Free Gantt Chart Google Sheets
Template

When it comes to Gantt charts, you may not even realize just what it takes to create one. Maybe you’ve looked at numerous software systems and programs in the past and thought that you would try out Gantt charts, but you weren’t so sure. Perhaps you were a little overwhelmed by the cost of getting into these programs before you understood how they worked and if they were a good idea for you. Well then, the new Google Sheets Gantt Chart Template that we’ve created is just what you need.

Understanding Gantt Charts

Let’s start with a quick overview of just what Gantt charts are and why you should be looking into them for your business. These charts allow you to map out the projects that you’re working on so that everyone in your team knows what’s going on. They’re designed to help you track who is responsible for different tasks within your business. That way, you can make sure everything is getting done, and the people who are responsible for various tasks know what they’re supposed to be doing.
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Gantt charts can be customized to fit exactly what you need in your business. They can track multiple projects with multiple tasks and subtasks and numerous deadlines. They can help you with managing large teams, small teams, and everything in between. They can keep everyone on track and ready to go, no matter what needs to be done. In short, these charts can help you do anything and everything related to tracking your different projects and keeping your team where they need to be at any given time. That’s going to help you stay ahead of the curve.

Why Google Sheets?

The great thing about using Google Sheets for this template is that it’s 100% free. Now, you can download the system into Excel if you already have Microsoft Office on your computer, but if you don’t want to pay for that service, Google offers you a free alternative. We wanted to make sure that anyone who wants to try out Gantt charts can do so, and the best way to make sure of that is to give you a free version that you can try out no matter what other software you have on your computer.
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While this system is going to be a slightly more simplified version than you’ll find through our actual software, it’s still going to give you enough of a trial run that you can see if this is something you want to try out for yourself. You want to make sure that you get the opportunity to plug in your information, see how these types of charts work and track just how it’s going to work for your team. By doing it through Google Sheets, we knew that you would be able to do precisely that.

Creating your copy

First, open the following link:
FREE GANTT CHART FOR GOOGLE SHEETS‍
To create your copy go to File, the select "Make a Copy". Please don't Request Access

How it Works

Let’s dive into just how this system works and how you can get started with it. Many of these steps, once you learn a little more about them, are going to make it easier for you to use any type of Gantt software if you decide you do want to get a full-fledged program for your team. So, once you learn how to take care of this part of the process, you’re going to be more than happy to know that it’s just as simple in the real thing, and you’ll end up with even more out of it.

The first step is to put in the different tasks that you need to track. Now, with the Google Sheets template, you’re going to have a separate page for each project you want to track. All you have to do is copy and paste the template into different pages to be able to set up an entirely new project each time. Then, you go through each of the tasks that have already been added and change them out to your tasks. This way, you can customize what you need your people to be working on or the specific tasks that go along with each project.
Next, you need to go into the dates that are already inset in the chart. These are also editable so you can set up your start and due dates for each of the tasks. They’re pre-formatted to look like dates, so you don’t have to worry about how you format them. They’ll automatically set to a two-digit month, two-digit day, and the four-digit year. That way, you can see at a glance just what’s going on and what the specific dates are that all of the tasks need to follow.

Once you’ve filled out these dates, the duration column should populate entirely on its own. This column is designed to let everyone know just how long they have (in days) to work on a specific task. If you change the start date or the due date of a task, the duration column will change to let anyone looking at the chart know how long they have within that window. This is calculated by subtracting the start date from the due date. That way, you will have an accurate idea of the amount of time you can work on a task and how to parcel it out.
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Your next step is simply to fill in who is responsible for each of the tasks. Your user column will let you put in a name and will even remember names if you type them in frequently. That way, you can add the same people to different tasks if need be. You’ll also be able to keep track of precisely who is responsible for each of the tasks. This will allow them also to keep track of their tasks and when those tasks need to be started or completed for the project to be done on time.
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There’s also a progress bar. In this system, you or your team can update this progress bar to reflect just how much they’ve completed on a particular task. This will allow everyone else to see how the different tasks are coming along and what needs to be done next or how much more of the task is still pending. It also lets you see when tasks are complete and what needs to be done next to keep the rest of the project on task. It’s a way to be sure you’re following along with the schedule. Let’s dive into just how this system works and how you can get started with it. Many of these steps, once you learn a little more about them, are going to make it easier for you to use any type of Gantt software if you decide you do want to get a full-fledged program for your team. So, once you learn how to take care of this part of the process, you’re going to be more than happy to know that it’s just as simple in the real thing, and you’ll end up with even more out of it.

Making it Unique

Setting up all of the information on your chart is one part of the process, but you may also want to customize it a little more. After all, this is a chart you’re going to be looking at a lot to keep yourself and your team in the loop. So, what can you do to customize things and make them look even more unique? Well, there are quite a few things that you can and should be doing. Each one will help you enjoy using this type of chart a little more, and they work in the full system as well.

1: Update your file

First, you can change the name of the file. Sure, you know you can name your project, but you can name the full sheet based on that project. That makes it easier for you to keep track of multiple projects at the same time. You can see which project is in each of the files at a glance and then choose the one that you need at that time. This is going to make it a whole lot easier for you and your team, and it’s going to keep you more organized for your clients as well.

2: Customize your file

You’ll have the ability to change out the color of your charts and different taskbars as well. That means you can change the color of the full chart, including all of the bars, the text, the graph itself, and anything else you want. You can also choose to color-code each of the separate bars if you’re looking to customize it to your preference or to help your different team members keep track of which tasks are theirs. This will help everyone to understand the chart better, and it makes different bars or tasks more noticeable.
It’s also possible that you have a much more extensive project that requires more steps than what’s currently available in the default template. If that’s the case, you can add more rows. You just need to insert rows into the chart by clicking on the last row and selecting insert. That way, you’ll be adding in new rows that have the same formatting as the other rows. That allows you to keep all of the same information, and you don’t have to worry about trying to figure out the formulas or how to organize the new rows to fit.

Making it Work For You

Now that you know how to get everything set up, you can share your chart with the rest of your team so they can look it over and keep it updated. You may also want to print it out so that you have a physical copy available for everyone to look at when they need to. How you share it with your team is going to be entirely up to you, but being able to share it is a crucial part of the process. And that’s only the beginning of what you can do with an actual Gantt chart.
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If you create an account of your own through Instagantt, you’re going to have even more freedom and capabilities to update information. You’ll have an even more straightforward process of filling in information because you can sync it directly from any of your other favorite task managers and programs. Then, you can make sure that it’s updated and customized precisely the way you want. All of the customization features we’ve mentioned here are available on the software and then some. All you need to do is decide how you want things to work.
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The software is designed to be as simple as possible also. The different tasks are all drag and drop so you can move them, change dates, change lengths, create dependencies, and a whole lot more. All you have to do is decide just how many tasks you need and what other features you’re going to create. All of these things make sure that your Gantt chart will work for you and your business. That’s because these types of charts aren’t meant to be one-size-fits-all. They’re meant for you to create something unique and completely relatable.

Conclusion

When it comes to creating your own Gantt charts, you want to make sure that you’re on the right track. You want to know that you’re using a system that’s going to work for you, and that’s designed to be simple. We wanted to make it as simple as possible, which is why we created our Gantt charts with drag and drop features and easy to fill sections. But we also wanted to make sure that anyone who wants to try out this software can do so. Whether you want to use the free trial option that we have available or you want to try it in Google Sheets, we know that this process is going to work for you.
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Gantt charts Maker are the way to keep track of anything and everything in your business or even in your personal life. You can track your progress, start dates, due dates, milestones, who’s responsible, and anything else that you want to know. There’s no more struggling to remember when something needs to be turned in or who’s going to take care of it. With this Google Sheets Gantt Chart Template and with Microsoft Excel, you’re going to be off and running, creating all the charts you could ever need. The only thing you need now is a project to track.