Timeline Options in Excel – Instructions

Timeline Options in Excel: Overview

            This lesson shows you how to set timeline options in Excel. After inserting a timeline, an “Options” tab within a new “Timeline Tools” contextual tab then appears in the Ribbon. This tab appears in the Ribbon any time you select the timeline within the worksheet. You use the buttons on this tab to modify the timeline options in Excel and make other timeline adjustments.

             The “Timeline” button group appears at the left end of this tab. Here you can see and edit the name of the “Timeline Caption” within the text box. You can click the “Report Connections” button to open the “Report Connections” dialog box. This lets you select the PivotTable and PivotChart reports to connect to the selected filter. To do this, check the checkbox next to the names of the reports to filter with this timeline. Then click the “OK” button to apply your choices.

Timeline Options in Excel – Instructions: A picture of a user modifying the appearance of a timeline in Excel.

             In the “Timeline Styles” button group, you can click a style to apply to the selected timeline to change its appearance. The buttons within the “Arrange” button group let you change the alignment and placement of the timeline in the worksheet.

            To set the size of the selected timeline pane, use the “Height” and “Width” buttons within the “Size” button group. You can check or uncheck the checkboxes in the “Show” group to show or hide those elements within the timeline.

Timeline Options in Excel: Instructions

1. To set timeline options in Excel, select the timeline to modify.
2. Then click the “Options” tab within the “Timeline Tools” contextual tab in the Ribbon.
3. To view or edit the timeline name, use the “Timeline Caption” text box in the “Timeline” button group.
4. To open the “Report Connections” dialog box, click the “Report Connections” button in the “Timeline” button group.
5. Then check the checkbox next to the names of the PivotTable and PivotChart reports to filter with this timeline.
6. Then click the “OK” button to apply your choices.
7. To change the timeline’s appearance, click the style to apply to the timeline in the “Timeline Styles” button group.
8. To change the alignment and placement of the timeline in the worksheet, use the buttons in the “Arrange” button group.
9. You can set the size of the timeline by using the “Height” and “Width” buttons in the “Size” button group.
10. To show or hide elements in the timeline, check or uncheck the checkboxes in the “Show” button group.

Timeline Options in Excel: Video Lesson

            The following video lesson, titled “Modifying Timelines,” shows how to apply timeline options in Excel. This video is from our complete Excel tutorial, titled “Mastering Excel Made Easy v.2019 and 365.”