Create a Gantt Chart with Percentage-Based Bar Shading in WPS Spreadsheets
Question details
The user needs to display task completion visually in a Gantt chart by shading completed portions or using progress colors for levels such as 25%, 50%, and 75% in WPS Spreadsheets.
- Product
- WPS Spreadsheets
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Creating or updating a project Gantt chart where task bars should reflect completion percentages.
- Observed behavior
- Bar shading should visually distinguish completed and remaining work for each task based on the completion percentage.
Create a task table with Task, Start Date, Duration (days), and Completion % columns in WPS Spreadsheets. Use numeric durations and percentages so the Completed and Remaining formulas calculate correctly for the stacked bar chart.
Create a stacked bar Gantt chart with separate completed and remaining series
Use this method when you need accurate progress shading on the Gantt chart bars themselves, with automatic updates when percentages change.
A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart. Instead of trying to partially color one bar, create two stacked series: one for completed work and one for remaining work. This is more reliable than applying worksheet conditional formatting directly to chart bars.
Open your workbook in WPS Spreadsheets and arrange columns: Task, Start Date, Duration (days), and Completion %. In the Completed column, enter =C2*D2; in the Remaining column, enter =C2-E2, then drag the fill handle down.
Select the Task, Start Date, Completed, and Remaining columns, click Insert > Chart, and choose Bar > Stacked Bar.
Right-click the start date segment in the chart, choose Format Data Series, and set Fill to No fill and Border to No line.
Right-click the Completed series, choose Format Data Series > Fill, and select a progress color. Repeat for the Remaining series using a lighter shade.
Use conditional formatting on the percentage column as a quick progress tracker
Use this when you want a quick cell-based progress view in the worksheet rather than formatted chart bars.
Create a Percentage-Shaded Gantt Chart in WPS Office Spreadsheets
WPS Spreadsheets can directly create an Excel-compatible Gantt chart using stacked bar series for completed and remaining work. Shade progress at 25%, 50%, 75%, or any percentage with familiar chart formatting tools and no extra add-ins.
- 1. Download and open WPS Spreadsheets: Go to WPS.com, click Download WPS Office Free, install it, then open your .xlsx project file or create a new spreadsheet.
- 2. Prepare Gantt data: Create columns for Task, Start Date, Duration, Completion %, Completed, and Remaining. Use formulas to calculate completed and remaining duration.
- 3. Insert and format the chart: Select the task and helper columns, go to Insert > Chart > Bar > Stacked Bar, hide the Start Date series, and color the Completed and Remaining bars.
- 4. Save and share: Save as .xlsx to share with Excel users or export to PDF for project reports.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I show 25%, 50%, and 75% progress with different colors on a Gantt chart?
Create a helper column with IF or lookup rules that groups completion percentages into 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% segments, then plot those segments as stacked bar series in WPS Spreadsheets. Format each segment with a different fill color from the Format Data Series pane.
Why doesn't conditional formatting change the color of my Gantt chart bars?
Conditional formatting applies to worksheet cells, not directly to chart bars. To shade Gantt bars, use a stacked bar chart with Completed and Remaining helper series, or apply conditional formatting to the underlying percentage cells if you only need a table heat map.
Can I open an Excel Gantt chart in WPS Spreadsheets and keep the progress colors?
Yes. WPS Spreadsheets supports .xlsx files, so open the workbook, click the chart, and use Format Data Series to check or change bar fills. The chart structure and progress data remain compatible with Excel.
What is the easiest way to make completed portions appear inside each task bar?
Use a stacked bar chart with a hidden Start Date base, a Completed series, and a Remaining series. In WPS Spreadsheets, calculate Completed as Duration multiplied by Completion % and Remaining as Duration minus Completed, then color the Completed series darker than the Remaining series.
