Merflow

Gantt charts without the spreadsheet

A project timeline is a list of tasks with dates — so write it as one. Sections, dependencies and milestones in plain text, rendered as a Gantt chart in real time.

A release plan in ten lines

gantt
    title Editor roadmap
    dateFormat  YYYY-MM-DD
    section Core
    Vite + TS setup      :done,    des1, 2026-07-01, 3d
    Live preview         :active,  des2, 2026-07-04, 5d
    section Extras
    PNG/SVG export       :         des3, after des2, 4d
    Dark mode            :         des4, after des3, 2d

Notice after des2: tasks chain off each other, so when one slips you edit a single line and the whole downstream schedule re-flows. done and active tags show progress at a glance.

What Mermaid Gantt charts give you

Sections

Group tasks by workstream — Core, Extras, Marketing — each rendered as a labeled band on the chart.

Dependencies

after taskId starts a task when another ends; durations like 3d, 2w keep the source readable.

States & critical path

Mark tasks done, active or crit to highlight progress and the critical path in color.

Milestones & exclusions

Zero-length milestone markers for releases; excludes weekends keeps durations honest.

A timeline that lives with your project

Because the chart is text, it belongs in the repo: version the plan in git, review schedule changes in pull requests, and render the same source in GitHub or GitLab Markdown. Use Merflow as the editing surface — autocompletion for the Gantt keywords, instant preview while you tune dates — then export SVG for the wiki or a 2×/3× PNG for the status deck.

Gantt chart FAQ

How do I make a Gantt chart from text?

Start with gantt, set a dateFormat, group tasks under section headers, and give each task a start (a date or after otherTask) and a duration like 5d.

Can tasks depend on each other?

Yes — after des2 starts a task when des2 ends. Reschedule one task and every dependent bar shifts automatically.

Can I mark progress and milestones?

Tag tasks as done, active or crit, and use milestone for zero-length markers like releases.

Is it free?

Yes — no signup, no limits. Export SVG or high-resolution PNG.