Do you have processes for recurring activities? If not, we highly recommend starting with project templates in Freelo. The template can be just a checklist of steps. It will help you keep the same procedure and not to forget anything.
Project templates help you to create typified projects quickly. They can also be pre-set due dates or sub/task solvers.
How to create a template
In order for your team to use templates for individual tasks, To-Do lists, or projects, you first need to create a project template.
1. New project template
You can create a brand new project template and define the procedure by adding To-Do lists, smart subtasks, and subtasks. Go to Projects > All projects > click Add template.
After clicking to Add template, you will see the form. It is similar to creating a new project. Enter a name of the template and a captain.
The captain of the template should always be the user who assigned you the Project manager role and is the owner of the paid plan.
Then you have a clear project template where you define particular To-Do lists, tasks, and subtasks. You can also invite other users, assign them as solvers, or preset due dates.
2. Template from an existing project
In case you have a well-structured project and you know the tasks are recurring, you can create a template from it. In this case, a new project template is created and saved:
- To-Do lists
- incomplete tasks and subtasks
- task labels
- invited users and their hourly rates
- optional first comments of tasks and subtasks
- solvers
- files and notes
Go to All projects and via the three-dot menu on the right click Create a template from the project.
If it is your own project you can create a template in the project detail. Click the setting icon and Create template.
New project from the template
To create a new project from a template, click Create project in the top purple bar.
After this, a form will appear where you can fill in the details of the new project.
Here you write the name of the project and fill in the date from which the deadlines of tasks and subtasks you have preset in the template will be set. Select which of the users invited in the template will be invited to the new project (by default – users who are solvers of sub/tasks in the template will be selected). Then you set the row or column view of the project, the currency (cannot be changed later), and set the captain (owner) of the project – this should always be the user who pays for the plan.
Confirm via Create project.
Remember that if you create a new project from a template as a Project manager, the captain has to be a user with the paid plan. In the part Who is the captain of this project? select your team captain.
It works just as in common projects.
Date for creating task deadlines
In the form, there is a part called Select a date from which the task dues will be created. That means you should select a date when the task’s and subtask’s deadlines start to create.
For example, today is the 5th. I set the date from which the task dues are created on the 15th. In some tasks, I have preset due dates of -10, -5, -1, +1, +5, and +10 days. The real due dates of these tasks will be on the 5th, 10th, 14th, 16th, 20th, and 25th.
New To-Do list from template
First, create a project template as described above. From the project template, you can add one or more To-Do lists with a task and subtask list, an assigned solver, and a due date.
Go to the project detail page and click Add from template… via the arrow next to the red To-Do lists heading, and just select one or more To-Do lists from your templates.
A list of tasks appears and you can add one or more To-Do lists. Confirm the addition via Paste Selected Tasks.
New sub/task from template
First, create a project template as described above. From the project template, you can add a task with a checklist or a procedure in subtasks. They can have a pre-assigned solver, due date, and assignment in the first comment.
Go to the project details and via the arrow next to the Add task button, select Add from template… and just select one or more tasks from templates.
Select the tasks you want to add from the list. They can also contain subtasks. If you have a due date defined in the template, set the Setup due dates from the date at the bottom and they will count from that date. Save the tasks by clicking on the Paste Selected Tasks button.
How to add a subtask
You can add an entire list of subtasks to an existing task in bulk. Go to the task detail and click on the arrow next to the green Add subtasks > Add subtasks from template…
Similar to adding a task, you will see a list of tasks that have subtasks. Select which subtasks you want to add to the task and confirm with the Insert selected subtasks button.
How to use templates
As soon as you have some project templates, you can find them in the section All projects > Project templates.
Then you can add particular To-Do lists or tasks with the defined process for running the project. Also, it helps you create tasks in bulk.
Add task from template
Go to the project detail and click the arrow icon next Add task > Add from template…
In the following window select the task template that you want to add as a new task.
Add a To-Do list from the template
Below you can see how to add a To-Do list from a template. Click Add from template… via the arrow next to the red title To-Do lists.
Invite users to template
It is also possible to invite users to the project’s template. This allows you to share the template with other users who can use it as well.
Go to the section Users in the template and click the green plus icon to invite others.
You can set the user’s hourly rate or appoint admin users in the template, both of which will be transferred to the project created from the template.
As soon as you invite users to the template you can assign them tasks and subtasks. Assigned users remain as solvers in created tasks or whole To-Do lists.
Set up due dates
You can set up floating due dates, for example, + 7 days or −7 days from the date you choose when creating a new project from a template. In the template, you preset the deadline for a task or subtask.
Add a due date just as in a normal task. Place the mouse over a task and click Assign/Due… or go to the task detail. Or use the keyboard to shortcut the cursor on the task + T.
What is converted from the template to a new project?
- The structure of To-Do lists, tasks, and subtasks
- The first comment in a task or subtask
- Sub/task assignment to other users (solver must be invited to the template and the new project)
- Pre-set floating due date based on the date you chose when creating a new project from the template
- User’s hourly rate
- Admin role
The text form of the template
You can have every template written in text form.
Multiple To-Do list creation
Go to a particular project and click the arrow icon next to the red title To-Do lists > Add more items…
In the following form add the To-Do list, tasks, and subtasks in the precise form:
= To-Do list name
Task name
– Smart subtask name
–– Subtask name
Multiple task creation
Click the arrow next to Add task > Add multiple tasks…
In the following window input particular tasks and subtasks. Enter a list of task names without any marks. Write one task per line. In case you want to add a smart subtask add a dash in front of the smart subtask name and a double dash for the subtask in front of its name.
You can also assign all of them to one user via Assigned to or add a due date. Confirm via Save.
Setting up the priority, solver, due date, and comments
If you want to set up the priority just add the number 1 to 3 behind the sub/task name. Number 1 means low priority, number 2 stands for medium priority and number 3 is a high priority for the task.
For setting up the solver, add @@ and the user ID behind the sub/task name.
- On his or her profile it is the number behind the last / of the URL.
- Everywhere else in Freelo, you can just move the cursor to the user, and the URL with the user ID appears in the left bottom corner of the screen.
For adding the due date just put // and the number of days from today for which the due date should be set OR simply add the date, which can also contain the exact time.
You can find more information about setting up the due date via text here.
In case you need to add some comments to your sub/tasks ready in the text template, add:: and the comment behind the sub/task name.
Template transfer
The template transfer works the same way as the project transfer. It might come in handy when Project managers create templates under their accounts at the beginning or when you have a new boss/team captain.
Go to the section Projects in the upper blue bar > All projects > go to the Add Project button and open the menu under the arrow > Request from users/Transfer to user.
You can transfer your own templates to another user – the best choice is the captain with paid account plan, via Transfer to user. Another way is to request template transfer from the current owner to you (only if you are invited to the template) – Request from users.
Template transfer to another user
In case you want to transfer your own template to someone else, you have to click checkboxes next to the template name. Below select the new template owner > Who do you want to transfer your projects to? and confirm via Transfer selected projects.
Template request from a user
You can request a template transfer only if you are invited to the template. Via checkboxes select the templates that you want to own. Confirm via Request project transfer.
