Dependencies on the Gantt Chart

The Gantt Chart is available to all users on all paid accounts.

⏱ 2.5 min read

• Overview
• Important Information
• Types of Dependencies
• Create a Dependency
• Shift a Dependency Chain
• Remove a Dependency
• Edit a Dependency
• Lead and Lag Time

Overview

Dependencies specify the relationships between tasks, use them to indicate when a task should begin or end in relation to other tasks. On the Gantt Chart, dependencies appear as lines linking two tasks or linking a task to a milestone.

Important Information

• When you reschedule a task with dependencies all dependent tasks are automatically rescheduled.

Types of Dependencies

There are four types of dependencies you can create in Wrike:

Create a Dependency

Create on the Table

1. Locate a task in the table and double-click on the "Predecessors" column. If you don't see the column: click the gear icon in the table's upper left-hand corner and check the box next to "Predecessors".
2. Find the task which should precede the task from Step 1.
3. In the task from Step 1, enter the row number from Step 2's task followed by one of the below
   • FS - to create a Finish to Start dependency.
   • SS - to create a Start to Start dependency.
   • FF - to create a Finish to Finish dependency.
   • SF - to create a Start to Finish dependency.
4. Press enter on your keyboard.

Note: If you only enter a number then a Finish to Start dependency is created by default.

Create on the Timeline

1. Hover over a task bar.
2. Click the dot that appears to the left or right of the taskbar.
3. Drag your mouse to the beginning or end of the task you want to create a dependency with.
4. Release the mouse button to create the dependency.

Milestones in Dependency Chains

You can add milestone tasks to the dependency chains. However, they do not shift when the tasks in the dependency chain get rescheduled. A scheduling conflict occurs and the dependency arrow turns red if:

• The predecessor task in a Finish to Start type of dependency is set to finish later than the milestone date. 
  
• The successor task in a Start to Finish dependency starts earlier than the milestone date.
  
• The parallel task in a Start to Start type of dependency is set to finish later than the milestone date.

You can reschedule the entire dependency chain including the milestone task. Learn how to do that below.

Shift a Dependency Chain

If you have a chain of dependent tasks, then you can mass reschedule them on the Gantt Chart. Gaps between tasks are preserved when you reschedule tasks in this way. 

1. Create a chain of tasks joined by dependencies.
2. Press and hold "Shift" on your keyboard. 
3. Click a task that's part of a dependency chain on the Gantt Chart. 
4. Drag and drop the task to the appropriate date.  

 All active tasks in the chain are moved.

Remove a Dependency

From the Table

1. Double-click in the "Predecessors" column. If you don't see it: click the gear icon in the table's upper left-hand corner and check the box next to "Predecessors".
2. Delete the text from the column.
3. Press enter on your keyboard.

From the Timeline

1. Click the dependency you want to remove.
2. Click the ‘x’ that appears on the dependency.

Edit a Dependency