Long-term projects can be antagonizing if you have to keep multiple events, dates, and milestones in mind. Unless you properly organize these events, it might be difficult for you and your team to be on the same page and work seamlessly. Hence, you need to have a timeline template in Google Docs to ensure a smooth workflow.

A creative timeline template in Docs or MS Word allows you to have a clear visualization of the tasks you are working on in a particular project. Timelines are very important for project managers because they give a clear idea of various aspects like the amount of time required to complete a certain task, the person responsible for this task, and much more.

Timeline Template In Google Docs: How To Create Them For Different Projects

Creating a timeline in Google Docs, Sheets, or Google Slide can be done via add-ons in simple steps. You can use various ready-made templates that fit the bill of your requirements. Let’s take a look at how to create a timeline in documents.

How To Create Google Docs Timeline Template in 3 Steps

1. Open the Google Docs Drawing tool.
2. Create a template using shapes and lines.
3. View the template in the Google Doc.

How To Create A Timeline Template In Google Docs Using the Drawing Tool

If you do not wish to install an add-on for the purpose of creating a timeline template in Google Docs, the Drawing tool can come to your aid in this case.

1. Open The Drawing Tool

To open the Google Drawing tool, click on the Insert tab, select Drawing from the drop-down menu, and choose New.

Open the Drawing tool to make a timeline in Google Docs
Open the Drawing tool to make a timeline in Google Docs

2. Add The Shapes And Lines To Create The Template

Now, add the shapes and the lines to make a timeline graphic on the canvas. You can add the shapes and lines to create the template. Use the Text icon with the ‘T’ to create text in the shapes.

After creating the template, make sure you click on Save and Close to insert the timeline in the document.

Create the template in Drawing tool
Create the template in Drawing tool

3. View The Template In The Document

This is how the timeline will look like in the Google Doc.

View The Template
View The Template

How To Make A Timeline In Google Docs Using Lucidchart

You need to install the Lucidchart add-on for creating a linear timeline template in Google Docs. This tool can also be used for creating mindmaps.

1. Install Lucidchart Add-On

Once you open a new Google Doc, select the Add-ons tab and click on Get add-ons.

Click on Add-ons and select Get add-ons
Click on Add-ons and select Get add-ons

Search Lucidchart Diagrams in the Google Docs tool.

Search Lucidchart Diagrams
Search Lucidchart Diagrams

Click on the Install option to install Lucidchart Diagrams and create a timeline template in Google Docs.

Install Lucidchart Diagrams to create a timeline in Google Docs

Give Lucidchart the required permission to access Google Docs.

Give Lucidchart the required permissions
Give Lucidchart the required permissions

Now, click on Add-ons, select Lucidchart Diagrams, and click on Insert Diagram.

Open Lucidchart add-on

2. Create The Template

You will see that a sidebar appears on the right side. Select your preferred free template from the template gallery and click on the ‘+’ sign.

Choose the template
Choose the template

Since we have to create a project timeline template in Google Docs, you need to open a blank document in the Lucidchart tool and create the timeline templates manually using lines and shapes.

You can use the text box tool to insert the text box in the shapes.

 Make a timeline
Make a timeline

Once you have created the timeline templates in a Google Doc, click on File and Save option on the toolbar to save and close the template.

Save the timeline
Save the timeline

Once you have clicked the ‘+’ button and chosen your timeline, click on Insert.

Click on timeline
Click on timeline

3. Check the timeline

Now, it’s time to view the timeline template in Google Docs.

View the timeline
View the timeline

If you wish to make any changes in the timeline, go to Add-ons > Lucidchart Diagrams > Update Inserted Diagrams.

 Make changes to the timeline
Make changes to the timeline

If you create a timeline and feel like reverting to a previous setting, you can track the changes in Google Docs at any moment in time.

How To Make A Timeline In Google Sheets

If you want to create a project timeline in a Google spreadsheet, it’s easier to do so as compared to Google Docs. Here, you have a ready-made template to use which saves a lot of time in contrast to what we did previously in Docs.

1. Open Google Sheets And Click On Project Timeline Template

To begin with, open Google Sheets and click the Project timeline template.

Create a project timeline template
Create a project timeline template

2. Edit The Text In Template Template

Once the template opens up, you can edit the ready made template according to your liking. You can decide the project phases, enter the task details, and assign a tentative time span for the completion of each task and phase.

Edit the template
Edit the template

The duration bars are the specialty of this timeline template, which also make it a Gantt chart that is easier to read and comprehend. You can create a duration bar by merging the cells between start date and the end date.

Select the number of cells to merge and click on the Merge button in the Google Sheet toolbar.

Use the Merge option to merge cells
Use the Merge option to merge cells

3. Edit The Color Of The Duration Bar

After creating a duration bar, you can change its color as per your requirement using the built-in color palette.

First, select a bar and click on the Fill color in the toolbar at the top.

Select the duration bar and click Fill color
Select the duration bar and click Fill color

Now, select the color from the palette.

Click on the color of your choice
Click on the color of your choice

This is how the duration bar will look once you tweak the color settings.

View the settings
View the settings

That’s pretty much everything about creating a timeline chart in Google Docs and Sheets. You can also use ready-made budget templates to cover the financial planning of your projects if you are using Microsoft Excel.

Conclusion

As they say, failing to plan is planning to fail. If you are a project manager, you need to plan every aspect of your project meticulously and with precision. Having a project plan template that takes care of every aspect of a project schedule will help you complete each task successfully and accurately. Hence, you need to understand the process of making a timeline template in Google Docs.

Users can choose any Google Docs template as per their requirements and get started with planning all the facets of their respective projects with ease. If you don’t prefer using Docs, you create timelines using Google Slides, or a free Microsoft Powerpoint template. Google Slides also facilitates the creation of stunning timeline slides and timeline infographics for this purpose.