> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.msportal.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Link an onboarding template task to a Standard

> Configure a Standards link once in an onboarding template and carry it into new client portals.

<Note>
  Branch preview for the September 18 release. These controls are not yet published. Screenshots show MSPortal Demo running the release branch.
</Note>

**Audience:** MSP staff managing onboarding templates. The link control needs
Planner write, onboarding settings write, and Standards read access. Reading
saved links also requires onboarding settings read access. Saving requires active
billing.

Link a template task when its progress represents delivery of a standard, for
example, setting up endpoint protection. New portals created from that template
inherit the link. Configure it on the template rather than each company's task.
The link tracks delivery; it does not install software or change an external PSA
record. Approval tasks cannot link a standard, because new portals turn them into
approvals rather than tasks.

## Configure the template link

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the template task">
    Open **Settings > Client Onboarding**, choose the template, select **Phases**
    from its menu, expand the phase, and open the task. Expand **Link to a standard**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the Standard">
    Select the standard and, when appropriate, its deployment option. Choose
    **No deployment option** if the task does not establish a specific option.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the completion result">
    Set **When completed** to **Deployed**, **In progress**, or **Declined**, then
    select **Save**. Reopen the template task to confirm the saved link.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use the template for a new portal">
    Create a company's onboarding portal from this template. Its task inherits
    the saved link and completion result. As the task progresses, review the
    company's answer under **MSP Tools > Standards**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="Open the task inside the onboarding template's phase.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/msportal/aVtJQfiX2_wSPVca/images/product/standards-onboarding-tasks.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=aVtJQfiX2_wSPVca&q=85&s=0ddd56017ebcd4b2de1669d899681089" alt="Endpoint Readiness Demo onboarding template with its endpoint setup tasks." width="2880" height="1920" data-path="images/product/standards-onboarding-tasks.png" />
</Frame>

<Frame caption="Branch preview: Unsaved configuration preview; fields fit the available editor width.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/msportal/rYkMNeXeoEpsRB-K/images/product/onboarding-standard-link-fixed.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=rYkMNeXeoEpsRB-K&q=85&s=c27556c97b7edc1197cf27520d6187ae" alt="Onboarding task linked to a Standard" width="2880" height="1920" data-path="images/product/onboarding-standard-link-fixed.png" />
</Frame>

## Understand progress and reopening

The inherited link follows the company's task:

| Task state          | Linked Standards answer             |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Pending             | Not Started                         |
| In progress         | In Progress                         |
| Blocked             | Not Started                         |
| Completed           | Your selected When completed result |
| Reopened to Pending | Not Started                         |

The standard must apply to the company. Task progress cannot override its
device-platform or company-field exclusion.

A manual, non-default answer remains authoritative. For example, manually
marking the standard **Deployed** preserves that decision when the task is
reopened. An unanswered **Not Started** cell can be controlled by onboarding.

## Change or remove a template link

Template edits affect future portal tasks. Existing portal tasks keep the link
and completion result they inherited; editing or clearing the template link does
not rewrite them.

To stop future tasks inheriting the link, open **Link to a standard** on the
template task, choose **No linked standard**, and select **Save**.

Changing the selected standard clears the deployment-option selection. Choose
an option belonging to the new standard before saving.

Only one task in a template can link to the same standard. When another task
already owns that link, saving reports the conflict. Remove the earlier template
link before assigning it to a different task. If an existing company task already
controls that standard, applying another template preserves the company's
existing owner.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom                                                 | Check                                                                                                                       |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Link to a standard is missing                           | Open the template task in Settings and check the required permissions. Individual company tasks do not configure this link. |
| An existing portal did not change after a template edit | Existing tasks retain their inherited link. The updated template applies to future portal tasks.                            |
| Another task already links this standard                | Review the other tasks and phases in the same template.                                                                     |
| Completing a task did not deploy the standard           | Check the inherited completion result, applicability, and whether a manual answer already owns the cell.                    |
| Reopening did not clear a manual deployment             | Manual non-default answers are intentionally preserved.                                                                     |
| Billing does not answer the pending linked standard     | An onboarding-controlled answer retains its onboarding ownership.                                                           |

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Client onboarding" icon="list-check" href="/user-guides/client-onboarding/index">
    Review the broader onboarding workflow.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Read the Standards matrix" icon="table-cells" href="/user-guides/msp-tools/read-standards-matrix">
    Understand the resulting deployment status.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>