Timeline

The Timeline view shows your data as horizontal bars on a time axis. Each record is a bar from its start date to its end date. This gives a clear overview of schedules, project plans and time-based data. Drag records to change dates, resize bars to change durations, and group records by any field. This section gives all the operations for 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 you create a Timeline view, select a Start Date field. You can use these field types as date fields:

• Date
• DateTime
• CreatedTime
• LastModifiedTime

Adding an End Date

By default, each record shows as a one-day bar from the start date only. To show records as ranges of multiple days, set an End Date field. This is optional.

To add an end date:

1. In the toolbar, click the Timeline Range settings.
2. Click + Add End Date.
3. In the dropdown, select the date field.

Records Without Dates

The timeline does not show records that have no start date value. A badge in the toolbar shows the total number of records and the number of records without dates.

Zoom Levels

The Timeline view has nine zoom levels, from one day with full date detail to a five-year overview. To change the zoom level, use the zoom selector in the toolbar.

At wider zoom levels, the date header shows multiple tiers, for example year over quarter over month. This helps you find your position when you see a longer span.

Day, Week, Month

Year, 2 Years, 5 Years

At the Year zoom and above, the header shows year, quarter and month tiers. This keeps long-range plans easy to read.

Navigation

Time Navigation

• To move backward or forward by one step of the active zoom level, use the Previous and Next buttons in the toolbar. One step is one day at Day zoom, three months at Quarter zoom, five years at 5 Years zoom, and so on.
• To go to the current date, click the Today button.
• To go directly to a specific date, use the Date Picker dropdown.

Scrolling

• Horizontal scrolling moves across time. Records load as you scroll. You can look through months or years and do not have to go to a specific date.
• Vertical scrolling is available when there are more record lanes than the visible height. In grouped layout, each group scrolls in the groups list. The date header stays fixed at the top.

Initial View Setting

You can set what the timeline shows when it opens:

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

Record Navigation

When a record bar goes past the visible area, navigation arrows show on the bar:

Click an arrow to go to the related date.

Timeline View Operations

Customize Record Label

You can change the fields on the record bars. In the toolbar, click the Fields menu. Then:

• Turn fields on or off to set the fields on the bars.
• Drag fields to change their order.
• 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. NocoDB creates a new record with the start date in the visible date range. The expanded record form opens. Fill in the details.

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

1. Click the start date and drag to the end date. A dotted rectangle shows the date range that you select.
2. Release the mouse button. NocoDB creates the record. The expanded form opens with the start and end dates filled in.

Expand Record Details

Click a record bar. The expanded record form opens. In this form, you can see 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. The start and end dates move by the same number of days, so the duration stays the same.

Drag to Resize Hover over the left or right edge of a record bar. A resize handle shows.

• To change the start date, drag the left edge.
• To change the end date, drag the right edge. This is available only when you set an end date field.

Delete Record

1. Click a record bar. The expanded record form opens.
2. In the record context menu, click Delete.

Grouping Records

To group records by one or more fields, use the Group By option in the toolbar. When grouping is on:

• The records are in collapsible groups in the left sidebar.
• Each group shows its own timeline grid and its number of records.
• You can expand or collapse each group separately.
• You can use nested grouping (multiple levels).
• The date header stays fixed at the top while the groups list scrolls vertically.

Summarize

Summarize calculates a value along the time axis. It shows one value below each visible time column. You can then read totals across time, not record by record.

In the toolbar, click Summarize. Then select a function:

All functions other than Count also need a Calculation field. The list shows only fields with a type that supports the selected function.

Where the Summary Appears

The Show in dropdown sets where the values show:

• <Field> groups: a summary row at the bottom of each group, with a total for each group. The option has the name of the field that groups the view. It is available only when grouping is on. With nested grouping, the summary follows the top level.
• Bottom summary bar: one value below each time column. The overall total is at the left of the bar.

At least one of the two must stay on. To remove the summary fully, select None at the top of the function list, or use Remove summary.

How Values Are Counted

A record counts in each time column that its span overlaps, at its full value in each column. For example, a task has a budget of 90 and runs across three days. It adds 90 to each of those three days.

Thus, the column values do not add up to the overall total. The overall total and the group totals count each record once, so they are exact. Summarize does not count records without a start date, the same as the timeline.

Visual Indicators

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

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

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