Create timelines that impress stakeholders, directly in PowerPoint
Build presentation-ready timelines with milestones, phases, and swimlanes in minutes. Free to start.
The timeline maker built to help you communicate with stakeholders
Why choose Lucen Timeline (formerly Office Timeline):
Create timelines inside PowerPoint
Your timeline is a native PowerPoint slide. No browser windows, no file conversions, no formatting headaches.
From simple milestones to complex roadmaps
Build anything from a quick milestone timeline to a multi-swimlane roadmap with dependencies and critical path. All in one tool.
Built for executive audiences
Unlike complex project management software, Lucen Timeline creates clean, polished visuals designed for stakeholder presentations.
Build your timeline in under 2 minutes
1. Choose a timeline template: Select from professionally designed layouts for milestones, roadmaps, Gantt charts, and more.
2. Add your project data: Import from Excel or project tools, or enter tasks and milestones directly. Arrange them across swimlanes with a few clicks.
3. Customize and present: Adjust colors, highlight key dates, and format for your audience.
Your timeline is ready to share.
What sets a professional timeline maker apart
Most project tools generate timelines meant for internal planning: dense, data-heavy views that overwhelm stakeholders. A professional timeline creator transforms that same project data into a clear, polished visual designed for executive audiences.
Lucen Timeline takes your tasks, milestones, and phases and turns them into native PowerPoint slides that communicate schedule, progress, and risk at a glance. No screenshots, no reformatting, no confusion.
Trusted by over 1 million+ professionals worldwide
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What professionals say about Lucen Timeline
Lucen Timeline makes it simple to quickly create remarkable PowerPoint Timelines. It has a wide variety of stylish templates to choose from and my timelines are constantly getting compliments from management and customers. The ability for me to quickly and easily update a timeline for a project or presentation sets this software apart from any other product on the market. Well worth the money.
John PanicoSenior Manager, Hitachi SolutionsLucen Timeline is a great tool for creating visually appealing and easy to understand PowerPoint schedules. The ability to import existing data into Lucen Timeline (e.g. MS Project) and then edit is invaluable. I use this on a weekly basis and would not want to be without it!
Christer Hiort, PMPDirector of Project Operations, Ericsson
Frequently asked questions about making timelines
A timeline maker is software that creates visual timelines showing tasks, milestones, and phases over time. Lucen Timeline (formerly Office Timeline) is a PowerPoint-integrated timeline maker that automatically generates presentation-ready visuals from your project data. Instead of manually formatting shapes and dates, you enter your information and the timeline maker creates a polished slide instantly. Lucen Timeline specializes in timelines for business presentations and stakeholder communication.
Yes. The free version of Lucen Timeline lets you create basic timelines in PowerPoint with up to 10 tasks or milestones per slide. You can use pre-designed themes and customize colors and fonts. The free version supports copy-paste from Excel. For advanced features like templates, unlimited tasks, swimlanes, dependencies, Excel import, and integrations with MS Project and Smartsheet, you can upgrade to paid plans.
Lucen Timeline is a versatile timeline generator that can create milestone timelines, Gantt charts, project roadmaps, swimlane diagrams, and multi-project portfolio views. Whether you need a simple timeline for a single project or a complex roadmap with multiple workstreams, you can build it directly inside PowerPoint and present it to any audience.
No. Lucen Timeline creates professional timelines without requiring a Microsoft Project license. You can import data from Excel, MS Project files (if you have them), Jira, Smartsheet, or Wrike; or enter tasks directly in Lucen Timeline. This makes it an affordable alternative for teams that need presentation-ready timelines without investing in full project management software.
Yes. Lucen Timeline Expert plan lets you show task dependencies and highlight the critical path in your timelines. Connect tasks to show which work depends on other work completing first, and automatically identify the critical path: the sequence of tasks that determines your project schedule. This helps stakeholders understand project flow and what could delay delivery.
Project management software (like MS Project or Smartsheet) is built for detailed planning, resource allocation, and day-to-day task tracking. A timeline creator like Lucen Timeline specializes in creating presentation-ready visuals from that data. Use PM software to manage your project; use a timeline maker to communicate schedules to stakeholders. Lucen Timeline imports from popular PM tools so you can create executive-friendly timelines in minutes.
Lucen Timeline is designed specifically for creating timelines in PowerPoint. Unlike web-based timeline generators that require exports, Lucen Timeline works inside PowerPoint where your presentations already live. It creates native PowerPoint slides that anyone can view and edit. No special software needed. With templates designed for executive audiences and automatic formatting, it's built for professionals who present project schedules to stakeholders and leadership.
Yes. Lucen Timeline Expert plan imports data from Excel, Microsoft Project, Jira, Smartsheet, and Wrike. This eliminates manual data entry and keeps your timelines synchronized with your project plans. When your schedule changes, refresh your timeline with one button. The free version supports copy-paste from Excel for up to 10 items.
Yes. Lucen Timeline is designed for professionals who need timelines but don't have time to learn complex software. If you can use PowerPoint, you can create professional timelines. Choose a template, add your tasks and dates, and the timeline maker handles all the formatting automatically. Most users can create their first timeline in under 2 minutes.
Get the timeline maker that works inside PowerPoint
Works inside PowerPoint® on Windows®
