It is really straight forward...

It starts with the "Chronicles" the main story line then the rest are "prequels"
The prequel series takes place before and in between the books in the main
"Chonicle series.

In my view the correct reading order (after the chonicles) is the order the series
have been published since that is the way the authors told the story.

Reading in "timeline order" may make the stories less enjoyable since there might
be information you lack, there might be spoilers and you might not understand the
significance of events.

The reading /publishing order.

1# Chronicles
Book 1-8
Dune
Dune Messiah
Children of Dune
God Emperor of Dune
Heretics of Dune
Chapterhouse: Dune
Hunters of Dune
Sandworms of Dune

#2 Prelude to Dune
The series takes place in the years leading up to the events in the original novel
Dune and explores the origins of some of its characters.

The series begins four decades before the events of Dune, with an eager Crown
Prince Shaddam plotting to succeed his aging father Elrood IX, young House Atreides
heir Leto becoming close with the ruling family of the important technology world
Ix, and the Bene Gesserit scheming behind the scenes to create the Kwisatz
Haderach.

As the series progresses, Leto becomes the new Atreides Duke, Shaddam becomes the
emperor and aligns with the Bene Tleilax in their takeover of Ix to develop
synthetic spice, and the Bene Gesserit punish Baron Vladimir Harkonnen for raping
one of them with a disease that slows his metabolism.
The Spacing Guild, having found the Tleilaxu synthetic spice to be fatal to its
Navigators, forces Shaddam to capitulate to the Landsraad, with Leto playing a role
in forcing Shaddam to sign humiliating peace accords, confirming his status as the
emperor's leading rival.

Dune: House Atreides (1999)

Dune: House Harkonnen (2000)
Dune: House Corrino (2001)

#3 Legends of Dune
The series takes place over 10,000 years before the events of the novel Dune, and
chronicles the universe-spanning war against thinking machines that would
eventually become known as the Butlerian Jihad.
It also explores the origins of the families and organizations that populate the
distinctive universe in other Dune works.

The series begins more than a millennium after a group of immortal, militant
cyborgs calling themselves the Titans seized control of the entire universe in
indestructible cymek bodies and then accidentally relinquished control to an
artificial intelligence program called Omnius.

Omnius and the immortal Titans rule over the 500 planets of the Synchronized Worlds
with cruelty while a handful of free planets are united under the League of Nobles,
a government using what resources it has to defend against machine aggression.
A prominent figure in the human rebellion is Serena Butler, whose young son dies at
the hands of the independent robot Erasmus and sparks the Butlerian Jihad, with
humanity mounting a decisive offense against machine rule.

This crusade against the machines lasts for nearly a century, with much loss of
human life but ending in human victory at the Battle of Corrin.
The Jihad also gives rise to the Bene Gesserit, the Spacing Guild, the Sardaukar
army, the Landsraad, and House Corrino, whose Padishah Emperors rule the universe
for the next 10,000 years until the events of Dune.

The Butlerian Jihad (2002)

The Machine Crusade (2003)
The Battle of Corrin (2004)

#4 Heroes of Dune
These novels are intended to "fill in the story" between Frank Herbert's early Dune
novels.

Half of the story of Paul of Dune takes place between "Dune" and "Dune Messiah" as
Paul's Jihad rages, Shaddam seeks to regain his throne and Princess Irulan accepts
the "task of building the legend of Muad'Dib".
She in turn chronicles Paul's early years (between the 2001 prequel Dune: House
Corrino and Dune), which feature "his friendship with Duncan and Gurney and Duke
Leto's War of Assassins against Grumman".
The "Winds of Dune" chronicles events between "Dune Messiah" and "Children of
Dune".

Paul of Dune (2008)

The Winds of Dune (2009)

#5 The Great Schools of Dune

he series takes place nearly a century after the "Battle of Corrin" (#3 Legends of
Dune), in which the Army of Humanity finally defeats the thinking machine armies of
Omnius.
Now, the fledgling Bene Gesserit, Mentat and Suk Schools, as well as the Spacing
Guild, are threatened by the independent anti-technology forces gaining power in
the aftermath of the Butlerian Jihad.

In Sisterhood of Dune, the anti-technology Butlerian movement is gaining momentum

under the leadership of the popular Manford Torondo.
He and his forces are scouring the universe to cleanse humanity of its reliance on
convenient technologies, destroying any machinery they can find.
Torondo's growing power threatens the Corrino Emperor Salvador, as well as the
Sisterhood on Rossak and the Mentat School on Lampadas, each of which harbors
secret technology.
Space travel tycoon Josef Venport also plots to salvage machinery which he believes
can be useful in his business empire.
Mentats of Dune finds Gilbertus Albans carefully managing his Mentat School under
the watchful eye of the fanatical Butlerians, while Raquella Berto-Anirul seeks to
rebuild her own Sisterhood School on Wallach IX.
To secure his control of interstellar commerce and strike a blow against the
Butlerians, Venport places a trade embargo on any planet which embraces Torondo's
movement.

Sisterhood of Dune (2012)

Mentats of Dune (2014)
Navigators of Dune (2016)

#6 The Caladan Trilogy

Leto Atreides, Duke of Caladan and father of the Muad’Dib. While all know of his
fall and the rise of his son, little is known about the quiet ruler of Caladan and
his partner Jessica. Or how a Duke of an inconsequential planet earned an emperor’s
favor, the ire of House Harkonnen, and set himself on a collision course with his
own death. This is the story.

#1 The Duke of Caladan (2020)

The Chronological order of Dune (not recommended reading order)

The Dune universe, set in the distant future of humanity, has a history that
stretches thousands of years (some 15,000 years in total) and covers considerable
changes in political, social, and religious structure as well as technology.
Creative works set in the Dune universe can be said to fall into five general time
periods:

1. The Butlerian Jihad: Legends of Dune prequel trilogy (2002–2004) by Brian

Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson; Great Schools of Dune (2014–2016) by Brian
Herbert and Anderson

2. The Corrino-led Imperium: Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy (1999–2001) by Brian

Herbert and Anderson; Heroes of Dune series (2008–2009) by Brian Herbert and
Anderson

3. The rise of the Atreides: Dune (1965), Dune Messiah (1969), and Children of Dune
(1976) by Frank Herbert; Heroes of Dune series (2008–2009) by Brian Herbert and
Anderson

4. The reign and fall of the God Emperor: God Emperor of Dune (1981) by Frank
Herbert

5. The return from the Scattering: Heretics of Dune (1984) and Chapterhouse: Dune
(1985) by Frank Herbert; Hunters of Dune (2006) and Sandworms of Dune (2007) by
Brian Herbert and Anderson

This is "roughly" the chronological order of the published (Audio) books following
the Dune timeline.
The order is "roughly" since the events in some books happens simultaneously.
NOT the order of publication
NOT the recommended reading order

The Butlerian Jihad "Legends of Dune" #1

The Machine Crusade "Legends of Dune" #2
The Battle of Corrin "Legends of Dune" #3
Sisterhood of Dune "Schools of Dune" #1
Mentats of Dune "Schools of Dune" #2
Navigators of Dune "Schools of Dune" #3
House Atreides "Prelude to Dune" #1
House Harkonnen "Prelude to Dune" #2
House Corrino "Prelude to Dune" #3
Paul of Dune "Heroes of Dune" #1
The Winds of Dune "Heroes of Dune" #2
The Duke of Caladan "The Caladan Trilogy" #1
Dune "Chronicles" #1
Dune Messiah "Chronicles" #2
Children of Dune "Chronicles" #3
God Emperor of Dune "Chronicles" #4
Heretics of Dune "Chronicles" #5
Chapterhouse: Dune "Chronicles" #6
Hunters of Dune "Chronicles" #7
Sandworms of Dune "Chronicles" #8