How to Make an Effective Project Gantt Chart: Best Practices & Common Pitfalls
Gantt charts are a must-have in every planner’s toolbox because they give you a clear visual of project tasks, dependencies, and deliverables over time.
If you’ve never made a gantt chart before, you might not know where to start. This tutorial will guide you through every step of the process and equip you with the tools you need to feel confident your gantt chart is done right.
How to make a project gantt chart in 8 easy steps
There are lots of different ways to make a gantt chart—from traditional desktop apps to collaborative project management software. No matter which tool you use, the basic steps are the same.
In this tutorial, we’ll use TeamGantt to show you how it’s done. Try TeamGantt for free to follow along and create a gantt chart of your own.
1. Define your project scope
You can’t build a gantt chart without a clear idea of the work that needs to get done. That’s why it’s important to gather the right details first.
These questions can help you scope out your project before you sit down to create a gantt chart:
- What goals and requirements does the project need to meet?
- What are the project’s major deliverables?
- How will we get to those deliverables by the deadline?
- What key milestones do we need to hit?
- Could any dependencies or constraints impact the project timeline?
- Who’s on the project team, and what role will they play in key deliverables?
See what goes into a good project scope document.
2. Break your project down into smaller steps
Lots of project managers use a work breakdown structure (WBS) to identify all the tasks you’ll need to complete to consider your project done. You can sketch your WBS out in a spreadsheet, flowchart, or outline.
Explore different formats for building a work breakdown structure.
No matter what format you choose, the basic process for creating a WBS is the same:
- Start by listing out your project’s major phases of work.
- Then itemize all the steps and deliverables required to get the work done below each phase.
The more detail you can spell out when it comes to tasks, the better you’ll be able to track progress and steps leading up to a deliverable.
3. List project tasks vertically down the y-axis of your chart
Your task list makes up the y-axis of your gantt chart. So take all the tasks and subtasks you outlined in a work breakdown structure, and add them down the left side of your chart.
Go ahead and organize your tasks into phases or subgroups at this stage. Adding structure to your task list will make your gantt chart easier to scan and understand. It’ll also allow your team and stakeholders to see what tasks are part of a deliverable or a phase.
Here’s how to add tasks to your gantt chart in TeamGantt:
- Click on the Add Task link (+Task), and type the name of your first task.
- Hit Enter to add another task, and repeat this process to build out the rest of your task list.
- To create a task group, right-click on a task, and select Convert to Subgroup.
4. Schedule tasks on your gantt chart timeline
Now that you’ve got a full list of work to be done, you’re ready to map out a visual timeline. Add start and end dates to each task on your list, and draw a horizontal bar on the right side of the diagram to represent the duration of work.
TeamGantt makes scheduling tasks super-simple because you can drag and drop each task on your timeline. Here’s how:
- Click on the timeline to the right of the task to place its taskbar on the gantt chart.
- Drag either side of the taskbar to adjust its duration.
- To reschedule a gantt chart task, simply click on its taskbar and drag it to a new date on the timeline.
5. Add important project milestones
Adding milestones to your gantt chart makes it easy to track project deadlines, approvals, meetings, and other key deliverables or events. Milestones typically appear as a yellow or gold diamond on your gantt chart to set them apart from day-to-day tasks.
Here’s how to add a milestone to your gantt chart in TeamGantt:
- Click the Milestone link, and give your new milestone a name.
- Drag the milestone icon across the gantt chart to schedule it on the timeline.
- Repeat this process until you have all your milestones added to the list.
See examples of how to use project milestones.
6. Draw dependencies between related tasks
If you’re not going to move forward on the project without an approval—or one task must be done before another—this is your chance to note it. So take a moment to review your gantt chart and identify any dependencies.
Not every planning tool offers dependency functionality, and it can be a huge help. As your plan shifts, the flow of the work will stay intact.
Here’s how to link dependent tasks in TeamGantt:
- Hover over the beginning or end of a taskbar, and click the dot that appears.
- Drag the dependency line and drop it on the taskbar you want to connect it to.
7. Assign tasks to your team and resources
Now you’re ready for resourcing! Invite your team to the project, then assign each task in your project to the person responsible for the work. Be sure to account for any non-human resources in your plan, such as equipment or facilities needed.
Here’s how resource assignment works in TeamGantt:
- Click Assign people under the Assigned column for that task.
- Select the person or label you want to assign the task to from the drop-down menu.
Once you’ve assigned tasks in TeamGantt, you can use filters to view only the work assigned to a particular person or label.
8. Color-code your gantt chart to enhance visualization
Color is a great way to customize your gantt chart and make it easy to understand at a glance. Use different colors to categorize tasks by project phase, department, team member, or priority. It’s up to you!
Here’s how to apply colors to gantt chart tasks in TeamGantt:
- Hover over a taskbar, and click on the colored square.
- Choose a new color, and you’re all done!
Best practices for creating an effective gantt chart
If you want to build a gantt chart everyone can use and navigate, there are a few simple rules you should keep in mind. Follow these simple tips and best practices to make a good gantt chart that’s easy to update and manage.
Add important details and documents to tasks
Sometimes your team and clients may forget what they committed to. Or maybe they don’t fully understand the intent of a task or group.
Use the notes section of your plan (most gantt chart software should provide this) to spell things out. While you’re at it, be sure to upload key files directly to the task so everything’s ready and waiting for work to begin.
In the project sample below, we added notes about the scope of the task and uploaded a copy of the creative brief for more detail.
Label tasks by responsible party
This tip comes in handy for any project, but it’s especially useful for client projects. Identifying which team or company is responsible for each task makes your gantt chart super-easy to scan.
When creating a task, you can assign labels you've set up on the People tab or simply put the company name (or an acronym) in front of the task. Here’s how we tagged tasks in the example below:
- PT = Product Team
- GM = Gantt Museum
Of course, you’ll also want to take that a step further and assign each task to the person responsible. This will help you with resource allocation and accountability.
Display start and end dates for each task
Seems like a silly tip, but it’s easy to hide this info in some apps! If you’re using TeamGantt, you’ll see the dates in the gantt view.
Regardless of what tool you’re using, you want to make it clear not only when a task ends, but when it starts. Again, this will help to keep your team and clients accountable.
Lay a clear path to success with a visual plan that’s easy to understand, and keep everyone in sync with flexible workflows and team collaboration.
Integrate your gantt chart with other productivity tools
If your team uses multiple apps to collaborate on projects, why not integrate them with your gantt chart so everything connects back to the plan? Here are a few popular integrations you can use in TeamGantt to streamline effort and maximize productivity:
- Trello: See your cards in a project timeline, create dependencies between cards, and view workloads—all without ever leaving Trello.
- Slack: Create tasks from chats, check your daily task list, and get notified about new comments and assignments right from Slack.
- Procore: Export TeamGantt projects to the Procore format to keep construction schedules synced and subcontractors on task.
- Dropbox: Share important documents more easily by uploading Dropbox files directly to your tasks and projects.
- Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook: Sync project tasks with your favorite calendar app so nothing falls through the cracks.
- Zapier: Automate work and streamline collaboration by connecting TeamGantt to your other favorite apps.
- TeamGantt API: Got a developer on hand? Build custom integrations with your project data using our public API!
Avoid these common gantt chart mistakes
Don’t let simple mistakes undermine your plan. Watch out for these common pitfalls when building your project gantt chart:
Assigning work without checking team availability
If you’re lucky enough to use a product that shows you overall team availability, use it! Knowing how booked your team is and what projects they’re part of will play a huge role in delivering work on time and maintaining team morale.
Having an overall view of your team’s availability and conflicting work will help you adjust your plan to either meet the needs of existing project work or shift the milestones you’ve put in your plan.
Here's how to view team availability directly from your gantt chart in TeamGantt.
Overlooking holidays and time off
Now is your chance to block time off in your plan. This is important now because as soon as your timeline shifts (you know it will, don’t fight it), you’ll open yourself up to making an error and dropping a deadline on a date that should be blocked. If you note them in your plan, that won’t happen.
Forgetting to ask for feedback
If you deliver a plan that has a mistake, misinterprets a task, or even misses a date, it can create confusion and delays. So grab a teammate and ask them to review your gantt chart before you post it for review.
Of course, you’ll also want to be ready to get some feedback on your plan. Formalizing a plan means you’re taking a set of ideas and expanding on them. That also means you might interpret something differently than a teammate. That’s okay!
Setting it and forgetting it
A gantt chart is a living, breathing document that should keep up with project changes—not a fixed plan that’s set in stone. Invite your team to collaborate on work and track progress in real time so your gantt chart’s always up-to-date.
Additional resources for making gantt charts
If you’d rather use a spreadsheet to build your gantt chart, we’ve got guides for that too. Just be sure to choose a gantt chart builder that gives you the features you need.
Use the Agile method to manage projects? These resources can guide you on how to create gantt charts that play well with your process for a hybrid approach to project management:
And finally, here are some real-world use cases and ready-made templates to inspire your gantt chart creation:
- Free Project Planning & Management Templates
- 12 Easy Gantt Chart Examples for Project Management
- How to Manage Project Resources Using a Gantt Chart
Build a free gantt chart in minutes
When you’re a project manager, every minute counts. So why waste time building out a bunch of complicated spreadsheets just to keep tabs on a project?
At TeamGantt, you don’t have to. Our free online gantt chart software enables you to stay focused on the tasks that move the needle. Whip up a project plan in minutes, and watch your team cross the finish line faster. It really is that simple.
Gantt chart creation FAQs
Are gantt charts easy to make?
It depends on the tool you use to create a gantt chart. Desktop apps like Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets don’t have gantt charts built in, so you have to manually build it out, which can get tedious.
With features like drag and drop scheduling and ready-made templates, online gantt chart software that’s designed for the task makes the process much faster and easier.
How do you make a gantt chart in Excel?
Creating a gantt chart in Excel involves a lot of steps. Basically, you list out your tasks and dates, then insert a stacked bar chart into a worksheet. You’ll need to apply custom formulas and formatting to make your stacked bar chart look like a gantt chart.
Read our step-by-step Excel gantt chart tutorial for full details.
How do you make a gantt chart in Google Sheets?
Creating a gantt chart in Google Sheets involves a lot of steps. Basically, you list out your tasks and dates, then insert a stacked bar chart into a worksheet. You’ll need to apply custom formulas and formatting to make your stacked bar chart look like a gantt chart.
Read our step-by-step Google Sheets gantt chart tutorial for full details.
