According to the Project Management Institute, less than half of projects (48%) are considered successful, meaning the value they deliver is worth the effort and expense. If you’ve ever been in charge of a project, you know how quickly it can unravel.
That’s why the right tools matter. A Gantt chart gives you a bird’s-eye view of your entire project, helping you assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress all in one place.
In this guide, we’ll break down what a Gantt chart is, how it works, and how to create one to keep your next project on track.
What is a Gantt chart?
A Gantt chart is a visual project management tool that displays tasks on a timeline, showing what needs to be done, when, and by whom. It’s used by project managers (PMs) during the project planning phase and can be especially useful for complex projects involving multiple team members. With its visualization of tasks and dependencies, Gantt charts can help PMs identify a project’s critical path—the task sequence that determines the minimum time required to complete it.
Each task in a Gantt chart is represented by a horizontal bar, with the length of the bar reflecting the duration of the task.
American mechanical engineer Henry Gantt developed this project management chart in the early 20th century to evaluate manufacturing processes. Today, it’s used across industries to track everything from software development cycles to events to marketing campaigns.
Using the above template as an example, an ecommerce merchant selling sneakers online could create a Gantt chart to map out the tasks related to creating a new product page for their ecommerce store. This Gantt chart includes two weeks for drafting product descriptions, three weeks for capturing the necessary product photography, and six weeks for the UX design process (drafting, editing, and finalizing the layout of the product page).
Elements of a Gantt chart
Gantt charts may look complex at first, but they’re relatively easy to understand. Here’s a breakdown of the four main Gantt chart elements:
Task list and related components
On the vertical axis of a Gantt chart diagram, include a list of all relevant tasks related to a specific project.
Building off the product page example, imagine you’re running an ecommerce store selling footwear. You need to launch a product page for a new product line of sneakers and want to create a Gantt chart to map out the process. Your tasks might include drafting written content about materials and sizing information, editing product photos, and creating a well-designed page layout that directs visitors to make a purchase.
As you can see in the image below from Shopify’s Gantt chart template, you would list each task in column B under the “Deliverable” section to help you keep track of every task you need to complete to launch your product page.
Although some very basic Gantt charts may only include the list of tasks, adding other task-related information, such as owner, start and end dates, and status, can provide other valuable data at a glance.
Timeline
The timeline lists amounts of time (typically in days or weeks) along the horizontal axis. Underneath these time frames, task bars run horizontally in correlation to how long tasks will take. When you follow the row of a specific task, it corresponds to a color-coded task bar inside the timeline, offering an easy visual way to track progress and set a project schedule. Here are two examples of a Gantt chart timeline, one using a daily time frame and the other using a weekly time frame:
Note: A dateline—a vertical line showing today’s date—helps you quickly see your current position within the project timeline. On a daily Gantt chart, it can update automatically (depending on the tool) or be adjusted manually. Either way, it provides an at-a-glance view of progress versus plan.
Dependencies
Dependencies are connections between two or more tasks, specifically when the completion of one task leads to the beginning of another. By connecting task bars with lines and arrows, you can easily identify dependent tasks and quickly understand the relationship between different tasks.
Task dependencies help project managers visualize the task sequences—meaning which tasks connect through dependencies—and make informed decisions about which tasks to prioritize first in a sequence. If you’re using Gantt chart software, you can set up automatic updates with task dependencies that notify relevant team members that they can begin work on a task since its dependent task is complete.
For example, once product page tasks like photo editing and product descriptions are completed, an automatic message could notify the UX design team that they can begin work on product page layout since they’re dependent on those deliverables.
Milestones
You can denote key milestones for your project using a diamond shape at the end of a task bar or in between two task bars. For creating a product page, you could include a diamond at the end of a major task bar, like finalizing materials and sizing copy. Milestones help delineate project phases and break down complicated projects into major movements.
Milestones help project managers understand the completion of major project cycles and delegate responsibilities between different departments. Unlike smaller tasks like taking product photos of models wearing the sneakers, milestones denote the end of significant phases.
For example, you could use a milestone to highlight when your product photography team is completely done with their product page work and can move on to an entirely different project, like capturing photos for a new marketing campaign.
How to create a Gantt chart
- Define the scope of your Gantt chart
- List all relevant project tasks
- Establish task dependencies
- Set your Gantt chart timeline
- Assign tasks to team members
- Monitor progress
No matter what your initiative, you’ll rely on the same methodology to get a project up and running. Follow these basic steps to make a Gantt chart for your projects:
1. Define the scope of your Gantt chart
Before you build your Gantt chart, establish the boundaries of your specific project so you can translate it into clear phases on your timeline. Consider writing a scope of work document to detail the key deliverables and exclusions involved in your Gantt chart. Evaluate the main objective of your project, and ensure that your scope of work moves you toward that goal. Setting clear goals and boundaries for your Gantt chart can help to avoid scope creep—the unintended expansion of a project’s timeline or resources over time.
2. List all relevant project tasks
List every task that fits within your Gantt chart. Write out manageable tasks, and break larger tasks into subtasks. Include relevant information for each task, like how long it will take and what resources are required to complete that task. Write out each task on a left-side column of your Gantt chart, clustering relevant subtasks stacked next to each other.
For example, if you’re building out a Gantt chart for launching an online store, you could list out tasks like choosing an ecommerce platform, finding a domain name, writing website copy (with subtasks like the copy for a main landing page or product pages), taking product photos, and setting up a checkout process.
3. Establish task dependencies
Identify which tasks relate to other tasks on your Gantt chart. For example, you need to choose an ecommerce platform for your online store before selecting your domain name. By contrast, you could start certain tasks concurrently with other tasks, like writing website copy even before officially launching your store (including an engaging About Us page). Here’s a breakdown of the four types of task dependencies you can use in your Gantt chart:
- Finish to start (FS). After the completion of one task, work on a dependent task can commence.
- Start to start (SS). Once a task begins, another task can begin as well, with work on both tasks moving forward concurrently.
- Finish to finish (FF). This type of dependency refers to tasks that cannot be completed until the completion of another task.
- Start to finish (SF). Once one task begins, a dependent task can finish.
Once you’ve established all task dependencies, evaluate the task sequences on your Gantt chart to visualize the order of tasks that need to be completed in your project. Finally, choose which tasks will act as key project milestones.
4. Set your Gantt chart timeline
Create color-coded task bars for each task that extend along your timeline based on how long each task is expected to take.
You can choose colors based on different team members or departments, major phases of your project, or even status updates (with green representing completed tasks, blue for in-progress tasks, and red indicating overdue tasks). If you have a firm deadline for your project, consider working backward from the deadline to understand how much time you have to use in your Gantt chart timeline.
Choose whether your timeline will be broken down by days, weeks, or even months. Use daily time frames for complicated tasks with multiple subtasks needing a quick turnaround, and opt for weekly or monthly time frames for large, long-term projects with less specific subtasks and deadlines.
Remember to include non-work periods in your Gantt charts to establish when certain dates are blocked out, like weekends and holidays. Also, consider adding some extra time within or between tasks, if possible, to give your project team enough time to accomplish everything on time.
5. Assign tasks to team members
Identify who is responsible for what task, whether it’s an individual team member or an entire team. Add task assignees to the column next to the task list in your Gantt chart. For example, you could assign copywriting tasks like writing a landing page for your ecommerce website to a copywriter and website optimization tasks to a web developer.
6. Monitor progress
Reference your Gantt chart often throughout the project lifecycle. Project managers can use Gantt charts to evaluate how well a project is progressing and also share updates with team members and departments to keep everyone on the same page.
Gantt charts are living documents that can change as necessary. Make updates to your Gantt chart without pushing the project scope beyond the resources and timeline you originally set. Set a time for you and any relevant project stakeholders (meaning anyone involved in or impacted by the project) to regularly check in on the Gantt chart. For example, as you move through your website design, you could set a weekly meeting to evaluate progress and make sure that the correct team members are aware of any updates to task lists or timelines.
Challenges of Gantt charts
Although Gantt charts are effective tools to inform time frames and keep relevant team members on the same page, there are a few drawbacks to consider. Here’s a breakdown of the challenges with Gantt charts:
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Time-consuming process. Building and updating Gantt charts manually can take a significant amount of time, especially for complex projects with lots of task sequences.
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Lack of prioritization. Gantt charts list all of the necessary tasks that go into a project, but they don’t include information about which tasks are more important than others.
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Minimal workload details for each task. Gantt charts involve a high-level overview of what resources are required for a specific task, but don’t offer more detailed information for allocating resources efficiently.
The key to addressing these challenges is to use Gantt chart software, which can automate the process, and consider Gantt charts one of multiple tools you’ll use for project management. For example, a work breakdown structure (WBS) can help provide those workload details missing from Gantt charts.
3 Gantt chart software tools
Here are a few Gantt chart software tools that you can use when managing projects.
TeamGantt
This Gantt chart tool uses a simple drag-and-drop interface to make it easy to create Gantt charts. TeamGantt offers several Gantt chart templates that you can build from, and allows you to share an editable Gantt chart document with your team. You can add task dependencies, comments, and files to specific tasks for other team members to reference.
Pricing: TeamGantt offers a limited free plan; paid plans start at $49 per month per manager, billed annually, with additional collaborators costing $7 per month.
monday.com
Monday.com is a project management software tool that includes a Gantt view widget. Build out a project plan using its software and click “Add view” to find and select the Gantt chart design. The software will automatically build a Gantt chart based on the information you added to your project plan, including project phases, task lists, and bar chart timelines. Gantt charts on monday.com are interactive, meaning you can click on a specific task bar to learn more about the task owner and status.
Pricing: Monday.com plans that include Gantt views start at $12 per user per month, billed annually.
ClickUp
ClickUp is another project management software tool that offers Gantt chart features. Similar to monday.com, you can build out projects on your dashboard by filling out all necessary information like tasks, assignees, and deadlines before clicking on the Gantt chart view. ClickUp automatically generates a Gantt chart based on your information and lets users adjust the Gantt chart using a drag-and-drop interface. It also includes a critical path layout that you can click on to highlight dependent tasks, making it easy to identify and adjust specific task sequences.
Pricing: ClickUp offers a free plan for personal use; paid plans start at $7 per user per month, billed annually.
What is a Gantt chart FAQ
Why is a Gantt chart useful?
A Gantt chart is a project management tool used to plan and monitor the progress of a project with multiple tasks and team members.
What are the elements of a Gantt chart?
The main elements of a Gantt chart include a task list, a timeline, dependencies, milestones, assignees, and deadlines.
What are the pros and cons of a Gantt chart?
A Gantt chart can help project managers visualize tasks and monitor progress over time, but it can become time-consuming to update complicated Gantt charts by hand without a software tool.
Can I create a Gantt chart in Excel?
Yes, you can build a Gantt chart in Excel. You can also use software tools like TeamGantt, monday.com, and ClickUp.
How do I make a Gantt chart?
To make a Gantt chart, start by defining the scope of your project and listing out all of the relevant tasks related to that project. Establish task dependencies, set your project timeline, and assign tasks to team members. Monitor the project progress and adjust your Gantt chart as necessary.
