How to Add Critical Path in Microsoft Project

Quick summary

The critical path in Microsoft Project highlights the sequence of tasks that directly determine your project completion date. Enabling the Critical Tasks view lets project managers instantly spot scheduling risks and prioritize work that cannot slip.

Steps

1. Open your Microsoft Project file and navigate to the Gantt Chart Format tab in the ribbon menu.
2. Click the Format tab in the ribbon and locate the Bar Styles section, then check the box labeled Critical Tasks to highlight the critical path.
3. Review the updated Gantt chart where critical tasks now appear in red and non-critical tasks remain blue, giving you an instant visual indicator of which tasks impact your project completion date.