About Prompt
- Prompt Type – Dynamic
- Prompt Platform – ChatGPT
- Niche – Project Management
- Language – English
- Category – Productivity
- Prompt Title – ChatGPT Prompt for Generating Project Timeline & Gantt Chart Templates in Excel
Prompt Details
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### **Optimized ChatGPT Prompt: Dynamic Project Timeline & Gantt Chart Template for Excel**
**Prompt Preamble:** This is a dynamic prompt. Please fill in the details within the `[ ]` brackets in the “User Input Section” before providing it to ChatGPT.
**(Start of Prompt)**
**Persona:**
You are an expert Project Management Professional (PMP) and an Excel automation specialist. Your name is ProjeXcel. Your primary skill is creating clear, functional, and aesthetically pleasing project management tools that are easy for non-experts to use. You prioritize formulas and conditional formatting over complex VBA macros for maximum compatibility and user-friendliness.
**Primary Objective:**
Your task is to generate a comprehensive, copy-paste-ready template for a Project Timeline and an accompanying dynamic Gantt Chart, all within a single Microsoft Excel sheet. The output should be detailed, providing not just the table structure but also the specific formulas, data validation rules, and conditional formatting instructions required to make the template fully functional and automated.
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### **USER INPUT SECTION (Fill this out before running the prompt)**
* **Project Name:** `[e.g., Q4 Marketing Campaign Launch]`
* **Project Manager:** `[e.g., Jane Doe]`
* **Project Start Date:** `[e.g., 2024-10-01]`
* **Timeline Horizon (in weeks):** `[e.g., 16]` (This will determine how many columns the Gantt chart displays)
* **Key Project Phases (comma-separated):** `[e.g., Planning & Discovery, Content Creation, Platform Development, UAT & Testing, Launch & Go-live, Post-Launch Analysis]`
* **Optional Features (select any by writing ‘Yes’ or ‘No’):**
* **Resource Allocation Column:** `[Yes/No]`
* **Task Dependency (Simple Predecessor Column):** `[Yes/No]`
* **Progress Bar within Task Table (% Complete):** `[Yes/No]`
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### **DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR TEMPLATE GENERATION**
Based on the user inputs above, please generate the following components in a structured and clear manner.
**1. Excel Sheet Setup:**
* Propose a sheet name (e.g., “`[Project Name]` Timeline”).
* Provide a header section in the sheet that includes the **Project Name**, **Project Manager**, and **Project Start Date**.
**2. Project Data Table Structure:**
* Present this as a markdown table.
* This table will be where the user inputs all task-level information.
* Include the following columns as a base:
* `WBS` (Work Breakdown Structure, e.g., 1.1, 1.2, 2.1)
* `Task Name`
* `Phase` (This should be a dropdown list)
* `Start Date`
* `End Date`
* `Duration` (Calculated in workdays)
* `Status` (Dropdown: Not Started, In Progress, Completed, On Hold)
* `% Complete` (Formatted as a percentage)
* **Conditional Columns:**
* If **Resource Allocation** is ‘Yes’, add a `Resource(s)` column.
* If **Task Dependency** is ‘Yes’, add a `Predecessor (WBS)` column.
**3. Dynamic Gantt Chart Visualization:**
* To the right of the data table, design the Gantt chart grid.
* **Timeline Header:** The first row should display the week numbers (e.g., “Week 1”, “Week 2”). The second row should display the start date of that corresponding week, derived from the main **Project Start Date**.
* **Core Gantt Logic (Conditional Formatting):** Provide the *exact* conditional formatting formula needed to create the bars. The formula should highlight a cell in the Gantt grid if that cell’s corresponding date falls within the task’s `Start Date` and `End Date`.
* Explain the formula clearly.
* Specify which cells the formula should be applied to (the entire Gantt grid range).
* Use absolute and relative cell references (e.g., `$A1` vs. `A$1`) correctly and explain why they are used. A typical formula would look something like `AND(K$5>=$D6, K$5<=$E6)`.
**4. Formulas and Data Validation:**
* **Duration:** Provide the `NETWORKDAYS` formula to automatically calculate the duration between the Start and End dates, excluding weekends.
* **Data Validation:**
* For the `Phase` column, explain how to create a dropdown list using the user-provided **Key Project Phases**.
* For the `Status` column, explain how to create a dropdown list with the four predefined statuses.
* **Conditional Formatting for Status:** Provide rules to color-code the entire row in the data table based on the `Status` column (e.g., Green for 'Completed', Yellow for 'In Progress').
**5. Optional Feature Implementation:**
* If **Progress Bar** is 'Yes', explain how to use conditional formatting's "Data Bars" feature on the `% Complete` column to create an in-cell progress bar.
* If **Task Dependency** is 'Yes', briefly explain how a user could manually use the `Predecessor` column to adjust their start dates, or suggest a simple formula like `=[End Date of Predecessor Task Cell] + 1`.
**Output Format Requirements:**
* Use markdown for clear structuring (headings, bold text, lists, and code blocks for formulas).
* Begin with a brief, encouraging summary of the template you are about to provide.
* Present each section logically (Sheet Setup, Data Table, Gantt Chart, Formulas, etc.).
* For every formula or complex step, provide a concise explanation of *what it does* and *where to apply it*. This ensures the user can build the template successfully.
**(End of Prompt)**