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A timeline needs a start date and an end date for every task. If Chronolane can’t tell which columns hold them, the missing one is marked in red on the Timeline page with a column picker — choose the right column there. Each date column must contain at least one valid date, and no task may end before it starts.

Headers such as “Start”, “Begin”, “End”, “Finish” or “Due date” are recognised automatically.

Chronolane follows the first table on the sheet and the columns in its mapping (Timeline › Column mapping). Edits outside that table, or in columns that aren’t mapped, don’t move bars. Hidden and filtered rows aren’t drawn.

If something still looks out of date, choose ⋯ › Refresh from sheet to redraw the timeline from the table.

Chronolane writes cells and shapes, which Excel blocks on a protected sheet. Nothing is half-written: your changes stay in the capsule. Unprotect the sheet (Review › Unprotect Sheet), then choose Try again — or Keep for later if you want to apply them another time.

When one column of the timeline covers more than a day (weekly, monthly or custom widths), a dropped bar could land on several dates. Quick edit snaps it to the period it lands in. Precise opens a calendar so you can confirm the exact start and end.

Choose under Timeline › Timescale › When I drag a bar, or leave it on Ask the first time.

A link is in conflict when a task starts before its predecessor ends, or when tasks depend on each other in a circle (a loop). Loops always have to be removed. For the others, the review lets you keep or remove each link — or keep the rest in one click — while previewing it on the sheet.

To stop successors being pushed around, set Timeline › Dependencies › When a predecessor moves to “Leave them, flag it” and use Reschedule now when you’re ready.

Open the History page, pick a snapshot on the scrubber or in the list, and choose Restore. The table and timeline go back to that moment; Go back to latest state returns you to where you were. Chronolane keeps the last ten automatic snapshots, plus up to five you choose to Keep.

A Microsoft 365 admin can deploy Chronolane to users or groups from the Microsoft 365 admin center, under Settings › Integrated apps. Search for Chronolane, choose who gets it, and it appears on their Excel ribbon — this can take up to a day. Chronolane needs no account, so there is nothing else to set up.

⋯ › Delete timeline removes the chart, date headers and Chronolane settings from the current sheet; your table data stays, and History keeps a snapshot from just before. To uninstall, open Home › Add-ins (or Insert › My Add-ins) in Excel, find Chronolane and choose Remove.