How to Make a Gantt Chart in Excel

Trying to visualize a project timeline in Excel? Turning a list of tasks and dates into a clear, scannable chart can feel like a chore, but it doesn't have to be. A Gantt chart is the perfect tool for the job, and you can build a surprisingly powerful one using the software you already have open.

This guide will walk you through creating a clean, professional Gantt chart from scratch, step-by-step. We'll turn your spreadsheet data into an effective project management tool that clearly shows who is doing what, and when.

What Exactly is a Gantt Chart?

A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule. Each bar represents a task, and the length of the bar shows how long that task will take. It's a powerful way to see your entire project timeline in one place, from start dates to end dates, dependencies between tasks, and overall project duration.

Project managers, marketers, and founders love Gantt charts because they answer key questions at a glance:

• What are all the tasks for this project?

• When does each task need to start and finish?

• Which tasks overlap or depend on each other?

• How far along is the project overall?

You don't need expensive, specialized project management software to create one. For many projects, Microsoft Excel has all the tools you need.

Step 1: Get Your Project Data Ready

Before you start building the chart, you need to structure your data in a simple table. This is the foundation of your Gantt chart. In a new Excel sheet, create columns for the following information:

• Task Name: A brief description of the task.

• Start Date: The date the task is scheduled to begin.

• End Date: The date the task is scheduled to be completed.

• Duration: The number of days the task will take.

The "Duration" is a simple calculation. In the duration column, use a formula to subtract the Start Date from the End Date.

Let's say your Task Name is in column A, Start Date in B, and End Date in C. Your Duration formula in cell D2 would be:

Drag this formula down for all your tasks. Your table should look something like this:

Make sure your date columns are formatted as dates, or the calculations won't work correctly.

Step 2: Insert a Stacked Bar Chart

With your data organized, it's time to create the chart. We'll use a Stacked Bar chart as our starting point.

1. Go to the Insert tab on the Excel ribbon.

2. In the Charts section, click the Insert Column or Bar Chart dropdown.

3. Under 2-D Bar, choose the Stacked Bar option.

You'll see a blank white box appear on your worksheet. Don't worry, this is correct. We'll add our data in the next step.

Step 3: Add Your Project Data to the Chart

Now, let's connect your project table to the empty chart.

1. Right-click on the blank chart area and choose Select Data….

2. The "Select Data Source" window will pop up. Under the "Legend Entries (Series)" box on the left, click the Add button.

3. A new "Edit Series" window appears. Here, we'll add our Start Dates:

   • For Series name, click into the box and then click the cell that contains the header for your start dates (e.g., cell B1, which says "Start Date").

   • For Series values, delete the ={1} text, then click and drag to select all the dates in your start date column (e.g., B2 through B8).

   • Click OK.

4. You're back on the "Select Data Source" window. Click Add again to add your Duration data:

   • For Series name, select the header for your duration column (e.g., D1).

   • For Series values, click and drag to select all the calculated days in your duration column (e.g., D2 through D8).

   • Click OK.

5. Now we need to add the task names as labels. In the "Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels" box on the right, click Edit.

6. Select your entire list of task names (e.g., A2 through A8).

7. Click OK, and then click OK one more time to close the main dialog box.

Your chart will now have data, but it will look a bit strange. The tasks are in the wrong order, and the bars don't represent the project timeline yet.

Step 4: Format Tasks in the Correct Order

Excel, by default, plots the chart data in reverse order. You'll notice your first task, "Project Kickoff," is at the bottom, and the last task is at the top. Let's fix that.

1. Click on the list of task names on the vertical axis (the Y-axis) to select it. You'll see a box appear around them.

2. Right-click that axis and choose Format Axis… from the dropdown menu.

3. A "Format Axis" pane will open on the right side of your screen. Under Axis Options, find and check the box that says "Categories in reverse order."

Your tasks will immediately flip, appearing in the correct chronological order from top to bottom.

Step 5: Transform the Bar Chart into a Gantt Chart

This is where the magic happens. A Gantt chart shows tasks "floating" on the timeline, but our chart currently has two sets of bars. We need to make the first set (the "Start Date" bars) invisible.

1. Click on the first part of any bar - these are typically blue by default - to select the entire "Start Date" data series.

2. Right-click on one of the selected blue bars and choose Format Data Series….

3. In the format pane on the right, click on the paint bucket icon for Fill & Line.

4. Under Fill, select No fill.

5. Under Border, select No line.

Suddenly, the blue bars disappear! You're left with just the orange "Duration" bars positioned correctly on the project timeline. You now have a working Gantt chart.

Step 6: Final Polishing and Cleanup

Your chart is functional, but a few quick tweaks will make it much cleaner and easier to read.

• Tidy the Timeline: There's probably a lot of empty white space at the beginning of your chart timeline. To fix this, right-click on the dates along the horizontal axis (the X-axis) and select Format Axis…. In the "Bounds" section, you can set a new "Minimum" number to match the start date of your first task. (Note: Excel stores dates as serial numbers. To get the number for your start date, temporarily format the start date cell as "General" or "Number," then copy that value into the Minimum Bounds box).

• Add a Title: Click on "Chart Title" at the top and give your project a descriptive name.

• Remove the Legend: The legend (showing "Start Date" and "Duration") is no longer necessary. Click on it and press the Delete key to remove it.

• Adjust Colors: If orange isn't your color, simply right-click the bars, go to the "Fill & Line" options, and choose a new color.

Bonus Tip: Track Task Progress

To make your Gantt chart even more useful, you can add progress indicators.

1. Add a new column in your original data table called "% Complete" and fill it out for each task.

2. Create another new chart as before, but this time include your Start Date and a new calculation that multiplies Duration by % Complete.

3. Once you've made your Start Dates transparent, your chart will show both the total project duration, and inside those, the actual work completed.

You can also use Excel's Conditional Formatting on your data table to automatically highlight tasks that are overdue but not 100% complete.

Final Thoughts

Building a custom Gantt chart in Excel is a fantastic way to gain control over your project timelines without needing to learn complex new software. With just a standard stacked bar chart and some simple formatting tweaks, you can create a clear, professional visual that keeps your entire team on the same page.

The time you spent following these steps shows just how manual reporting and dashboarding can be. It's often hours of clicking, formatting, and tweaking before you get the insight you need. When we built Graphed we did it to eliminate this very process. Instead of manually building charts, we let you connect data from systems like HubSpot, Google Analytics, or even a Google Sheet, and just ask for what you want. You could simply type "Show me a timeline of our blog content production for Q4" and get a live, automated dashboard in seconds - no formatting required.