How to Make a Timeline in PowerPoint (SmartArt in Two Minutes)
Project milestones, company history, a plan for the year — a timeline shows them far better than a list. PowerPoint's SmartArt builds one in a couple of minutes, and you can turn an existing bullet list into one with a single click.
Quick reference
| What you want | How |
|---|---|
| Insert a timeline | Insert → SmartArt → Process → Basic Timeline |
| Add an event | SmartArt Design → Add Shape, or press Enter in the text pane |
| Reorder events | Move Up / Move Down in the text pane |
| Change colours | SmartArt Design → Change Colors |
| Turn bullets into a timeline | Right-click the list → Convert to SmartArt |
1. Insert a timeline
1. Go to Insert → SmartArt.
2. Click Process on the left.
3. Choose Basic Timeline (the line with circles) or Circle Accent Timeline. Hover for a preview.
4. Click OK.
2. Click Process on the left.
3. Choose Basic Timeline (the line with circles) or Circle Accent Timeline. Hover for a preview.
4. Click OK.
2. Type the events
Click the small arrow on the left edge of the SmartArt to open the text pane. Type one event per line. Press Enter for a new event, Tab to make a line a sub-point (the detail under a date), and Shift + Tab to promote it back.
Typing in the pane is much easier than clicking each shape.
3. Add, remove and reorder
• SmartArt Design → Add Shape adds an event after the selected one.
• Press Delete on a shape (or delete its line in the text pane) to remove it.
• SmartArt Design → Move Up / Move Down changes the order.
• Right to Left flips the whole direction.
• Press Delete on a shape (or delete its line in the text pane) to remove it.
• SmartArt Design → Move Up / Move Down changes the order.
• Right to Left flips the whole direction.
4. Change the look
• Change Colors — colour sets that use your theme.
• SmartArt Styles — flat, outlined, 3D and so on. The simpler ones read better on a projector.
• Click any single shape to recolour or resize just that one.
• SmartArt Styles — flat, outlined, 3D and so on. The simpler ones read better on a projector.
• Click any single shape to recolour or resize just that one.
5. Convert a bullet list
Already typed the milestones as bullets? Right-click the list → Convert to SmartArt and pick a timeline. Everything drops into place.
6. Build a custom timeline with shapes
For more control, draw a line with Insert → Shapes → Line, add small circles along it (hold Shift while drawing for perfect circles), and put text boxes above and below. Select everything and use Shape Format → Align → Distribute Horizontally to space the circles evenly, then Group them so the timeline moves as one.
Troubleshooting
The text is too small to read. Too many events on one slide. Split the timeline across two slides, or shorten each label to a few words.
I can't move one shape on its own. SmartArt controls the layout. Convert it with SmartArt Design → Convert → Convert to Shapes and then you can move anything freely.
Dates and descriptions are mixed up. Use the text pane: the main line is the date, and a Tab-indented line beneath it is the description.
Wrapping up
Insert → SmartArt → Process → Basic Timeline, type events in the text pane, choose colours. For a list you've already typed, Convert to SmartArt does the whole job in one click.
