There are many ways that links can be entered in Project. We will work with three options: the Link button, the Task Entry (combination) view, and typing directly into the Predecessor field.

Link Button

The Link button is found on the Task ribbon in the Schedule section.

 

 
To use the Link button, select two tasks, using the Ctrl key to select the second task if the tasks are non-adjacent. Click the Link button.

A Finish to Start link with no lag is created between the two tasks. The first task you select will be the predecessor, and the second will be the successor.

You can also link more than two tasks at a time by selecting them in the order you want them to be linked predecessor to successor. You may hold down your mouse button and drag through them, or if they are non-adjacent, use the Ctrl key.

The Unlink button is next to the Link button. It will delete links.

  • If you have selected multiple tasks and click Unlink, any links between the tasks selected will be deleted. Links that the selected tasks have with tasks that are not selected will remain.
  • If you only select one task and click Unlink, all predecessors and successors for that task are deleted.

Task Entry View

The Task Entry view is accessed on the View ribbon in the Split View section, by clicking the checkbox next to Details. By default, the Gantt Chart view is shown in the top pane and the Task Form view is shown in the bottom pane. The combination is called the Task Entry view.

Once the Task Entry view is applied, you can format the bottom pane by right-clicking in the blank area in the Task Form and selecting Predecessors & Successors.

 
The Task Form will show Predecessor and Successor sections in the bottom pane.

Select the task in the table in the Gantt Chart view that you need to link. The information displayed in the bottom pane is information about that task.

Type in the ID numbers of the Predecessor(s) and Successor(s) for the task. You may enter one or multiple Predecessor and Successor IDs and then click the OK button. Microsoft Project will fill in the Task Name for that ID, and create a Finish to Start link with no lag.

You may change the link Type and enter a Lag directly in the Task Form.

 
The Predecessor Field

The Predecessor fields and Successor fields are populated with all of the links that are created.

Additionally, predecessors and successors may be typed directly into the field. If the link is a Finish to Start link with no lag, only the ID number of the predecessor is shown. If the link is Start to Start or Finish to Finish, an SS or FF will be shown, and if there is a lag it will be shown as a + with the amount of the lag following, e.g. +2d. If a task has multiple predecessors or successors, they are separated by a comma (,).

 
The video demonstrates some simple ways to validate that you have defined links for all detailed tasks, and no links on summary tasks.

Change Highlighting

As you start to enter links in your project, tasks will move and their dates will be recalculated by Microsoft Project. As this happens, you will notice that some cells in your schedule have a light blue background. This is called change highlighting.

Every time you perform an action, Microsoft Project will highlight the cells in light blue that changed based on your action. When you perform the next action, Microsoft Project will highlight the cells that were impacted for that new action. Each group of highlights is only shown until the next action is performed.

Change highlighting can be helpful to point out what was recalculated, based on the action you just performed – so don’t ignore it if something doesn’t seem right!

 

 
**Best Practices (from previous section):
  • SS and FF links should typically have lags.
  • FS links should typically not have lags.
  • Do NOT link summary tasks.
PreviousNext