A vertical timeline is a graphic representation of the passage of time. A straight downward line represents the days, months, or years passing by, while occasional notches indicate noteworthy events.

Some vertical timeline examples place the most recent developments at the bottom; others start at the bottom and move toward the top. Regardless of their orientation, effective vertical timelines provide a clear start and endpoint while touching on what happened in between.

Like all timelines, vertical timelines illustrate milestones, major events, and progress as it relates to time. While some timelines extend horizontally, vertical timelines are meant to be navigated by reading up or down. With more space for text, these outlines tend to be easier to read—especially if the timeline spans a great of events or if it’s being displayed in web or mobile contexts.

Vertical timeline templates can tell overarching stories. But these timelines can also be more granular, zooming in on a shorter time frame and investigating key events within a year.

Vertical timelines don’t have to be retrospective, either. This timeline layout can hash out upcoming events, or put the past in context with the present—the possibilities are endless.

As you might have guessed, creating a vertical timeline starts by drawing a vertical line. But before you draw your line, you should think about the narrative you want to explore. What story do you want your timeline to tell?

From there, you’ll write out a list of defining events, including the date or year of occurrence. Once you have every event and key moment, all that’s left is to arrange them in chronological order and add any necessary detail needed (especially if you’re creating an external document).

Creating a picture-perfect vertical timeline is a breeze with FigJam. Drag and drop shapes to easily rearrange events, pull in branded content from other documents, and crowdsource memories through polls, prompts, and comments—all without leaving your browser.