How to make a timeline in PowerPoint

Here are three ways that you can insert a timeline in PowerPoint:

1. Create a timeline directly in PowerPoint. To do this, go to Insert > Illustrations > SmartArt. In the Choose a SmartArt Graphic dialog that opens, select Process on the left, and insert one of the suggested timeline graphics in the list (Circle Accent Timeline or Basic Timeline), then customize it to your liking. Although this does create a basic timeline, the end result may not look great.

2. Copy-paste your timeline or insert it as an image. Use a drawing tool to create your timeline from scratch. Then, you can either copy-paste it directly into your PowerPoint slide or save it as an image and insert it later where needed. Building a timeline from scratch might be a tedious and time-consuming process because you’ll need to draw every item manually. And you’ll need some drawing skills as well.

3. Use an automated PowerPoint timeline maker. This is the easiest way to insert a timeline in PowerPoint: minimum effort with maximum results. Our suggestion is Office Timeline, a tool that automates the timeline creation process, and can save you a lot of time and effort. With just a few clicks, you can have your timeline ready, and you can easily update it later directly on your slide, if changes are needed.

Yes, there are several timeline templates in Microsoft PowerPoint. You can find them by accessing File > New and typing “timeline” in the search box.

Microsoft PowerPoint’s native timelines are basic templates that users can customize for rather simple projects.

If you need more inspiration to create professional PowerPoint timelines for complex projects, or just want to save time with customization, browse through our free template collection, that includes dozens of stylish, easily editable designs.

There are two simple ways to create a PowerPoint timeline using the data from Excel:

1. Build a timeline in Excel, then insert it into your PowerPoint presentation.

2. Create a timeline directly in PowerPoint from Excel data.

1. Build a timeline in Excel, then insert it into your PowerPoint presentation.

To insert your Excel timeline into PowerPoint, select your Excel timeline, copy it (CTRL + C), then position your cursor in the destination PowerPoint slide to paste it (CTRL + V). Or you can save your Excel timeline as an image (right-click on the image and select Save as Picture…), and then insert it in your PowerPoint slide (Insert > Pictures > Insert Picture From > This Device…). This method freezes the original formatting of your timeline, you will not be able to edit it later.

To find out how to build a timeline in Excel, check out our step-by-step tutorial on how to make a timeline in Microsoft Excel.

2. Generate a timeline directly in PowerPoint using Excel data.

With the Office Timeline add-in for PowerPoint, you can automatically generate your timeline from Excel with minimum effort. This tool reduces the time needed to build a timeline from hours to just minutes, and the effort to just a few clicks.

The built-in diverse template collection gives you a wide range of options to choose from, you’ll just need to input your own data and you’re all set.

With the Office Timeline add-in, you have two options to generate a timeline in PowerPoint from Excel data:

1. Copy-paste Excel data in Office Timeline. To save time and effort, you can quickly copy and paste your project data from Excel straight into the add-in. Find out how to do this in our detailed support article Copy and paste from Excel into the add-in.
2. Import & sync your Excel data into Office Timeline. Whenever your Excel data changes, you can easily refresh your timeline to reflect the updates in your source worksheet. See the detailed steps on how to import Excel data into Office Timeline in our support article Import your Excel data into Office Timeline.

Yes, there are a few timeline creating options in PowerPoint:

A. Basic timelines for simple projects – using PowerPoint’s resources:

• You can build a basic timeline starting from a template in Microsoft PowerPoint (Go to File > New and type “timeline” in the search box).
• Build your own timeline from scratch using the Insert > Illustrations > SmartArt. Then, in the dialog box that pops up, select Process, and insert one of the suggested timeline graphics. Find step-by-step instructions in our tutorial How to make a timeline in Microsoft PowerPoint.

B. Complex timeline for professionals – using the Office Timeline add-in:

• Automatically generate a complex timeline in minutes by selecting one of the tens of templates and typing or copying or importing your data into the data wizard.
  To find out how to build a timeline in Excel, check out our step-by-step tutorial on how to make a timeline in Microsoft Excel.

You can make a timeline in PowerPoint completely free, using either the presentation platform’s native templates or the lightweight add-in for PowerPoint from Office Timeline.

The Office Timeline add-in is a powerful, easy-to-use timeline maker that works with all PowerPoint versions. After installing, the Office Timeline Add-in features a data entry wizard, so you can generate unique timelines in PowerPoint in just minutes.

Office Timeline Free Edition is an easy-to-use PowerPoint add-in that helps you automatically generate beautiful timelines, Gantt charts and Swimlane slides with up to 10 milestones and tasks.

For complex projects and professional functionalities, there is also a more advanced edition that comes with a 14-day free trial for new users.

Office Timeline Pro is a timeline maker and project scheduler offered as a PowerPoint add-in. You can use it to quickly create and manage professional timelines, Gantt charts, and roadmaps in your presentation tool of choice. Directly accessible from the PowerPoint menu, the add-in simplifies the creation and updating of project plans and roadmaps. After installation, you just need to input your data in the wizard timeline creator, and it instantly generates beautiful visuals.

Here’s what you can do with Office Timeline Pro:

• Make easy-to-read project roadmaps with swimlanes.

• Copy-paste or import Excel and Microsoft Project data.

• Jumpstart your projects with ready-to-use templates.

• Make timelines with your company branding.

• Download complete PowerPoint timelines.

• Rearrange or update anything by Drag & Drop.

The best way to show a project timeline depends on the objectives that you want to highlight in your presentation and on your audience’s expectations.

For example:

• For team check-ins, you can show a project timeline in any productivity tool that your team uses the most, with formats that range from visuals in Microsoft Project to basic timelines in Excel. For detailed instructions on how to produce any of these various layouts, check out the tutorials we’ve put together for you in the section “How to make timelines with your usual office tools”. You might find that the most convenient way to include a timeline in a presentation is to create it directly in PowerPoint, so that it can be easily integrated in your PowerPoint presentation.

• For client communications or executive presentations, you’ll need to show your project timeline as a high-level, crisp overview that displays data in an easy-to-follow manner even for less tech-savvy audiences.

The simplest solution in each case is to use an automated, dedicated timeline maker like Office Timeline’s add-in for PowerPoint. It saves you a lot of time and effort by quickly generating stylish visuals directly in PowerPoint with just a few clicks. To better organize your data and present it in a clearer and more visually appealing way, you can choose to display multiple timescales on your graphic and group your Milestones, Teams, and Tasks into swimlanes.

The best way to present a timeline in PowerPoint is making sure your timeline is as clear and comprehensive as possible. For this, you need to find the optimal method to include your data into a visual, so that it’s easy for you to present and for your audience to understand.

Here’s a checklist you’ll need to make the best of your timeline:

• Set the main steps of your plan and set clear time reference points.

• Include the series of events and activities that you want to display on your graphic.

• Include dates and time intervals to mark events’ occurrence.

• Choose and arrange along the timeline the most important milestones that mark key points or that can impact the course of events.

• Place any priority risks or issues along the timeline.

• Clearly mark the start date and end date on your timeline.

Then, you need to find the timeline format that best fits your needs. If it’s a simple project, you can create a basic timeline using the native functionalities of PowerPoint. Your timeline could look like this:

If your project is more complex, you will need to create a visual that summarizes data but also includes all relevant details in a cohesive way using a professional tool such as the Office Timeline add-in. This timeline maker generates professional timelines in minutes after you install it and include your information in its intuitive Data Entry wizard. Your resulting timeline could look like this: