---
title: "Configuring Timeline Columns in Ontraccr Boards"
url: "https://help.ontraccr.com/en/article/configuring-timeline-columns-in-ontraccr-boards"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2025-05-27T10:08:36.579Z"
---

# Configuring Timeline Columns in Ontraccr Boards

## **📅 Configuring Timeline Columns in Ontraccr Boards**  
 

### **Overview**

The **Timeline View** in Ontraccr visually maps out your board cards across a calendar. By configuring **Timeline Columns**, you can display key data (like project status, client name, start/end dates, or value) directly alongside the timeline, without needing to open each card.

* * *

## **🎯 Why Use Timeline Columns?**

Timeline columns let you:

-   **Visualize more context** in the calendar view
-   See **important fields at a glance**, like due dates or assigned users
-   Use timeline view as a **live reporting tool**
-   Eliminate the need to click into every card to view status updates

* * *

## **🧩 How to Configure Timeline Columns**

1.  Open your board and click the **⚙️ Settings icon**.
2.  In the **Details** tab, scroll to the section labeled **Timeline Columns** (bottom of the page).
3.  Click the field dropdown and select one or more fields to display.
    -   Examples: Status, Start Date, End Date, Project Value, Client Name
4.  Click **Submit**.

✅ The selected columns will now appear in the Timeline View next to each card bar.

* * *

## **🖥️ Where You See Timeline Columns**

-   In **Timeline View**, each card appears as a bar stretching across its start and end dates
-   Your selected timeline columns appear as a **data table on the left side** of the view
-   You can scroll horizontally across dates and vertically through the card list

* * *

## **✅ Example Use Cases**

| Use Case | Suggested Columns |
| --- | --- |
| Project Tracker | Status, Start Date, End Date, Project Value |
| Recruiting | Candidate Name, Interview Date, Status |
| Estimating | Client Name, Bid Due Date, Assigned Estimator |
| Service Tracker | Technician, Job Type, Work Scheduled Date |

* * *

## **🧠 Tips & Edge Cases**

-   You must **have Start and End Dates entered on the card** for it to appear in Timeline View
-   Timeline Columns are **board-specific** — you can customize what’s shown per board
-   Use this feature to **create high-level dashboards** for leadership or ops teams
-   Combine with **filters** to zoom in on one user, division, or client at a time