Task Templates in PRO-dela

Recurring tasks are rarely one hundred percent identical, but they almost always start with the same things: a name, description, category, priority, and a list of mandatory steps. In PRO-dela, this set can now be saved as a project template, so you no longer have to assemble it manually from scratch.

A template does not create a task automatically. It fills in a detailed form where you can review and change any value, and only then confirm the creation. The resulting task becomes an independent copy and no longer depends on the original template.

What kinds of tasks benefit from templates

Templates are useful where work repeats but each new instance requires slight adjustments. For example, when preparing a weekly report, onboarding a new client, publishing content, checking a release, or holding a standard meeting.

Instead of recalling mandatory steps and re-entering the same fields, a manager assembles a draft once. A team member selects it when creating a task, refines the details for the specific case, and saves the result.

What is stored in a template

A template has an internal name—used to find it in the list—and a separate name for the future task. In addition, you can save:

• the task description;
• the category of the current project;
• the priority;
• up to 50 subtasks with names and descriptions in the desired order.

The template deliberately does not carry over the stage, assignee, due date, participants, comments, files, expenses, or progress. These are context-specific to a particular task and are better set after creation. Subtask completion status is also not copied: each new task starts its list of steps from scratch.

Three ways to create a task

In the task creation window, three methods are now available:

1. Quick—the familiar short scenario with a single description.
2. From template—select a draft from the current project and then edit it.
3. Detailed—the same full form but without initial values.

First, you select a project because templates and categories belong to it. In the “From template” mode, you can search by the internal name and the future task name, and the draft card shows the category, priority, and number of subtasks.

After selecting a template, the detailed form opens. You can refine the name, supplement the description, change the category or priority, and delete, edit, or reorder subtasks. The API receives the confirmed snapshot of the form, not the template ID.

Why a task is not linked to the template after creation

The template is only a starting point. After creation, the task lives independently: changing or deleting the draft does not affect already created tasks. Conversely, working on a specific task does not overwrite the template.

This protects the project history. If the process changes over time, a new version of the template will only affect future tasks, while old ones remain as the team actually worked with them.

How to manage project templates

A separate “Task Templates” tab has been added to the project. A user with permission to edit the project can create, edit, and delete drafts. The list is sorted by internal name, and search works across both names.

Changes are saved only after clicking “Save.” If you close the editor, switch to another draft, or leave the tab with unsaved edits, PRO-dela will warn you about possible data loss. A local draft helps you recover after an accidental close or page refresh.

If the same template is edited simultaneously in different windows, the older version will not silently overwrite the newer one. The system will suggest loading the server version or saving the local data as a new draft.

How to save an existing task as a template

If you already have a successful task, you don’t need to transfer it manually. In the task card, the “Save as template” action is available. It opens the editor for a new draft and fills in the name, description, category, priority, and subtasks of the current task.

At this stage, nothing is saved yet. You can give the template a clear internal name, remove one-off details, change the order of steps, and only then save. If that name is already taken, the interface will suggest a variant with the “copy” label.

Permissions and project boundaries

Each template belongs to exactly one project and cannot be transferred between projects. A member with permission to create tasks can view and apply the drafts available to them. Creating, editing, and deleting the templates themselves requires permission to edit the project.

The category in a template must also belong to that project. If the category is later deleted, the template itself remains, but the category field is cleared. Other data remains available.

Subtasks are created together with the task

When you confirm the detailed form, the task and its subtasks are created in one operation. If any value fails validation, no partially created list remains: you correct the form and repeat the save.

The order of subtasks from the form is preserved. This is convenient for checklists where steps must be sequential: first gather input data, then prepare the result, check it, and only then send it.

Practical example

Suppose a team prepares a client report every week. A manager creates a template “Weekly Report,” sets the future task name, the category “Reporting,” medium priority, and four subtasks: collect metrics, check deviations, prepare conclusions, and send the document.

The next week, a team member selects this template, adds the relevant period to the name, specifies the recipient, and removes a step that is not needed this time. After confirmation, a regular task appears with its own subtasks. If the manager later improves the template, the already created report remains unchanged.

Frequently asked questions

Is a task created immediately after selecting a template?

No. The template only fills the detailed form. Until you click “Create,” you can change or delete any carried-over value.

Will the task change if the template is edited?

No. The created task is an independent copy with no permanent link to the template.

Can I use a template in another project?

No. Templates are isolated within a project; there is no shared library or transfer between projects in the current version.

Will the assignee and due date be copied?

No. The template carries over only the name, description, category, priority, and subtasks. The assignee, due date, stage, and other fields of the specific work are set separately.

What happens after deleting a template?

It disappears from the list of drafts, but tasks that were previously created with its help do not change.

Who can create templates?

A user with permission to edit the project. Applying ready-made templates is available to project members who are allowed to create tasks.

Create your first template

Open the project, go to the “Task Templates” tab, and save one recurring task as a draft. Or open an already well-structured task and choose “Save as template.” The next time you create a task, select the “From template” method, review the filled form, and adapt it to the current case.

For more details on statuses, the task card, and the lifecycle of a regular task, read the article “Tasks in PRO-dela”. If you don’t have an account yet, register in PRO-dela and create your first project.