Introduction
Milestones are key reference points in a project timeline. They help define major goals, deadlines, and events. In Easy Gantt, milestones are displayed clearly and interactively to support effective planning and communication.
Target Audience
- User
Understanding Milestones
Definition
A milestone in Easy Gantt is:
- A task with zero duration (same start and end date)
- A visual indicator of an important point in the project (e.g., deadline or phase completion)
- Shared or unique to one project, depending on how it’s set
Milestones are used to track events like:
- Project start or finish
- External delivery or approval dates
- Completion of a major phase
How It Works
Display Behavior
- An open milestone is always shown under the project where it is defined.
- If shared, it also appears above the linked tasks in other projects.
- On a non-home project, a shared milestone appears twice:
- As an original milestone under the task list (draggable)
- As a mirror milestone under the project name (not draggable)
- Closed milestones are not shown in the Gantt chart. They are visible only in Project Settings → Milestones.
Task Relationship and Constraints
- Tasks can be linked to milestones using drag and drop.
- If the setting “Allow to set task due date after milestone date” is unchecked, tasks cannot move beyond the milestone.
- If the setting is checked, the milestone automatically updates if the task is moved forward.
This setting is found in: More → Administration → Settings → Task Tracking
Drag & Drop Behavior
- You can drag a milestone along the timeline to update its due date.
- Dragging a task onto a milestone links it to that milestone.
Milestone Logic Based on Task Movement
| Task Move Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Task moved on its own line (no parent, no milestone) | Milestone is removed |
| Task moved to a different project | Milestone is removed |
| Task moved directly under a different milestone | Milestone is changed |
| Task moved under a parent task | Parent task’s milestone is used |
Examples
- A milestone marks the deadline for submitting a design draft. Linked tasks for mockups and feedback must be finished before this point.
- A shared milestone used across multiple projects can appear in different charts but remain synchronized with task changes.
- Dragging a milestone updates its due date across all linked elements when the automatic update setting is enabled.
Conclusion
Milestones in Easy Gantt are not only visual anchors but also active elements that respond to changes in task timing and relationships. Whether used in one project or shared across many, milestones support better planning and tracking in Easy8.
