Project Management Template
Learn how to use your Project Management Template in Excel or Google Sheets. Follow the quick start steps below, or explore detailed FAQs and troubleshooting tips.
Quick Start
Follow these quick steps to start using your template right away.
Template Overview
Get to know how each tab works. Every sheet in your template has a clear purpose, from setup to the final outputs that keep your project organized.
Setup Tab
Purpose
The Setup Tab is where you define how your project will be organized, specifically your Priority Levels and Status Options.
📋 These settings are used throughout the template and appear in dropdown lists on the Gantt and Kanban tabs.
Think of it as your project control panel. You decide how tasks are categorized and tracked before you start planning.
Why It Works
By defining priorities and statuses up front, every project starts with a consistent structure.
You will:
• ✅ Keep your task list clean and standardized
• ⚡ Make dropdown selections faster and more accurate
• 🤝 Maintain a shared understanding across your team about what each priority and status means
Everything stays aligned. No confusion, no messy data, no guesswork.
If priorities and statuses feel off later, fix them here first. The rest of the template will follow.
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Open the Setup Tab First
🧭 Before adding any tasks, start on the Setup Tab. This ensures all dropdowns are ready to use.
Review Your Priority Levels
⭐ In the Priority Levels section you will see five default levels:
• 🔴 Urgent
• 🟠 High
• 🟡 Medium
• 🔵 Low
• 🟢 Optional
You can rename these or adjust the descriptions if your workflow uses different naming conventions.
Review Your Status Options
📌 In the Status Options section, the default statuses are:
• ⏳ Not Started
• 🚀 In Progress
• 📩 Needs Review
• ✅ Completed
• ⛔ Blocked
• 🗑 Cancelled
You can rename, add, or remove statuses so they match your team process.
Start Using Your Setup in the Gantt Tab
📅 Once you are happy with your priorities and statuses, go to the Gantt Tab and begin building your task list.
The dropdowns for Priority and Status will automatically use the values you set here.
Tips for Success
• 🚫 Avoid leaving blank cells in the Setup Tab, since empty cells show up as blank options in your dropdowns
• 🔄 You can change these values at any time, even mid project, and the updates apply across the workbook
• ✏️ Keep labels short but clear, especially if multiple people are using the file
• 👀 After major changes, quickly scan the Gantt and Kanban tabs to confirm the dropdowns are pulling the correct values
Gantt Tab
Purpose
The Gantt Tab is where you plan your tasks, assign responsibilities, and visualize your entire project timeline.
📅 Every task you enter on the left appears as a color coded bar on the right.
This gives you a clear, real time view of what needs to happen, who is responsible, and how the schedule shifts over time.
Why It Works
The layout uses structured columns and formulas so your timeline builds itself as you enter tasks.
You get:
• 🧭 A dynamic timeline based on start and end dates
• 🎨 Automatic color coding for completed tasks
• 👥 Assigned To dropdowns that reference your Setup Tab
• ⚡ A visual Gantt chart that shifts instantly with every change you make
You only enter your task details once. The chart updates automatically.
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Enter Your Tasks
Start adding tasks in the rows on the left. Each task includes:
• Task Type
• Description
• Assigned To
• Start Date
• End Date
Choose the Task Type
Use the icons in the Type column to structure your task list:
• ◯ for category
• ◆ for task
• ★ for milestone
◯ helps group major phases.
◆ and ★ appear on the chart as timeline bars or markers.
Assign Team Members
👥 Select a name from the Assigned To dropdown.
These names come from your Setup Tab.
Set Start and End Dates
📅 Enter the task start date and end date.
The bar on the timeline will grow or shrink automatically based on these values.
Control the Timeline with Display Week
At the top of the Gantt Tab, you will see a field labeled Display Week.
This is one of the most important features for large projects.
📌 Type in a week number (1, 2, 3, etc.) to control where the Gantt chart begins.
For example:
• Enter 1 to show the first week of your project
• Enter 8 to jump ahead and show week 8 as the starting point
• Enter 20 to view later phases of a long project
This feature keeps your chart clean, avoids endless scrolling, and lets you focus on the part of the project you care about right now.
Perfect for projects that run for many months or even years.
View the Timeline
As you enter tasks, the chart on the right will:
• Shift based on your Display Week setting
• Adjust automatically when dates change
You never need to format the chart manually.
Insert New Tasks and Rows Correctly
If you need more tasks:
Right click the row number
Insert a blank row
Copy an existing working row
Paste it into the new blank row
Replace the placeholder text
📌 Copying ensures all formulas and formatting stay intact.
Tips for Success
• 🧩 Use ◯ category lines to break your project into clean phases
• 🎯 Keep task descriptions short so they display cleanly on the chart
• 🗓 Make sure each task has both a start and end date
• 🔭 Use Display Week to jump to any part of your project instantly
• 🔄 Insert new rows by copying an existing one to preserve formatting
Kanban Tab
Purpose
The Kanban Tab gives you a visual board to track tasks by status.
🗂 Tasks move from column to column based on the status you choose, helping you see progress at a glance.
It is perfect for day to day task management and team coordination.
Why It Works
The Kanban board updates automatically based on the fields you filled out on the Gantt Tab.
You get:
• 🎨 A real time board that changes as soon as you update a task status
• 🧩 Columns that match the Status Options you set in your Setup Tab
• 🔄 Zero manual formatting, since tasks are placed automatically
• 👀 A clean, visual way to understand workload and bottlenecks
If a task does not appear where you expect, check the Status field on the Gantt Tab.
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Update Task Status on the Gantt Tab
📌 The Kanban Tab does not require data entry.
Everything is controlled from the task list on the Gantt Tab.
Change the Status for any task, such as:
• Not Started
• In Progress
• Needs Review
• Completed
• Blocked
• Cancelled
The moment you update a status, the task moves to the correct column here.
View Tasks by Status
🗂 Each Kanban column corresponds to one status.
Tasks appear with their:
• Description
• Assigned To
• Start and End Dates
Visibility improves instantly as tasks shift between statuses.
Use It for Daily or Weekly Check Ins
This tab is ideal for:
• Stand up meetings
• Reviewing what is delayed or blocked
• Checking workload distribution
• Monitoring overall progress
You will never need to rearrange cards manually. The Kanban is fully formula driven.
Tips for Success
• 🔁 Change task statuses on the Gantt Tab, not here
• 🎨 Keep your Status Options simple to avoid cluttered columns
• 👥 Use the Assigned To field to easily see who is responsible for each task
• 🔍 If a task is missing, check for typos or blank Status fields on the Gantt Tab
• ❗ Blocked tasks help highlight urgent issues and resource delays
Calendar Tab
Purpose
The Calendar Tab shows your tasks on a monthly calendar so you can see what is happening day by day.
📆 It gives you an easy way to spot overlaps, deadlines, and busy weeks across your project timeline.
This is your high level scheduling view.
Why It Works
The Calendar Tab reads directly from the task list on the Gantt Tab.
You get:
• 📅 Auto populated daily entries
• 🧩 Tasks placed based on their start and end dates
• 🔄 A clean view that updates instantly as dates change
• 🎯 A practical way to visualize workload for the current month
All you have to do is pick the month. The calendar fills itself in.
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Select the Month You Want to View
At the top of the Calendar Tab you will see a Month dropdown.
🗓 Choose any month, and the calendar will refresh to show tasks scheduled during that period.
Review Your Tasks on the Calendar
Each day displays the tasks that fall within that date range, based on the Start and End Dates you entered on the Gantt Tab.
You will see:
• Task names
• Assigned To
• Color coding that matches your task type
Make Adjustments on the Gantt Tab
If you want to move a task to another day or extend its duration:
Go to the Gantt Tab
Update the Start or End Date
Return to the Calendar Tab to see the changes instantly
The Calendar Tab is display only. All edits happen on the Gantt Tab.
Use It for Planning and Check Ins
This view is especially useful for:
• Weekly planning
• Reviewing deadlines
• Managing overlapping workloads
• Identifying days with too many tasks
Tips for Success
• 🔄 Update the month dropdown often to stay aligned with your project timeline
• 🗂 Use the Assigned To field to see who is overloaded
• 🧭 If a task is not showing, check that its date range overlaps the selected month
• 🔧 Only adjust tasks on the Gantt Tab, not here
• 🎨 Keep task names short so they display cleanly inside the calendar cells
Common Questions Answered Clearly
Still have questions? Here are clear answers to the most common ones.