How to Add Milestones to a Gantt Chart in Excel, by Gantt Excel on YouTube. 3 min.
- Video length
- 3 min
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Open your project workbook in Excel and go to the Gantt chart sheet that holds your task list and timeline bars.
Find the Add Milestone option on the Gantt Excel ribbon or toolbar and click it to open the Add Milestone form.
Type a clear name for the milestone in the form, such as Sign-off, Inspection or Handover, so it reads well on the chart.
Save the form. The milestone appears on the timeline as a diamond rather than a bar.
Link the milestone to the task in front of it by dragging the milestone onto that task, so it follows the task's finish.
Leave the milestone date field alone. The link supplies the date, and typing over it breaks the connection.
Test the link by changing the linked task's end date. The milestone diamond should slide to the new date by itself.
Repeat for each milestone in the plan, linking each one to the task it depends on.
Tips and common mistakes
Never type a milestone date by hand, because a typed date stays fixed when the task slips.
Link each milestone to the task it follows, not to the whole project, so it moves for the right reason.
Name milestones by what happens on the day, like Inspection or Handover, so the chart reads clearly.
Questions
What is the difference between a milestone and a task?
A task has a duration and shows as a bar. A milestone marks a single date and shows as a diamond.
Why did my milestone not move when the task ran late?
It is probably not linked to the task, or its date was typed in by hand. Delete the typed date and link it again.
Can I add a milestone without the Gantt Excel add-in?
The Add Milestone form comes from the Gantt Excel template or add-in. Plain Excel charts need a manual workaround.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
