How to make a Gantt chart in Excel – our step-by-step guide

In the first step, you will need to break your project down into phases of work, with individual stages with clear beginning and ending dates.

In our demonstration, we have created a list of 9 phases with the start and end date of each phase.

We create another column for the duration by subtracting the end date from the start date. In our case, this will be D6-C6 for the first cell. We then use the Fill Handle tool to change the formula for the entire table dynamically.

Once you’ve filled out your table of phases, click on a blank cell. “Once you’ve clicked on one, go to the top of the screen and click the “Insert” heading.

From the options that appear beneath it, find the “bar Chart” just to the right of the middle. Then, from its drop-down menu, click “Stacked Bar” from the “2-D Bar” section. A blank chart space will appear.

To add the data to this blank chart, click your right cursor on the blank chart, then hit “Select Data…”.

On the new window, select “Add” from the left box.

A window for “Edit Series” will open. Click the box under “Series name,” followed by the “Start Date” column heading of your table.

Then click the box beneath “Series values” before clicking on the first starting date from your column and dragging the cursor to the final starting date. Click “OK”.

The Gantt will now have all “Start Dates” added. In the next step, we will add the other columns.

Now, we will repeat the same steps for the “Duration” column. On the bar chart, “Select Data…” again and click “Add.”

When the window for “Edit Series” opens, select the “Duration” column header as the “Series name” box. In the “Series values” box, select all the duration values before clicking “OK.”

Next, click your right cursor on a blue bar and click “Select Data” again. This time, you will not click “Add” but go to the “Edit” button on the left. This option will allow you to edit the labels of each bar on the chart.

Select all milestones when the window asks you to select the “Axis Label Range.”

Right now, the chart will not look like a Gantt chart. So, formatting the Gantt chart is necessary to complete it.

To do this, click your right cursor on a blue bar, then click the bottom option for formatting data.

Next, click the paint bucket icon, then tick the option for “No Fill.” Then hit “Border” and select “No Line.” Visually, your chart will now look more like a Gantt chart.

Do this for each blue line on the chart.

You might see that the first entry on your table is at the end. To correct this, you will have to reverse your chart headings.

First, click on their axis to reveal the “Format Axis” options. Select the “Bar Chart” icon, then tick “Categories in reverse order.”