How to Display the Project Summary Task in Microsoft Project

Why the Project Summary Task Matters

In this blog post, I’m going to walk you through how to display the Project Summary Task in Microsoft Project — and why you should make it a standard part of every schedule you build. If you’ve ever opened a project file and wondered how to get a single, at-a-glance view of your project’s total duration, start date, finish date, and overall cost, the Project Summary Task is exactly what you’re looking for. It’s one of those features that experienced schedulers rely on every day, yet it’s surprisingly easy to miss when you’re just getting started. Updated for 2026, Let’s dive in!

The Project Summary Task is sometimes called “Row 0” or “Task 0” because Microsoft Project assigns it ID number 0, placing it above all other tasks in your schedule. Think of it as the roof of your project — it rolls up information from every single task below it into one summary row, giving you an instant snapshot of where your project stands. Without it, you’d have to manually calculate totals or hunt through individual tasks to understand your project’s overall picture.

In this article, I’ll show you how to turn on the Project Summary Task in an existing project, how to give it a meaningful name, and how to configure Microsoft Project so that every new project you create displays it automatically. As a bonus, I’ll also walk you through how to clean up your project if you’ve accidentally created an artificial Project Summary Task using a regular task row.

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How to Display the Project Summary Task in an Existing Project

Turning on the Project Summary Task takes just a few clicks. Here’s how to do it:

1. Click on the Gantt Chart Format ribbon tab (this tab appears when you’re in the Gantt Chart view).
2. On the far right side of the ribbon, locate the Show/Hide group.
3. Select the checkbox labeled Project Summary Task.

Notice that Microsoft Project immediately inserts a new task row at the very top of your task list with an ID of 0. That’s your Project Summary Task. It will display rolled-up values for duration, start, finish, and cost — all calculated automatically from the tasks in your schedule.

How to Give Your Project Summary Task a Meaningful Name

By default, Microsoft Project may populate the Project Summary Task name with the filename of your project, or it may leave it blank. Either way, you’ll want to give it a name that clearly identifies the project. Here’s how:

1. Click once on the name in the Task Name column for the Project Summary Task (Task ID 0).
2. Press the F2 function key to enter in-cell editing mode.
3. Type the name of your project — for example, ERP System Upgrade — and then press Enter.

One important thing to note is that the name you give the Project Summary Task has no effect on your schedule logic or calculations. It’s purely a label, but a meaningful one — especially when you’re sharing the file with stakeholders or printing reports.

How to Make the Project Summary Task Display Automatically in Every New Project

If you want Microsoft Project to show the Project Summary Task by default in every new project you create — and trust me, you do — you can configure that behavior in the application options. Here’s how:

1. Click the File tab to open the Backstage view.
2. Click Options at the bottom of the left-hand menu.
3. In the Project Options dialog, click the Advanced tab.
4. Scroll down to the section labeled Display options for this project.
5. Click the dropdown to the right of that label and choose All New Projects.
6. Select the Show Project Summary Task checkbox.
7. Click OK.

From this point forward, every new blank project you create in Microsoft Project will automatically display the Project Summary Task at row 0. You won’t have to remember to turn it on — it’ll just be there, ready to go.

If you want to build rock-solid scheduling habits like this one from the ground up, Dale’s training courses cover everything from the fundamentals to advanced project management techniques in Microsoft Project. To see what’s available, view Dale’s Microsoft Project training courses.

How to Remove an Artificial Project Summary Task You Created by Mistake

Here’s a situation I see fairly often: someone builds their project without knowing about the built-in Project Summary Task, so they create their own manually — usually as Task ID 1 — and indent all other tasks beneath it. Once you enable the real Project Summary Task (Task 0), you end up with two summary rows at the top, which is redundant and confusing. Here’s how to clean that up:

1. Identify the artificial Project Summary Task — it’s typically Task ID 1, sitting just below the real Task 0.
2. Click on the task immediately below the artificial summary task to select it.
3. Press and hold the Shift and Ctrl keys on your keyboard.
4. While holding those keys, press the Down Arrow key. This extends your selection to include all tasks below the artificial summary task.
5. On the Task ribbon, in the Schedule group, click the Outdent Task button (the arrow pointing left). This promotes those tasks back to the top level, removing them from underneath the artificial summary.
6. Right-click on the artificial summary task’s name.
7. In the shortcut menu, choose Delete Task.

And that’s it! Your project is now clean and organized, with the real Project Summary Task at row 0 rolling up all of your project data exactly as it should.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Project Summary Task in Microsoft Project?

The Project Summary Task, also known as Task 0 or Row 0, is a special task that Microsoft Project places at the very top of your task list. It automatically rolls up your project’s total duration, start date, finish date, total work, and total cost from all the tasks in your schedule, giving you an at-a-glance summary of the entire project.

Why doesn’t my Project Summary Task show up automatically?

By default, Microsoft Project does not display the Project Summary Task unless you turn it on. You can enable it in the Gantt Chart Format ribbon under the Show/Hide group, or you can configure it to appear automatically in all new projects through File > Options > Advanced > Display options for this project > All New Projects.

Can I rename the Project Summary Task?

Yes, absolutely. Click once on the Task Name field for Task ID 0, press F2 to enter edit mode, type the name you want to use, and press Enter. Most schedulers use the official project name so that the file is immediately identifiable when opened or printed.

Does the Project Summary Task affect my project’s schedule or cost calculations?

No — the Project Summary Task is purely a rolled-up summary. It reflects the calculated values from the tasks beneath it and does not drive or change any schedule logic, cost calculations, or resource assignments. You cannot directly edit its duration, start, or finish dates.

What’s the difference between the Project Summary Task and a regular summary task?

A regular summary task is one you create yourself to group and roll up a set of subtasks — for example, a phase or deliverable. The Project Summary Task is unique in that it sits above all other tasks at row 0, rolls up your entire project, and is controlled by a dedicated setting in Microsoft Project rather than being a task you manually create.

What should I do if I have two summary tasks at the top of my project?

This usually means you created a manual summary task (Task ID 1) before knowing about the built-in Project Summary Task. Once you enable Task 0, you’ll want to remove the manual one. Select all the tasks indented beneath it, outdent them using the Outdent Task button on the Task ribbon, and then delete the artificial summary task. The steps are covered in detail in the section above.

Where can I learn more about the Project Summary Task and other Microsoft Project features?

Dale Howard has a library of free tutorials on his YouTube channel, plus in-depth training courses available at dalehowardmvp.com.

Ready to master Microsoft Project?

If this article helped you, there’s a lot more where it came from. Dale Howard’s training courses walk you through Microsoft Project from the ground up — building the kind of practical, real-world skills that make you a more confident and effective project manager. Click below to explore everything that’s available. View Dale’s Training Courses