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Project templates

Project templates are reusable starting points for recurring work. A template belongs to one space. When you create a project from a template, Operately copies its structure, including milestones, tasks, people, discussions, and Docs & Files, into a new independent project. Dates in a template are relative to the new project’s start date.

Open a space and select the Templates tool. If you don’t see it, a space admin needs to enable Templates.

You need Edit Access on the space to create or change templates.

  1. Open the Templates tool. Operately opens the space’s Project Templates page.
  2. Click New template.
  3. Enter a Template name, then click Create template.

Open a template to use it like a project shell. Tabs:

  • Overview — name, description, Project duration, milestones, Champion, Reviewer, and Contributors
  • Tasks — list or board, relative due dates, assignees, and workflow
  • Discussions
  • Docs & Files

Relative dates use labels such as On the project start date and N days after project starts.

On a library card menu or the template Actions menu:

  • Duplicate — opens Duplicate project template. Default name is Copy of [name]. Submit with Duplicate template.
  • Archive — removes the template from project creation. You can restore it later.
  • Restore — returns an archived template to active use.
  • Delete — permanently removes the template. Existing projects created from it stay unchanged.

Archived templates do not show Create project. Filter the library to Archived to find them.

You can start a project from a template in a few places:

  • On a library card, click Create project
  • On Create a project, choose a Template and a Project start date, then click Add Project
  • From a Work Map Add project dialog, after you choose a Space

To turn an existing project into a template, see Save a project as a template.

  • Recurring launches, onboarding, or hiring plans that should start with the same milestones and tasks
  • Copying a well-run project’s structure without copying its health, check-ins, or activity

Turn the Templates tool on or off in Space tools.