Track multiple projects in one Excel workbook
This free multiple project tracking template for Excel gives project managers, program managers, and PMOs one place to monitor a complete portfolio. For a broader operating model, see our guide to project portfolio management (PPM).
Enter project summaries, task details, costs, risks, issues, and progress. If task coordination is becoming difficult across initiatives, see how to manage tasks across multiple projects. The workbook automatically calculates project progress, actual cost, budget variance, open tasks, overdue work, RAG health, portfolio KPIs, and roadmap bars.
Use it for a portfolio of client projects, internal initiatives, campaigns, software projects, compliance work, operational improvements, or any collection of projects that needs consistent reporting.
Download the free Excel portfolio tracker
Includes sample data, formulas, dropdowns, conditional formatting, dashboard charts, a roadmap, and seven ready-to-use worksheets.
What is included in the multiple project tracker?
Executive dashboard
Monitor total projects, active work, weighted progress, overdue tasks, planned budget, actual spend, high risks, status, and RAG health.
Project portfolio register
Track business unit, portfolio, manager, sponsor, priority, status, dates, budget, progress, open work, and health for every project.
Cross-project task tracker
Manage tasks from every project with owners, priorities, status, dates, planned hours, completion, schedule flags, and notes.
Portfolio timeline
Compare project schedules in a ten-month roadmap with dark blue completed progress and light blue remaining duration.
Portfolio budget tracker
Compare budgeted, committed, actual, forecast, and variance by project, category, vendor, or cost owner.
Risk and issue register
Score probability and impact, assign owners, document response actions, and flag overdue or upcoming risk deadlines.
How to use the multiple project tracking template
Add your projects
Replace the sample portfolio with unique project IDs, names, business units, owners, sponsors, priorities, status, dates, and approved budgets.
Connect the task list
Select a Project ID for every task, then add the phase, owner, priority, status, dates, completion, planned hours, and notes.
Record costs
Add budgeted, committed, and actual expenses by project and cost category. For a deeper budgeting workflow, see project budget tracking. The project register and dashboard roll up actual spend automatically.
Manage risks and issues
Assign an owner, score probability and impact from one to five, document the next action, and enter a response due date.
Run the portfolio review
Use the dashboard and timeline to review health, progress, budget variance, overdue work, high risks, and overlapping delivery dates. As the portfolio grows, also review resource demand versus capacity so overlapping dates do not create hidden staffing conflicts.
Multiple project tracker example
The workbook includes an eight-project sample portfolio so you can see how status, progress, cost, deadlines, and RAG health connect.
| Project | Manager | Status | Progress | Budget Variance | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website Redesign | Omar Hassan | Complete | 100% | $4,000 | COMPLETE |
| Customer Portal Launch | Daniel Brooks | Active | 5% | $175,000 | GREEN |
| CRM Migration | James Wilson | At Risk | 39% | $88,000 | RED |
| SOC 2 Readiness | Nina Garcia | Active | 55% | $36,000 | GREEN |
| Mobile App Redesign | Aisha Khan | On Hold | 36% | $102,000 | AMBER |
Automatic portfolio tracking formulas included
The calculations are visible and editable so you can audit the logic or adapt the workbook to your reporting process.
SUM(Task % × Planned Hours) ÷ Project HoursSUM of Actual Expenses by Project IDPlanned Budget − Actual CostProbability × ImpactDone, Overdue, Due Soon, or On TrackComplete, Green, Amber, or RedWho should use a multi-project tracking spreadsheet?
The template is useful whenever leadership needs a consistent view across several initiatives without opening a separate project file for every update. This same visibility is a core part of portfolio management when teams move beyond spreadsheets.
Best practices for tracking multiple projects
Excel portfolio tracker vs. project portfolio software
Excel can work well for a smaller portfolio with one reporting owner. Dedicated project portfolio management software becomes more useful when teams need live updates, connected resource planning, automated rollups, and multiple reporting levels.
| Portfolio need | Excel project tracker | Portfolio management software |
|---|---|---|
| Small portfolio with one reporting owner | Good fit | Optional |
| Many managers updating projects | Version conflicts can occur | Shared real-time updates |
| Business unit, portfolio, program rollups | Manual consolidation | Connected hierarchy |
| Resource capacity across projects | Separate planning required | Integrated resource scheduling |
| Automated alerts and workflows | Limited without macros | Rules and notifications |
| Executive dashboards and drill-down | Manual refresh and filtering | Live portfolio reporting |
KolApp connects portfolio rollups with Gantt, Kanban, grid, resource scheduling, dashboards, budgets, resource capacity, risks, and reporting when the spreadsheet becomes difficult to maintain.
Why multi-project tracking needs resource capacity visibility
A portfolio can look healthy at the project level while still creating conflicts for the people doing the work. Two projects may both be green, on budget, and on schedule but depend on the same designer, engineer, analyst, or project manager during the same week.
That is why multi-project tracking becomes more useful when it is connected to resource management across multiple projects. Compare project demand with actual availability, time off, and existing assignments before committing to overlapping delivery dates.
You can start with the resource capacity calculator or learn how to calculate team capacity for projects. When the process becomes too difficult to maintain in separate spreadsheets, project management software with resource scheduling can connect delivery plans and capacity in one system.
Frequently asked questions
Is this multiple project tracking template free?
Yes. The .xlsx workbook is free to download and includes seven worksheets, sample data, formulas, dropdowns, conditional formatting, charts, a portfolio timeline, budget tracking, and a risk register.
How do I track multiple projects in Excel?
Create one project register with a unique ID for every project, then use that ID in task, budget, and risk tables. This template connects those tables and rolls the results into a portfolio dashboard.
What should a multiple project tracker include?
A useful tracker should include project name, manager, priority, status, start and finish dates, progress, budget, actual cost, overdue work, risks, milestones or deadlines, and a consistent health indicator.
Can this template track project budgets?
Yes. The Budget Tracker records budgeted, committed, and actual expenses by project and category. Actual cost and budget variance roll up automatically to Projects and the dashboard.
Can I use the workbook for project portfolio management?
Yes. It is designed as a practical portfolio tracker for multiple projects. For larger portfolios with many contributors, resource conflicts, automated updates, or complex reporting levels, connected portfolio software is easier to maintain.
Can I use this Excel template in Google Sheets?
You can upload the .xlsx file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. Review formulas, charts, tables, and conditional formatting after conversion because spreadsheet applications may display some features differently.