurations.
Benefits of Built-in Google Sheets Timeline View
Now that you know what a Timeline view is and how to use it, let’s quickly discuss a few benefits of using this built-in feature.
IMHO, planning projects, tracking milestones, and visualizing paths is a breeze with this built-in tool.
Here is a rundown of the most common use cases:
- Precise Organization – The Timeline view offers an excellent way of tracking various project aspects including start and end dates. Everything is organized in one place to make sure you stay on top of your project deadlines.
- Progress Tracking – With large projects involving multiple colleagues, tracking progress and identifying delays becomes a daunting task. However, Google Sheets’ timeline view offers an intuitive way of knowing tasks and responsible people. Monitoring goals and milestones is easier than you think with the timeline view.
- Identify Dependencies – The most challenging task is to keep track of dependencies as the project moves through the entire lifecycle. Without proper tools at your disposal, it may create chaos. The timeline view lets you quickly identify upcoming and pending tasks for everyone from your team.
- Team Collaboration – Google Sheets boasts real-time collaboration features. As a paid Google Workspace subscriber, you will get access to powerful tools such as live chat for seamless collaboration throughout the entire project lifecycle.
These are just a few benefits the Google Sheets timeline view offers. The main goal behind this feature is to empower project managers with a powerful dashboard for successfully delivering projects on time.
Google Sheets Timeline View Availability
As mentioned earlier, a free Google account user will not get access to Google Sheets’ Timeline view. It is limited to paid Google Workspace plan users.
Google Workspace was formerly known as G Suite. Here are the subscription plans:
- Business Starter – It starts at $6 per user per month and includes business email, 24/7 customer support, 30GB cloud storage, enterprise-grade access control, advanced security, etc.
- Business Standard – It starts at $12 per user per month and boasts 2TB storage, vault, advanced cloud search tools, etc.
- Business Plus – It starts at $18 per user per month and comes with 5TB storage, advanced security and administration controls, premium cloud apps, etc.
Google Workspace plans are for business users. So, in other words, Google Sheets timeline view is a comprehensive tool for professionals.
How to Make A Timeline in Google Sheets (Without a Workspace Google Account)
Free Google account users cannot access the built-in timeline view tool in Google Sheets, but they can create a timeline using built-in functions and other tools with the following guide.
The program offers a free project timeline template, which is accessible to both free and paid plan users.
Let us learn to use it and create a timeline in Google Sheets.
- Go to the Google Sheets dashboard by clicking here
- Click on the “Template Gallery”’ button that sits at the top right side of the dashboard, as shown below
- Scroll down and locate the “Project timeline” template in the Project Management section. Refer to the following image,
Here’s how the built-in Timeline template looks in Google Sheets.
The timeline template includes sample data for your reference. To get started carefully read all the reference information and delete it once you understand the general workings of the template.
How to Use Built-in Timeline Template
The timeline template is less feature-rich than Google Sheets Timeline view; it does the job.
You can add project details such as title, manager, and start date along with your company details to add some personal touch. Note that the template enables you to track project phases on both a monthly and quarterly basis.
By default, the template lets you add up to five dates each month to mark each milestone’s start and end dates.
To mark the length of each milestone over a given period, you need to merge cells. For example, if the Project Charter milestone lasts for the whole month of January, then you can merge all the dates in January.
Here are the steps:
- Select the desired cells
- Hover to the toolbar section
- Click on the “Merge cells” icon as shown in the above image
- Next, go to the toolbar section again and click on the “Paint bucket” icon
- Select the color as shown in the following image
(This will change the cell background color) - Finally, let’s change the font color by clicking the “Text color” icon as shown in the following image
As you may have guessed, students or small businesses can use this simple template to streamline their project planning and execution. Also, note that it is a static template; all the details must be manually filled in, which may be time-consuming.
For creating a dynamic timeline template, refer to the following section.
Top 9 Google Sheets Timeline Templates
A handful of Google Sheets Timeline templates are available online. We have picked the best templates that are easy to use and customize based on your requirements.
All of them are free to download.
1. Basic Timeline Template by SoftwareAccountant
Click Here To Use This Template!
This basic timeline template by SoftwareAccountant helps you track the progress of your project over a month.
It is divided into two sections:
- Header – In this section, you need to add company and project details. Make sure to define the project start date and display the week, as those values are used throughout the timeline to calculate the time each task takes automatically.
- Timeline – This is the actual timeline where you need to define phases, tasks, start and end dates, progress, etc. The template automatically displays the progress bar and time taken by each task.
Make sure to add your company information at the top before sharing this template with your colleagues.
It is a fully dynamic spreadsheet template. Ensure you avoid editing the cells holding the formulas; otherwise, the template won’t work as expected.
2. Daily Timeline Template by Template.net
Click Here To Use This Template!
This is an advanced template powered by Timeline View. It allows you to track daily activities.
Using this template, you can visualize your day at a glance.
- The first tab includes columns where you can input details about your daily tasks, including the corresponding time, assigned person, involved team, status, and a notes section.
- The second tab displays the timeline for the provided data. You can click on any time slot to view the details of the corresponding task. Make sure to add the rows and columns as per your requirements. Everything will start reflecting in the timeline sheet without any errors.
You can effortlessly plan your tasks, appointments, and priorities to maximize your output.
It is the simplest and one of the best Google Sheets Timeline templates to optimize your daily routine.
3. Task Timeline Template by Template.net
Click Here To Use This Template!
If you are looking for a fully automated timeline template, then look no further because this is your perfect shot.
Note that the template is similar to our second pick on this list. You can list various tasks in a table, which will be automatically sorted in a timeline.
There are two sheets in this template:
- Tasks – Here, you need to enter the task details such as name, responsible person, start and end dates, total duration, and much more. You can also use the dropdown to mark the tasks in progress or completed quickly. It also shows the status of each task in percentage using a bar.
- Timeline – It represents data visually for tracking tasks across a given period. One of the best features of this template is that you can edit each card in the timeline by simply double-clicking on it. A new dialogue box appears on the right side of the screen every time you double-click the task card.
You can use this professional-looking template for tracking assignments, deadlines, and progress. It will enhance your productivity by helping you meet deadlines with the best Gantt chart visualization.
4. Project Timeline Template by Smartsheet
Click Here To Use This Template!
This is a fantastic template by Smartsheet to create a project schedule broken down into stages.
You can enter the data and print the template for offline use.
The template is designed to help you track project tasks’ monthly and quarterly progress. You can define the project phases on the far left of the screen. Also, you have to adjust the size and content of the cards manually.
If you feel this much manual work won’t be possible in the long run, skip this template.
However, each card is made up of drawings in Google Sheets. You can easily adjust the size and content of each drawing with little prior Google Sheets experience.
5. Annual Timeline Template by Template.net
Click Here To Use This Template!
Are you looking for an annual roadmap template?
This template includes a huge roadmap that lets you organize tasks monthly. You can print the roadmap to use at your office or home.
There are two sheets in this template:
- Annual Timeline – It is nothing but a huge roadmap consisting of a summary of goals over a given year. The sheet is fully automated using formulas; you don’t have to do anything. It displays three tasks per month, along with a short description. The first four months are aligned across the top, and the next four are in the middle, and so on.
- Annual Management – This sheet contains all the information about tasks that will be undertaken over a given year. You can add details such as title and description. All of this data gets automatically populated in the first sheet.
You can plan your long-term success using this Annual Timeline template.
It is designed to display a visual board of tasks distributed across various months of the year.
6. Content Writing Timeline by Template.net
Click Here To Use This Template!
If you are a content writer searching for a timeline template, then the search ends here!
Use this unique template to ensure on-time article delivery. It is designed for individual freelancers and full-time content writers committed to writing high-quality articles on time.
This template offers a structured approach to meeting deadlines and improving productivity. You can track the time spent researching, preparing outlines, revising, proofreading, etc.
Do not edit the timeline directly. Instead, use the table at the end to fill in the details about your tasks. All the information you provided in this table automatically starts reflecting in the timeline.
7. Construction Project Timeline Template by Smartsheet
Click Here To Use This Template!
This template is designed for real estate project managers. It helps you list all the tasks to be executed during the entire project lifecycle.
The template is divided into two sections.
- At the top, it includes a table that lets you add tasks, assign status, enter start and end dates for each task, and specify comments. It automatically calculates the total days spent executing specific tasks based on the start and end date provided by you.
- There is a fully dynamic timeline below the table, which uses the data you provided. It gives you a quick overview of all tasks and lets you compare the time each takes.
The template is pretty straightforward. You don’t need any expert knowledge to use it.
It is designed to help you with construction project planning and workflow optimization.
8. Printable Timeline Template by Template.net
Click Here To Use This Template!
If the above template didn’t impress you, look at this one by Template.net.
The template is almost identical to the previous ones except for the fact that it contains two separate sheets for recording and tracking tasks.
- Printable Timeline – In this sheet, you can record all the details about your task. Start by adding the title, responsible person, start and end date, duration, and additional comments. It uses a dropdown to mark the task status.
- Task Details – This sheet serves as the database for the above sheet. Here, you can enter tasks and employees. All of this data appears in the dropdowns across the first sheet.
Note that the template automatically fetches start and end dates. Depending upon this data, the template auto-calculates the total duration required to complete the project.
You can print this template once all the tasks are finalized and share it with colleagues for further collaboration.
Google Sheets is a device-friendly spreadsheet program which lets you access the templates using mobiles, tablets, and PCs.
9. Historical Timeline Template by Smartsheet
Click Here To Use This Template!
Are you a teacher?
Let this intuitive and memorable timeline help your students learn about essential days from history.
Apart from teachers, anyone can use it to display progress or achievements over a given period. For example, you can use this template to display a company’s achievements since its inception.
The template also uses a text box that allows you to put some information about remarkable events that occurred during that specific time.
Note that you can edit the cells directly. However, for the cards, you need to double-click on the card you wish to edit to open the drawing tool.
You can easily print this template with all the information for offline use.
FAQs – Google Sheets Timeline Spreadsheet
Q. How do I make a timeline in Google Sheets?
Creating a timeline in Google Sheets depends upon your Google account type.
Premium Google Workspace subscribers will benefit from the Timeline View feature in Google Sheets. They can instantly create a timeline.
On the other hand, a free Google account needs to create the timeline from scratch. Please refer to the above section of this article for detailed steps. You can use a built-in template named Project Timeline from the Google Sheets library.
Q. Does Google Sheets have a timeline template?
Yes. Google Sheets offers a built-in timeline template for free. Refer to the following steps to access the template:
- Open the Google Sheets dashboard by clicking here
- Hover to the upper-rightmost corner of the screen
- Click the “Template library” button
- Scroll down to “Project Management” category
- Select “Project timeline” template from the list
It is a static template where you need to manually enter the tasks and track deadlines.
You can explore the top 9 timeline spreadsheet templates discussed above for dynamic templates that automatically create a Gantt chart to track deadlines.
Q. How do I create a dynamic timeline in Google Sheets?
Using built-in dynamic timelines is limited to Google premium plan users. Go to the “Insert” tab of the main menu and click the “Timeline” option from the main menu.
If you use a free Google account, things will not be as simple as you wish.
Creating a fully dynamic timesheet in Google Sheets from scratch is possible. However, you need in-depth knowledge of Google Sheets tools and functions.
Q. Does Google Sheets have a Gantt Chart?
Yes, of course. Google Sheets allows users to create Gantt Charts in two different ways.
The first includes using the Timeline view tool, limited to premium plan subscribers. You need to purchase one of the Google Workspace paid plans.
On the other hand, you can open the Google Sheets dashboard and go to the template library. You will find the Project Timeline template, which lets users manually create Gantt Charts using their project data.
To Summarize: Google Sheets Timeline Template
I hope you learned all the bells and whistles of creating timelines and Gantt charts in Google Sheets.
As discussed, Google Workspace premium plan users can quickly create timelines to track project progress over time with an in-built Timeline view.
A free Google account user needs to rely on templates available online for creating timelines. Such templates are free and can be customized per user preference without limitations.
Successfully delivering a project is a breeze with Google Sheets. Refer to our blog section for more fantastic templates for organizing and executing tasks efficiently.
Also, feel free to comment below if you have any questions using the templates discussed above.