Summary

Timeline JS is a web interface that enables users to link a published spreadsheet of dates, images, and citations that is then turned into a professional-looking, interactive timeline that is viewable online from a link generated by the site. First, users are prompted to make a copy of Knight Lab’s preformatted timeline template in Google Sheets. The template is used to add dates or eras, descriptions, links to images, and citations. Although additional rows can be added to include more dates, the site recommends no more than twenty.

Once the Google sheet is complete, the site gives detailed information about how to publish the Google sheet and link it to their site’s interface. This generates a new link to either view the timeline or to embed the timeline on a website. Any time users want to update their timeline, they have only to update the Google sheet; then after giving a moment to refresh, updates to the timeline will appear at the link.