Project Templates

Project templates let you easily predefine recurring work packages.

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Main Benefits and Use Cases

Project templates are especially useful when you create similar projects repeatedly:

• Standardize project creation with consistent descriptions, tags, and settings
• Start with ready-made task lists and tasks instead of creating them manually
• Set project and task statuses from the start
• Use automation by defining project automations in advance

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What Project Templates Contain

• Name and optionally an image: The image is displayed when you select a template during project creation and helps with recognition.
• Description that gets added when creating a project
• Tags for projects created with the template
• Budget
• Project settings:
  • Pre-set logged time as billable (including Auto, which depends on whether a client is selected during project creation)
  • Selection of task list for tasks created from emails: which task list should receive tasks created via email
  • Project type
  • Use template image for project: if disabled, the client image will be used by default when creating a project with a client
• Project and task statuses (board columns): learn more here
• Custom fields for tasks: learn more here
• Automations: learn more here
• Task lists and tasks as a starter set for new projects

You can rearrange statuses, task lists, and tasks using drag and drop.

Task templates can contain relative fields (for example, due dates).

Learn more: Task Templates

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Create a New Project Template

1. Navigate to Settings (gear icon in the bottom left of the main menu) > Templates.
2. In the upper section Project Templates, click + Add.
3. Enter a name and add an image (optional).
4. Click Save.
5. Then customize the template details (for example, tasks, automations, statuses).

If you've created task templates, you can also import task lists into your project template.

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Convert an Existing Project into a Template

1. Open the project.
2. Open the Actions menu in the top right (in the header or Home tab) and select Create template
3. Give the template a name and (optionally) an image.
4. Choose which project elements should be included (all are selected by default).

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Create a Project with a Template

1. Start creating a new project and enter your project information.
2. When the template selection window appears, click the template you want to use. Choose between your own templates and an awork template.

Preview Project Templates and Set Favorites

To use project templates efficiently, you have the following options available:

Show Preview

• In the project template selection, hovering will display an info icon in the lower left corner. You can use this to open a preview of the template.
• In the preview, you can see the settings and content that will be applied to your project.

Set Favorites

• Click the star icon in the lower right corner, which appears when you hover over the selection, to save the template as a favorite.
• Favorites are displayed first in the order they were selected.

Backward Planning for Templates

With backward planning, you can specify an end date for the last task when creating a project with a template.

Instead of planning all tasks from "today", you set a reference date when selecting a template (for example, project end date or a custom date). The tasks are then automatically scheduled backward from this date.

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Manage Templates

• Go to Settings (gear icon in the bottom left of the main menu) > Templates
• In Project Templates you can see all templates saved in your awork.
• Using the Actions button you can edit a template (change name and image), duplicate it, or delete it.
• Click on a template to open its details and edit the content.

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Tips for Using Project Templates and Notes

Templates and projects are not linked after creation. Using a template copies the data into the project.

• Keep automations optional by creating them as disabled in the template
• In addition to templates you create yourself, awork also provides pre-made project templates created by the awork team. You can find more information about awork templates here.

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FAQ

Are project templates linked to the projects created from them?

No. When you create a project with a template, the template data is copied into the project. You can edit or delete the project content without affecting the template.

If I change a template later, will existing projects be updated?

No. Changes to the template do not affect projects already created from it. The exception is automations: if you change an automation in the template, awork asks whether existing projects should adopt the change (you can skip this).

Can I preview a project template before using it?

Yes. When selecting project templates during project creation, click the info icon to see a preview of the template's settings and content.

What is backward planning for templates?

Backward planning lets you set the date by which the last task should be completed when creating a project with a template. The tasks are then scheduled backward from this reference date.

How is the due date for a task dynamically set when using a project template?

Dynamic due dates are set based on the project creation date (the day the template is used). Example: If you load a project template on 03/05/2026 and the task is set to a due date 5 days after creation, the due date will be 03/10/2026.

What does the lock symbol mean for templates?

The lock symbol means the number of templates is limited in your current plan.