Free online Gantt chart maker

How it works, step by step

Before entering information, decide which decision or discussion the document should support. Note the project name, the intended audience, and the version you are preparing. A specific title helps distinguish an early proposal from an approved process. If the material is confidential, replace names and amounts with generic references when your purpose is simply to show the structure to other people. This also makes a reusable training example easier to maintain.

Use the Example button to explore a fictional document. It replaces the current content after confirmation, so export a copy first if you have already made important changes. Observe how each field appears in the preview and test one small change at a time. Then select New to create your own version, or adapt the example and remove information that does not match your activity.

Write short statements and use the same vocabulary throughout the document. When two people use different names for the same activity, a diagram can appear more complicated than the actual process. Agree on terms with your team and read the result in the order another person would follow. The preview updates automatically, but checking the meaning and completeness of the information remains the author's responsibility.

1. Add tasks with start and end dates.
2. Set the owner and completion percentage for each task.
3. Review the timeline, save and export.

Principles, use cases, and precautions

A Gantt chart represents tasks along a timeline. Each row identifies an activity; a bar's position indicates when it starts, and its width represents the interval until the end date. This view helps reveal simultaneous activities, busy periods, and the planned sequence. Choose a consistent level of detail before entering tasks: placing an entire project beside an activity lasting only a few hours makes the same schedule harder to interpret.

Enter the task name, owner, start date, end date, and progress. The end date must be on or after the start date. Progress is a percentage from zero to one hundred and should follow a criterion agreed by the team, such as verified deliverables, rather than a feeling about how much work seems complete. The editor draws the percentage you supply; it does not automatically measure productivity or calculate overall project completion.

The example includes planning, development, and testing with fictional dates in October 2026. Some phases overlap to illustrate tasks occurring in the same period. This does not mean that the sequence suits every implementation project. Replace the dates, enter actual owners where necessary, and check whether available capacity supports the plan. The table lets you review the same records before loading the example into the editor.

This version does not calculate dependencies, critical paths, holidays, or resource leveling. Changing one task's date does not automatically move other tasks. If development is delayed, manually review testing and the deliverables that depend on it. Use the chart in progress meetings to compare the plan with recorded facts, identify outstanding decisions, and agree on the next update. For projects requiring hours, budget, or individual availability tracking, maintain those records in appropriate tools and use the Gantt chart to communicate the schedule.

Completed example and reviewing the result

The table in this guide comes from the same data used by the Example button. Compare its records with the preview to understand how the inputs become a visual representation. Identifiers such as n1, p1, and t1 are internal references in the example: a connection containing one of them points to another record, rather than indicating a quantity or priority. Dates in the sample schedule are fictional and should be replaced with dates appropriate to your project.

Once you have completed the document, ask someone who did not edit it to explain what they understand. This reading often reveals ambiguous terms, missing activities, or conclusions that depend on information that has not been recorded. Check readability at the size in which the file will actually be presented. SVG preserves the vector drawing; PNG provides an image to insert into other materials. Neither format restores the editable fields, so keep the JSON file when you need to continue working.

To save a PDF, select Print / PDF and choose the appropriate destination in your browser's print dialog. Check orientation, scale, and page count before confirming. Large documents may need content adjustments to remain readable. This tool does not generate a PDF on the server and does not add a signature, formal approval, or certification to the exported document.

Saving, privacy, and limits

Saving is manual and keeps one document per tool in this browser. Clearing site data, using another profile, or changing devices can make the local version unavailable. Export JSON to a folder you choose and keep additional copies according to the importance of your work. The editor does not provide collaboration, version history, synchronization between devices, or recovery through a Quima account.

Your entries are processed in the browser and are not sent to the tool's server. Someone with access to your local profile may still be able to read saved data or exported files. Avoid unnecessary personal information, especially on shared computers. Diagrams and schedules support up to 45 records, with additional limits on text length and imported file size. Divide larger work into documents with clearly defined purposes.