Skip to main content

Kutools for Office — One Suite. Five Tools. Get More Done.

How to use conditional formatting to create a Gantt chart in Excel?

Author Sun Last modified

The Gantt graph can describe the process of the program, but do you know how to use the Conditional Formatting feature to create a simple Gantt chart in Excel? In this article, I will introduce the steps on creating Gantt chart by conditional formatting.

Use Conditional Formatting to create Gantt chart

Use a quick tool to create a standard Gantt chart


Use Conditional Formatting to create Gantt chart

Supposing your data list as below screenshot shown:
A screenshot showing a data list for Gantt chart creation in Excel

1. Select the cells which are in the date columns, D2:Z7, and click Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule. See screenshot:
A screenshot showing the New Rule option in Excel's Conditional Formatting menu

2. Then in the New Formatting Rule dialog, select Use a formula to determine which cells to format in the Select a Rule Type list, and type this formula =AND(D$1>=$B2, D$1<=$C2) into the Format values where this formula is true textbox, and click Format. Then in the Format Cells dialog, enable the Fill tab, and select one color you want to use for highlighting. See screenshot:
A screenshot showing the New Formatting Rule dialog and the Format Cells dialog

In the formula, D1 is the first cells which in the date columns, B2 is the first start date in Start Date column, and C2 is the first end date in the End Date column.

3. Click OK > OK, the Gantt chart has been displayed.
A screenshot of the Gantt chart created in Excel using Conditional Formatting


Use a quick tool to create a standard Gantt chart

The Gantt Chart tool in the Charts groups of Kutools for Excel which can help you quickly create a standard Gantt chart in Excel.
A GIF demonstrating the creation of a Gantt chart in Excel using Kutools

Kutools for Excel offers over 300 advanced features to streamline complex tasks, boosting creativity and efficiency. Itegarate with AI capabilities, Kutools automates tasks with precision, making data management effortless. Detailed information of Kutools for Excel...         Free trial...

1. Click Kutools > Charts > Point in Time > Gantt Chart.
A screenshot showing Kutools for Excel's Gantt Chart option in Excel

2. In the Gantt Chart dialog, do as below:

1) Choose the task (project) names in the Task Name text box;

2) Select the cells contain start dates in Start Date/Time textbox;

3) Select the cells contain end dates or duration days to the End Date/Time or Duration textboxes as you need. See screenshot:
A screenshot showing Kutools for Excel's Gantt Chart dialog box

3. Click Ok, a dialog pops out to remind you a hidden sheet will be created as well to place the data. Click Yes, the Gantt chart has been created.
A screenshot showing the confirmation dialog
A screenshot showing the completed Gantt chart in Excel using Kutools

Tip: The first time you use it, you can click the Example button to understand how this tool works.

Kutools for Excel - Supercharge Excel with over 300 essential tools. Enjoy permanently free AI features! Get It Now


Related Articels

Best Office Productivity Tools

šŸ¤– Kutools AI Aide: Revolutionize data analysis based on: Intelligent Execution   |  Generate Code  |  Create Custom Formulas  |  Analyze Data and Generate Charts  |  Invoke Kutools Functions…
Popular Features: Find, Highlight or Identify Duplicates   |  Delete Blank Rows   |  Combine Columns or Cells without Losing Data   |   Round without Formula ...
Super Lookup: Multiple Criteria VLookup    Multiple Value VLookup  |   VLookup Across Multiple Sheets   |   Fuzzy Lookup ....
Advanced Drop-down List: Quickly Create Drop Down List   |  Dependent Drop Down List   |  Multi-select Drop Down List ....
Column Manager: Add a Specific Number of Columns  |  Move Columns  |  Toggle Visibility Status of Hidden Columns  |  Compare Ranges & Columns ...
Featured Features: Grid Focus   |  Design View   |   Big Formula Bar    Workbook & Sheet Manager   |  Resource Library (Auto Text)   |  Date Picker   |  Combine Worksheets   |  Encrypt/Decrypt Cells    Send Emails by List   |  Super Filter   |   Special Filter (filter bold/italic/strikethrough...) ...
Top 15 Toolsets12 Text Tools (Add Text, Remove Characters, ...)   |   50+ Chart Types (Gantt Chart, ...)   |   40+ Practical Formulas (Calculate age based on birthday, ...)   |   19 Insertion Tools (Insert QR Code, Insert Picture from Path, ...)   |   12 Conversion Tools (Numbers to Words, Currency Conversion, ...)   |   7 Merge & Split Tools (Advanced Combine Rows, Split Cells, ...)   |   ... and more
Use Kutools in your preferred language – supports English, Spanish, German, French, Chinese, and 40+ others!

Supercharge Your Excel Skills with Kutools for Excel, and Experience Efficiency Like Never Before. Kutools for Excel Offers Over 300 Advanced Features to Boost Productivity and Save Time.  Click Here to Get The Feature You Need The Most...


Office Tab Brings Tabbed interface to Office, and Make Your Work Much Easier

  • Enable tabbed editing and reading in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, Visio and Project.
  • Open and create multiple documents in new tabs of the same window, rather than in new windows.
  • Increases your productivity by 50%, and reduces hundreds of mouse clicks for you every day!

All Kutools add-ins. One installer

Kutools for Office suite bundles add-ins for Excel, Word, Outlook & PowerPoint plus Office Tab Pro, which is ideal for teams working across Office apps.

Excel Word Outlook Tabs PowerPoint
  • All-in-one suite — Excel, Word, Outlook & PowerPoint add-ins + Office Tab Pro
  • One installer, one license — set up in minutes (MSI-ready)
  • Works better together — streamlined productivity across Office apps
  • 30-day full-featured trial — no registration, no credit card
  • Best value — save vs buying individual add-in