How to Use the Gantt Chart in CrmLeaf
All editions. Core feature — no add-on required.
Availability: All editions. Core feature — no add-on required.
Overview
The Gantt chart shows a project's work as bars on a timeline, with links between items that depend on each other. Use it when you need to see sequence and slippage rather than a list of open items. It also lets you reschedule work by dragging a bar instead of editing dates in a form.
How It Works
Each item in the project renders as a bar positioned by its dates. Dragging a bar changes those dates, and dependency links show which items follow which. A toolbar above the chart controls zoom level, full-screen display, and whether overdue markers are shown.
Open project → Open Gantt → Read the sequence and overdue markers → Drag to reschedule → Link dependencies
- Bars are draggable, so dates can be changed directly on the chart.
- Dependency links connect items so you can see what a delay affects. Four link types are supported: Finish to Start, Start to Start, Finish to Finish, and Start to Finish.
- A task that is still open and past its due date draws an extra overdue segment on its bar, from the due date to today, with a day count. A task that finished after its due date draws the same segment in a muted style, from the due date to its actual completion date, so a task still slipping is visually distinct from one that finished late and is closed. A task with no due date shows neither state.
- The toolbar can be shown or hidden, and lets you switch the chart's zoom level between Day, Week and Month, open the chart in full screen, and toggle whether overdue markers are drawn. These toolbar choices are remembered in your browser, not on your CrmLeaf account, so they do not carry over to another device or browser.
- The chart reads the project's existing dates and stays in step with the task and milestone records.
- Changes made on the chart are changes to the underlying records.
- A project can optionally be given a public, read-only link to its Gantt chart that does not require signing in. This is a separate control from client visibility toggles.
Who Can Use This Feature?
User
- Open the Gantt chart for a project you can access.
- Read the sequence, durations and dependency links.
- Drag a bar to reschedule an item and link items that depend on one another.
Access depends on the modules and role assigned by your Administrator. You can only change items your role permits you to edit.
Prerequisites
- The project exists and is visible under your permission scope.
- The project has tasks and milestones with dates, because items without dates cannot be positioned.
- Your role permits editing tasks if you intend to reschedule by dragging.
For Users
Step 1: Open the project
Open the project whose schedule you want to review, then switch to its Gantt view. The work appears as bars on a timeline in date order.
Step 2: Read the schedule
Check the sequence and the overlaps. Look for items that finish after a milestone they are meant to deliver, and for long gaps where nothing is scheduled. An item still open and past its due date shows a solid overdue segment with a day count; an item that finished after its due date shows the same segment in a muted style, since it is late but no longer at risk of slipping further.
Step 3: Reschedule by dragging
Drag a bar to move an item, or resize it to change its duration. The dates on the underlying record change with it, so tell the assignee when you move their work. If the item was drawn with an overdue segment, dragging it recalculates that segment immediately using the new due date.
Step 4: Link dependencies
Create a dependency link between two items where one cannot start until the other is done. The links make the knock-on effect of a delay visible.
Step 5: Adjust the toolbar
Use the toolbar above the chart to show or hide it, switch the zoom level between Day, Week and Month, open the chart in full screen, or turn overdue markers on or off. These settings apply only in the browser you are using.
Step 6: Share a read-only link (optional)
An Administrator or anyone who can edit the project can turn on View Public Gantt Chart on the project's edit screen. Once enabled, the Overview page and the project's row action menu offer a link that opens the same chart, including overdue markers and the toolbar, in a new browser tab without requiring sign-in. Each time the link is generated it is valid for 7 days before it needs to be opened again from inside CrmLeaf; it is not a single permanent URL.
Field and Option Reference
| Chart State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Overdue (past due date) | The item is still open and today is after its due date. The overdue segment runs from the due date to today and grows each day the item stays open. |
| Finished late | The item is complete but was finished after its due date. The overdue segment runs from the due date to the completion date, shown in a muted style since it is not still slipping. |
| No due date | The item has no due date, so no overdue segment can be calculated. |
| On time | The item finished on or before its due date. No overdue segment is drawn. |
Expected Result
The project's work appears as a dated timeline with dependency links and overdue markers. Dragging a bar updates the item's dates on the underlying record, and the sequence of the project, including what is currently at risk, is visible at a glance.
Why This Matters for Service Organisations
On a client engagement, the schedule is a commitment. A slipped dependency does not just move a task; it moves a deliverable the client is expecting and, where billing follows deliverables, the date the firm gets paid. The Gantt chart is where that sequence is visible, so a delivery lead can see what a delay actually costs before telling the client about it.
How It Supports Professional Services
- Dependency links show which later work and which milestone a slipped item puts at risk, which is the conversation a client engagement runs on.
- Because milestones are also billing points, reading the chart against milestone dates shows where a delay is likely to move revenue as well as delivery.
- Dragging a bar edits the real dates on the real records, so a re-planned engagement stays consistent with the task list consultants work from.
- What a user may move follows their permission scope, so a consultant can read the engagement schedule without being able to reschedule it.
Typical Service Workflow
Engagement → Schedule → Delivery → Milestone → Billing
The chart sits at the schedule and re-plan step. It reads and writes the project's own dates, so it is a live view rather than a planning sandbox; assessing whether the team has the capacity to absorb a moved date is a separate exercise, drawing on the Resource Utilization views where that module is enabled.
Other Product-Type Use Cases
Construction and solar accounts use the same chart for build and installation sequencing, where a dependency is a physical predecessor rather than a review cycle, and internal teams use it for any dated programme of work.
Related PSA Capabilities
- How to Manage Subtasks and Task Dependencies — where the dependencies the chart draws are defined.
- How to Create and Complete Project Milestones — the deliverable dates a slip is measured against.
- How to Use Resource Utilization Views — whether the team can absorb a rescheduled engagement.
- How to Use the Project Roadmap — execution performance rather than sequence.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- Dragging a bar changes real dates on real records. It is not a planning sandbox.
- Items without dates cannot be drawn on the chart. Add dates to anything you want to see.
- What you can move depends on your permission scope, so a colleague may be able to reschedule items you cannot.
- The toolbar's zoom level, full-screen state, and overdue-marker visibility are saved in your browser, not on your account, so a colleague or the same account on another device sees the toolbar's default state rather than your choices.
- The public Gantt link, once enabled on a project, does not require sign-in. Anyone holding a live link can view the chart, so treat it the same as any other externally shareable link and disable it when it is no longer needed.
- A public link generated from CrmLeaf is only valid for 7 days; open it again from the project when it expires.
Common Scenarios
Example: absorbing a delay. A supplier slips by a week. The project manager drags the affected bar, and the dependency links show which later items and which milestone are now at risk.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| The chart is empty. | The project has no items, or its items have no dates. | Add tasks and milestones with dates. |
| A bar cannot be dragged. | Your role does not permit editing that item. | Ask an Administrator to review your permission scope, or ask the item's owner to move it. |
| A dependency cannot be created. | One item is missing dates, or you cannot edit it. | Complete the dates and confirm your edit permission. |
| No item shows as overdue, even though some are late. | The toolbar's overdue-marker toggle is turned off in this browser. | Open the toolbar and turn overdue markers back on. |
| A shared public link returns an error instead of the chart. | Public Gantt access has since been disabled on that project, or the link has expired. | Ask someone who can edit the project to re-enable View Public Gantt Chart and generate a fresh link. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does moving a bar move dependent items automatically?
Dependency links show the relationship between items. Confirm with your Administrator whether dependent dates shift automatically in your account.
Can clients see the Gantt chart?
Client visibility of project work inside CrmLeaf is controlled by the project's client visibility toggles. Separately, anyone who can edit the project can turn on a public, sign-in-free link to the chart, which is not limited to clients or any other role.
Is the Gantt chart an add-on?
No. It is part of the core Projects capability. The Project Roadmap is a separate paid module.
How can I tell whether a task is currently at risk or already resolved as late?
An open task past its due date is drawn with a solid overdue marker; a completed task that finished late is drawn with the same marker in a muted, dashed style. The muted style means the item is closed and no longer slipping further.
Do my toolbar settings (zoom, full screen, overdue visibility) carry over to my phone or another computer?
No. These are saved in the browser you are using, not on your CrmLeaf account, so each browser or device starts from the toolbar's default state.
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