Timeline

Timeline View allows you to visualize your data as horizontal bars along a time axis. Each record is represented as a bar spanning from its start date to its end date, giving you a clear overview of schedules, project plans, and time-based data. You can drag and drop records to change dates, resize bars to adjust durations, and group records by any field. This section covers all the operations that can be performed on the Timeline view.

Timeline View Actions

1. Create a New Timeline View
2. Rename an Existing Timeline View
3. Duplicate a Timeline View
4. Remove a Timeline View
5. Share a Timeline View
6. Lock Timeline View for Edits

Date Field Configuration

When creating a Timeline view, you need to select a Start Date field. The following field types can be used as date fields:

• Date
• DateTime
• CreatedTime
• LastModifiedTime

Adding an End Date

By default, records are displayed as single-day bars using only the start date. To display records as ranges spanning multiple days, you can optionally configure an End Date field.

To add an end date:

1. Click on the Timeline Range settings in the toolbar.
2. Click + Add End Date.
3. Select the desired date field from the dropdown.

Records Without Dates

Records that do not have a start date value are excluded from the timeline display. A badge in the toolbar shows the total record count along with how many records are missing dates.

Zoom Levels

Timeline View supports nine zoom levels, from a single day with full date detail through to a five-year overview. Switch between them using the zoom selector in the toolbar.

At coarser zooms, the date header stacks multiple tiers — for example, year over quarter over month — so you can keep your bearings while seeing a wider span at once.

Day, Week, Month

Year, 2 Years, 5 Years

At the Year zoom and above, the header stacks year, quarter, and month tiers so longer-range plans stay readable.

Navigation

Time Navigation

• Use the Previous and Next buttons in the toolbar to navigate backward or forward by one step of the active zoom level (one day at Day zoom, three months at Quarter zoom, five years at 5 Years zoom, and so on).
• Click the Today button to jump to the current date.
• Use the Date Picker dropdown to navigate directly to a specific date.

Scrolling

• Horizontal scrolling pans across time. Records load progressively as you scroll, so you can browse across months or years without having to jump to a specific date.
• Vertical scrolling is supported when the number of record lanes exceeds the visible height. In grouped layout, each group scrolls within the groups list while the date header stays fixed at the top.

Initial View Setting

You can configure what the timeline shows when first opened:

• Closest Record to Today (default): Automatically navigates to the record nearest to today's date.
• Today: Always opens on the current date.

This setting is available in the Timeline Range configuration in the toolbar.

Record Navigation

When a record bar extends beyond the visible area, navigation arrows appear on the bar:

• A left arrow appears when the record's start date is clipped (off-screen to the left).
• A right arrow appears when the record's end date is clipped (off-screen to the right).

Click on these arrows to navigate to the corresponding date.

Timeline View Operations

Customize Record Label

You can customize the fields displayed on record bars. Click the Fields menu in the toolbar:

• Toggle fields on or off to control which fields are shown on the bars.
• Reorder fields using drag and drop.
• Apply text formatting (Bold, Italic, Underline) to individual fields.

Add New Records

There are two ways to add records in the Timeline view:

Using the Add Button Click the + button at the bottom left of the timeline. A new record is created with the start date set to the currently visible date range, and the expanded record form opens for you to fill in details.

Drag to Create Click and drag on an empty area of the timeline grid to create a new record:

1. Click on the starting date and drag to the ending date.
2. A dotted selection rectangle shows the date range being selected.
3. Release to create the record — the expanded form opens with the start and end dates pre-filled.

Expand Record Details

Click on any record bar to open the expanded record form, where you can view and edit all field values.

Edit Record Dates

Drag to Move Click and hold a record bar for a moment, then drag it to a new date position. Both the start and end dates shift by the same number of days, preserving the record's duration.

Drag to Resize Hover over the left or right edge of a record bar to reveal a resize handle:

• Drag the left edge to change the start date.
• Drag the right edge to change the end date (only available when an end date field is configured).

Delete Record

Click on a record bar to open the expanded record form. Use the Delete option from the record context menu to delete the record.

Grouping Records

You can group records by one or more fields using the Group By option in the toolbar. When grouping is active:

• Records are organized into collapsible groups in the left sidebar.
• Each group displays its own timeline grid with a record count.
• Groups can be expanded or collapsed individually.
• Nested grouping (multiple levels) is supported.
• The date header stays fixed at the top while the groups list scrolls vertically.

Summarize

Summarize calculates a value along the time axis, showing one figure under each visible time column so you can read totals across time rather than record by record.

Click Summarize in the toolbar and choose a function:

Every function except Count also needs a Calculation field. Only fields whose type supports the chosen function are listed.

Where the Summary Appears

The Show in dropdown controls where the values render:

• <Field> groups: a summary row at the foot of each group, alongside a per-group total. This option is named after the field the view is grouped by and is available only when grouping is active. With nested grouping, the summary follows the top level.
• Bottom summary bar: one value under each time column, with the overall total at the left of the bar.

At least one of the two has to stay switched on. Select None at the top of the function list, or use Remove summary, to clear the summary altogether.

How Values Are Counted

A record counts towards every time column its span overlaps, at its full value in each. A task with a budget of 90 running across three days contributes 90 to each of those three days.

Because of this, the per-column values do not add up to the overall total. The overall total and the per-group totals count each record once, so those remain exact. Records without a start date are excluded, as they are from the timeline itself.

Visual Indicators

• Today's date: Highlighted with a distinct background color and blue text.
• Weekends: Displayed with a light gray background.
• Record colors: When Row Coloring is configured, record bars display the assigned color.
• Hover: Hovering over a record bar shows a tooltip with the date range and duration.

Other Toolbar Operations

1. Apply Filters to Display Specific Records on the Timeline
2. Sort Records on the Timeline by One or More Criteria
3. Perform Quick Searches for Specific Data Within Fields
4. Export Data to CSV or Excel Format
5. Apply Row Coloring Based on Field Values

Availability

• Timeline View is available on NocoDB Cloud (Business plan and above) and licensed self-hosted deployments (Business plan and above).

Related

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