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TimelineJS

Operator: Northwestern University, Knight Lab, United States

Creates interactive timelines from event tables, text and linked media.

Visualisation

OPSEC caution

In the Google Sheets workflow, the event spreadsheet must be published to the web. The information it contains then becomes publicly accessible.

Open website

Product

TimelineJS3, a Knight Lab tool for interactive timelines.

Availability and source date

Active

As of: 17 October 2026.

No functionality test has been performed.

Use in OSINT research

Arranges researched events chronologically and presents them with text and media. The timeline can be embedded in your own web pages.

Queries

Not applicable

Features

  • Reads events from Google Sheets, JSON and CSV data.
  • Links events with images, video or audio content.
  • Groups related events on the timeline.
  • Lets readers open events through slides and a zoomable timeline.
  • Embeds timelines in web pages through an iframe or JavaScript.

Categories

  • Visualisation

Coverage

Dataset

Processes the user’s events and media; no regional research dataset of its own.

Access

Installation and deployment

Website · Self-hosted

Embedding through Knight Lab or direct JavaScript integration on your own web server.

Requirements

The spreadsheet workflow requires a Google account and a spreadsheet published to the web. Your own JSON or CSV data can instead be used on your own server.

Export

Embed code and preview link; event data as a Google spreadsheet or your own JSON/CSV configuration.

Provider

Northwestern University, Knight Lab

Country of establishment

United States

Interfaces

API

Available. JavaScript API for integration into your own pages, including navigation, event changes and data access.

MCP

Not documented. Not described on the product pages and in the guides reviewed.

AI agents

Not documented. Not described on the product pages and in the guides reviewed.

Maintenance

Licence

MPL-2.0

Latest activity

Commit 09/2026

Stars

approx. 3,200 (as of 17 October 2026)

Limitations

  • The Google Sheets workflow requires public spreadsheet sharing. TimelineJS3 processes Google Sheets, JSON or CSV. TimelineNG is an additional editor.

Guides and practical reports

Sources

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