The invention relates to a method for the treatment of metal sheets that are rolled in a roll stand to their final dimensions, subsequently cooled online, straightened, and heat-treated for homogenization and influencing the microstructure. According to the invention, in order to improve the heat treatment options online, the heat treatment occurs online but decoupled from the prior cooling and straightening processes, for which purpose, taking into account the speed of the metal sheet as it exits the final machining station located upstream, the point in time at which the heat treatment begins is selected such that the metal sheet has completely left said final machining station before the metal sheet is subjected to heat treatment.