Sample text in [brackets], replace with yours · Accounting & Small Business Spreadsheets
Project Plan Template with Gantt Chart (Excel & PDF)
Plan phases and tasks with owners, dates, status and % done, and see them on a 12-week Gantt chart.
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Free for personal and commercial use · No watermark · Updated October 2026
Guide
About this project plan (gantt chart) template
Most small projects don't need project-management software, just a clear plan everyone can read. This sheet lists phases and tasks with an owner, start and end date, working days, status and % done. The Gantt chart on the right draws itself from the dates: blue bars for planned or in-progress work and green bars for finished tasks. Change the project start date and the whole plan moves with it.
How to build your project plan
- 1
Click "Edit online" to open it in your browser, or download the Excel file.
- 2
Set the project start date (a Monday) in the yellow cell.
- 3
Rename the phases and tasks, and assign one owner to each task.
- 4
Set each task's start and end date; the bars appear in the week columns.
- 5
Update status and % done every week, and share the PDF with your team or client.
Tips for project planning
Break work down
Tasks of one to two weeks are easy to track. Split anything longer.
Plan backwards
Start from the launch date and work back to see when each task must start.
Add buffer
Leave 10–20% spare time before the deadline. Something always slips.
Review weekly
Mark tasks "Late" honestly in the weekly meeting; our meeting minutes template records the decisions.
