If you want to present a timeline for project milestones, a company history, or your business roadmap, you can easily add one to your slideshow. We’ll show you how to make a timeline in PowerPoint using a few different methods.
From using AI to graphics to templates, you can not only create a timeline on your slide but customize it to match your brand design or organization’s style.
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Method 1: Add a timeline slide with Plus AI
Plus AI for PowerPoint not only makes presentation creation a breeze, but editing as well! You can insert a new slide using the project plan layout for your timeline in just a few steps.
What’s nice about this method is that you can enter minimal details for the timeline and let Plus AI fill in the rest.
- Go to the Home tab and select Plus AI on the right side of the ribbon.
- Choose Edit with AI in the sidebar and pick Insert.
- Enter the Slide title and a Description. You can include the dates, details, and other important information in the Description.
- Pick a Template, select Project plan in the Layout drop-down menu, and choose the Project Plan slide layout you want to use.
- Select Generate Slide.
Tip: Interested in additional tools for your presentation? Check out these awesome PowerPoint add-ins.
Method 2: Insert a SmartArt graphic
If you prefer to explore your creativity a bit or don’t have all of the details you need yet for your timeline, you can use Office’s SmartArt graphic feature.
With it, you can add the timeline graphic to your slide, adjust the appearance, and add the information as you get it.
- Go to the Insert tab and select SmartArt in the Illustrations section of the ribbon.
- In the pop-up window, pick Process on the left.
- On the right, you’ll see two timeline styles: Basic Timeline and Circle Accent Timeline. But you can also explore the other SmartArt graphics and make adjustments.
For our example, we’ll pick the Basic Timeline and click OK.
- When the graphic appears on the slide, you’ll see the placeholders for your text. Choose a placeholder to enter your dates or details. Alternatively, you can open the slide outline using the arrow on the left to add your text there.
To customize the appearance of the timeline such as the color or style, you can use the Format and SmartArt Design tabs.
Tip: Look at these ways to make PowerPoint slides that look good!
Method 3: Use a timeline template
You can find both third-party and Microsoft timeline templates for PowerPoint which come with their own features and appearances.
If you’d rather stick with something from Microsoft, you can search for a template right in PowerPoint, which makes it a handy way to go.
- Select File > New and then pop “timeline” into the template Search box. You’ll see a variety of options like project milestone, history, and roadmap timelines.
- Choose one you like to see it up close and pick Create to use it.
- When the template opens, simply add your own details to the placeholders.
Depending on the template you pick, you may be able to customize it. Select an item on the slide and head to the Home, Shape Format, and other tabs to change colors, fonts, and styles.
Tip: Did you know that you can also create your own custom PowerPoint template?
Conclusion
By making a timeline in your PowerPoint slideshow, you can more easily explain the present, future, or past to your audience with a basic layout or polished design.
For additional help creating or editing presentations, head to the Plus AI website for the features, templates, and examples you can use with this PowerPoint add-in.
FAQs
How to create a timeline in Slides?
Google Slides makes it super easy to create a timeline using the Diagrams feature. Go to Insert > Diagram and choose Timeline. You’ll then see several options display along the right that you can pick from and customize.
Additionally, Plus AI works with Google Slides just like PowerPoint. So, you can quickly insert a project plan slide that shows a timeline.
How do I create a workflow chart in PowerPoint?
Along with timelines in the SmartArt gallery, you’ll find process diagram graphics as well. Go to Insert > SmartArt and select Process on the left. You’ll then see several options on the right you can use and customize.
How do I insert a timer in PowerPoint?
There are a few easy ways to insert a timer in PowerPoint. You can use an Office add-in, a video clip, or a custom timer you create from scratch. Read our article on how to add a timer to PowerPoint for each of these methods in detail.
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