How to
How to make a timeline
A timeline puts events in order so the sequence and the gaps between them are easy to see. Use it for a history assignment, a project plan, a product roadmap or the story of a company. Type the events, choose a layout, and export an image that is ready for a slide or a printed handout.
- Add events in order. Each row has a date, a short event name and an optional note. The date is plain text, so years, full dates, quarters or "Phase 2" all work.
- Paste a list if you have one. Copy three columns from a spreadsheet (date, event, note) and press Paste from a spreadsheet.
- Choose a direction. A vertical timeline suits many events and long notes, and it reads well on phones and in documents. A horizontal timeline suits slides and a handful of milestones.
- Pick the look. Give each event its own color or keep one color throughout. Cards add a clean frame around each event.
- Export. The image grows with your content, so nothing gets cut off. Download PNG or SVG.
Writing good timeline entries
- Lead with the event, not the date. "Apollo 11 lands on the Moon" says more than "July 1969".
- Keep notes to one sentence. A timeline is a map of the story, not the story itself.
- Use the same date format throughout. Mixing "1969" with "March 12, 1981" makes the eye stumble.
Tip
For a project plan, put the phase in the date column ("Week 1", "Week 2") and the deliverable in the event column. Use Single color for a calmer look.
Is the spacing to scale?
Events are spaced evenly so every entry has room for its text, even when two events are close together. The dates tell the reader how much time passed. If the exact gaps are the point, plot the values on a line graph instead.
