Timeline template for PowerPoint

Build the timeline here with real dates and spacing, then press Export → PowerPoint. You get an editable widescreen slide made of native shapes, not a screenshot.

From browser to slide in three steps

  1. Pick a layout for the room. Horizontal fits a 16:9 slide best. Keep it to 5–9 events so text stays readable from the back.
  2. Export → PowerPoint. The download is a single-slide .pptx sized for widescreen.
  3. Restyle in PowerPoint. Everything is a separate shape: recolour the tape to your brand colour, swap fonts, add icons.

Presenting from Google Slides? Import the .pptx with File → Import slides. Need a picture instead? Export PNG — it's rendered at twice screen resolution so it stays sharp on a projector.

Timeline slide tips

  • Put the takeaway in the title ("Launch moved to Q3") rather than the topic ("Timeline").
  • Highlight the current moment with a milestone titled "Today".
  • Use one colour per workstream and include the legend.
  • If you need more than nine events, split into two slides or use the vertical layout on a handout PDF.

More starting points: the project timeline, product roadmap and company history templates all export to PowerPoint.

PowerPoint timeline questions

Can I edit the exported PowerPoint timeline?

Yes. The .pptx is built from native PowerPoint shapes, lines and text boxes rather than a flat picture, so you can change colours, fonts and wording, or move pieces, directly in PowerPoint.

Does it work with Google Slides and Keynote?

Yes. In Google Slides use File → Import slides and upload the .pptx. Keynote opens .pptx files directly. Shapes stay editable in both.

What slide size does the export use?

Widescreen 16:9 (13.33 × 7.5 inches), the default for PowerPoint since 2013. The timeline is scaled to fit inside the slide margins.

Is the PowerPoint timeline template free?

Yes. All templates and exports are free and need no account.

Why not just use PowerPoint’s SmartArt timeline?

SmartArt spaces items evenly, so it cannot show real gaps between dates, and it has no concept of durations or BCE dates. Building the timeline here gives you true-to-scale placement, then exports it as ordinary shapes.