Release Plan (Gantt)
Best for: dated schedules with dependencies — phases, parallel tracks, milestones and owners Avoid when: you only need a sequence of steps without dates (use an activity diagram) or a marketing-style roadmap (use an infographic timeline) Answers: when each workstream runs, what blocks what, and when the milestones land
@startgantt
title Platform Release 3.0 — Delivery Schedule
Project starts 2026-10-05
-- Discovery --
[Requirements workshop] requires 5 days
[Architecture decision record] requires 3 days
[Architecture decision record] starts at [Requirements workshop]'s end
-- Implementation --
[API v2 implementation] requires 15 days
[API v2 implementation] starts at [Architecture decision record]'s end
[Data migration scripts] requires 8 days
[Data migration scripts] starts at [Architecture decision record]'s end
[Web client update] requires 12 days
[Web client update] starts at [API v2 implementation]'s end
-- Verification --
[Integration test suite] requires 6 days
[Integration test suite] starts at [Data migration scripts]'s end
[Load test] requires 4 days
[Load test] starts at [Integration test suite]'s end
[Security review] requires 5 days
[Security review] starts at [API v2 implementation]'s end
-- Release --
[Staging deployment] requires 2 days
[Staging deployment] starts at [Load test]'s end
[Release candidate] happens at [Staging deployment]'s end
[Production rollout] requires 3 days
[Production rollout] starts at [Release candidate]'s end
[General availability] happens at [Production rollout]'s end
[API v2 implementation] is colored in SteelBlue
[Data migration scripts] is colored in LightSteelBlue
[Web client update] is colored in LightSteelBlue
[Security review] is colored in FireBrick
@endganttKey Options
| Syntax | Effect |
|---|---|
Project starts 2026-10-05 |
Sets the calendar origin (otherwise only relative days exist) |
[Task] requires 15 days |
Duration (N days, N weeks, N weeks and M days) |
[Task] starts at [Other]'s end |
Dependency — the backbone of a useful Gantt |
[Task] starts D+3 |
Relative start offset from project start |
[Milestone] happens at [Task]'s end |
Zero-duration milestone |
[Task] is colored in SteelBlue |
Colour a bar; colour by track (implementation / verification / release), not by taste |
-- Section -- |
Visual separator between phases |
Data Shape
Tasks with durations + dependency edges, grouped into phases by separators. Colour carries the track/owner so the reader can answer "who is on the critical path".
Pitfalls
- ❌ Durations without dependencies → ✅ the dependency edges are what makes a Gantt more than a table
- ❌ Hiding verification work → ✅ tests and security reviews are tasks; omitting them is a silent schedule lie
- ❌ Colour per task → ✅ colour per track; rainbow Gantts lose the critical path
- ❌ No milestones → ✅ a release without an explicit
happens atdate has no commitment
Alternatives
| Variant | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Audience is external / no dates yet | Infographic timeline or roadmap template (planning-and-roadmap) |
| Process with owners, no dates | approval-workflow-swimlane.md |
| Milestone list only | A card / list template with badge items |