Task List Template

A task list is a project management tool that helps professionals keep track of their team’s tasks. It usually documents details such as the primary contact for the project, the parties working on it, along with the deadlines and status updates of the tracked activities.

The format of a task list varies depending on the size of the project. For a larger project, it often includes a timeline that visualizes the sequence of tasks to be done over a specified time duration. Our task list template is one of the many timeline examples that you can use to plan, schedule, and monitor a project’s activities.

These are the typical components of a task list:

• Task ID

• Task name

• Due date

• Task owner

• Task status

• Task importance (priority)

• Additional notes

Get a practical example of how task lists are structured with our customizable task list template, which can be easily modified to reflect your project specifics.

An employee task list represents a document that details the duties that the employees of a particular organization or project ought to complete. Apart from the tasks that need to be done, an employee task list also includes a timeline of how these activities will be completed.

Usually prepared and provided by a line manager, an employee task list has the purpose of ensuring that employees effectively manage their work without delays.

Here are the key steps to creating an employee task list:

1. Write an itemized to-do list including all underlying tasks and activities. You could divide them into a daily, weekly, or monthly structure.

2. Include a status tracker element (such as not started, ongoing, completed, etc.)

3. Set due dates for each listed task.

4. Assign task owners.

5. Define budget and costs of tasks.

To get started faster with yours, use our easily customizable task list template that uses a timeline format to organize the sequence of tasks by teams against a monthly timeband.

You can manage your tasks in Excel by creating an editable, trackable task list that you can format according to your preferences.

Here are the main steps to creating such a task list in Excel:

1. In a new Excel spreadsheet, add your column headers (e.g., Task Name, Status, Deadline, Owner, Note, etc.).

2. Fill in the details for each of your tasks.

3. Apply filter to your list so you can later sort out your tasks based on it.

   For instance, you can add a filter to the header Status by clicking on it and selecting Filter under the Sort&Filter icon on the top right corner of your taskbar.

If you want to illustrate your tasks in a timeline format in Excel, learn how to do so using our tutorial on how to create a timeline in Excel.

Here is how you can create a task list on Google Sheets in 4 easy steps:

1. Open Google Sheets.

2. Click on the up-down arrow controls next to “Template gallery” in the top right corner.

3. Double-click on “To-do List” from the Personal category of the gallery.

4. Customize the template with your own task entries.

The Google Sheets pre-formatted to-do list provides a quick structure for simple projects but can prove limited for more complex initiatives that require a visual display of tasks over time. For this kind of timeline layout, we recommend that you simply customize our task list template that was designed as a native PowerPoint slide so you can quickly share and present it to relevant parties.

Yes, Google Sheets does feature a to-do checklist template in the Personal category of its Template gallery. To open Google Sheets checklist template, simply double-click on it.

You will notice that the template is equipped with:

• Checkboxes to tick when you finish a task.

• A simple ready-to-use list to which you can add all your to-do items.

• Pre-set columns of “date” and “task” from which you can start faster.

Google Sheets also allows you to build a task list under the shape of a timeline, a format that displays your activities over a given period of time. To learn how to do such a visual task list, check out our tutorial on how to make a timeline in Google Sheets.

Yes, Microsoft Word does include a few basic to-do list templates that you can use to create simple checklists. To access these templates, do the following:

1. Open a new Word document.

2. Go to the New section of the platform’s home screen.

3. Type “to do list” in the search box at the top of the page.

4. Double-click to open the preferred model.

Keep in mind that these to-do list templates are structured as text files, which makes them more suitable for tracking small, personal activities. If you work on larger projects and need a more elaborated output, you can opt for a visual timeline layout like the one offered by our PowerPoint task list template.

These are the 4 main steps for creating a checkable task list in Word:

1. Type your task list.

2. Add the Developer tab to the Word ribbon from File > Options > Customize Ribbon > Main Tabs.

3. From the Developer tab, select the Check Box Content Control at the beginning of the first line.

4. Copy and paste the check box control at the beginning of the other lines in your task list.

If your task list is more complex and involves multiple participants, you might consider representing it in a more graphical way. Using a visual format like that of a timeline works best because it displays your tasks and due dates along a timeband, which makes it easier for you to track their progress at a single glance.

Create a visual task list timeline in Word with the help of our tutorial on how to make a timeline in Word, or simply customize our PowerPoint task list template, which not only visualizes activities over a set time duration, but it also categorizes them in separate swimlanes associated with separate teams.

To create a task list template, you first need to clearly organize your project’s data. Here are the main things to do in this respect:

1. List all the project tasks that need to be carried out.

2. Break big work into smaller tasks.

3. Batch similar tasks.

4. Set due dates for each of the tasks.

5. Organize tasks in chronological order using a timeline format.

6. Prioritize work based on workflow, importance, and due dates.

7. Assign owners for every listed activity.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you can structure these details in a standardized format by using our task list template. Built as a native PowerPoint slide, the pre-formatted sample can be easily updated using the 14-day free trial of the Office Timeline add-in.

An automated task tracker, Office Timeline helps you import your task lists from productivity platforms like Microsoft Project and Excel right into PowerPoint and turn them into presentation-ready visuals. It also comes with dozens of other professionally designed timeline templates to start from.

If you need more samples that you can edit for your task management needs, browse our collection of timeline examples.