You opened the editor and now you're staring at a blank timeline. Where do you even start? This walkthrough covers everything the editor can do, in the order you'll probably need it.

Starting out: templates or blank slate

You have two options. You can pick a template that matches your event type — wedding, corporate, birthday, whatever — and edit it from there. Or you can start empty and build from scratch. Templates save time if your event roughly fits one of the 50+ categories we have. Starting blank makes sense if you already have a spreadsheet or a specific vision.

If you do have a spreadsheet, there's a CSV import button near the top of the editor. Export your Google Sheet or Excel file as CSV, upload it, and the editor maps columns to time, task name, and description. Beats retyping 30 items.

Adding and editing timeline items

Click "Add Event" to create a new item. Each item has a time, a task name, and an optional description. That's the minimum. You can also assign a category (ceremony, food, entertainment, etc.) which adds color-coded labels to your exported image.

Click any item to expand it. The expanded view lets you edit everything inline — time, name, description, category, and vendor assignment. Changes save automatically when you click away. No save button hunting.

Items sort by time automatically. If you add a "6:00 PM Dinner" after a "9:00 PM Last Dance," it'll slot into the right position.

Multi-day events

Running a weekend retreat or a multi-day conference? Each item can be assigned to a specific day. The editor groups them accordingly, and the exported timeline shows day separators so your vendors know which day is which.

Shifting times in bulk

Your venue moved the start time back 30 minutes. Instead of editing every single item, use "Shift All Times." Pick a starting item, enter the offset (e.g., +30 minutes or -1 hour), and every item from that point forward shifts. One click, done.

Vendors

Each timeline item has an optional vendor dropdown. Assign your florist to "Floral Setup," your DJ to "Dancing," your caterer to "Dinner Service." Once assigned, you can generate per-vendor share links — your florist sees only the items that involve them, not your entire timeline.

Vendors are managed from your dashboard under Vendor Management. Add them there with name, company, email, and phone. They'll appear in the dropdown on every timeline item.

Choosing a theme

The right sidebar (desktop) or the settings panel (mobile) has a theme picker. There are 13 themes: Warm Cream, Navy Blue, Soft Pink, Sage Green, Art Deco Gatsby, Brooklyn Industrial, and more. Pick one that matches the vibe of your event — a gala probably wants Art Deco or Champagne Gold, while a tech conference might work better with Corporate Formal or Silicon Valley.

Premium users can also set custom accent and canvas colors to match exact brand hex codes.

Layout options

Five layout modes control how items are arranged on the exported image:

• Alternating — items zigzag left and right along a center spine. The default, works well for most events.
• Left-aligned — everything stacked on one side. Clean and compact.
• Center-aligned — items centered under a vertical line. Formal look.
• Spine left — the timeline spine sits on the left edge. Good for events with long descriptions.
• Compact cards — items as individual cards in a tighter grid. Fits more items per page.

The live preview

On desktop, the right column shows a live preview of your timeline image. It updates when you switch themes, layouts, or fonts. Hit "Update Preview" after editing items to see the latest version. On mobile, there's a preview button in the compact action bar at the top.

The preview is lower resolution than the final export — it's just for checking layout and theme choices before you commit to a download.

Fonts

Free accounts get four font presets: Elegant, Modern, Friendly, and Playful. Premium users can pick from individual premium fonts for more control. The font applies to the exported image, not the editor itself.

Logo and branding

Premium users can upload a logo that appears on the exported timeline image and PDF. Upload it from the editor's logo section or from settings. You can position it in any corner. The logo also appears on the PDF cover page.

Saving your work

The Save button stores your timeline to your account. You need to be logged in. Next to Save, there's a dropdown arrow with two more options:

• Save as Template (Premium) — saves the timeline structure as a reusable template in your dashboard. Useful if you run similar events repeatedly.
• Save to Client (Pro Planner) — assigns the timeline to a client you've added in your dashboard. Organizes your work when you're managing multiple clients.

Downloading and sharing

The "Download & Share" button opens a modal with all your export options:

• PNG image — a high-resolution timeline graphic. Free users get 2400x3200. Premium users get 3600x4800 (print quality).
• PDF — a multi-page document with a cover page showing your event title, date, location, and logo. The schedule follows on subsequent pages. Premium PDFs have no watermark.
• Shareable link — anyone with the link can view your timeline in a browser. No account needed.
• ICS file — imports your timeline into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook.
• CSV export — get your data back out as a spreadsheet.

Visibility

Right above the action buttons, there's a "Make timeline private" checkbox. When checked, only you can see the timeline (when logged in). When unchecked, anyone with the share link can view it. New timelines default to public.

File attachments

Pro Planner accounts can attach files to a timeline — floor plans, vendor contracts, reference images, PDFs. Upload up to 20 files (10MB each) from the Attachments section in the editor. These show up in the shared viewer too, so your vendors or clients can download them directly.

Keyboard shortcuts worth knowing

There aren't many, but the editor respects standard browser shortcuts. Tab moves between fields in the expanded item view. Enter in the "Add Event" row saves and creates the item. Escape closes expanded items and modals.

What if something goes wrong

The editor auto-saves to your browser's local state as you type, so refreshing the page won't lose your work. If you've saved to your account, your timeline is stored server-side and accessible from the dashboard. If image generation fails (it happens occasionally under heavy load), wait a few seconds and hit "Update Preview" or try the download again.

That covers everything. If you haven't started yet, grab a template and see how it feels.