How to See the Critical Path in Microsoft Project

Quick summary

The critical path in Microsoft Project highlights the sequence of tasks that directly control your project completion date. Enabling the Critical Tasks view lets project managers instantly spot scheduling bottlenecks 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 on the Format tab in the ribbon, locate the Bar Styles section, and check the box labeled Critical Tasks to highlight your project's critical path.
3. Review the updated Gantt chart where critical tasks now appear in red and non-critical tasks remain blue, allowing you to quickly identify which tasks directly impact your project completion date.