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This page shows MSP staff how to build reusable plans with phases, tasks, and an actions register. The same library feeds Projects > New project and the Apply template button on a project.

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Before you start

  • You need an MSP staff role with project-settings or onboarding-settings permission.
  • Creating a project from a template needs separate project write permission and an active subscription.
  • Reusable pages and checklists can need onboarding-settings access even when you can edit a project template.

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Create the template

1

Open Templates

Open Settings > Projects > Templates > Templates.
2

Start a template

Click New Template and enter a Name, an optional Description, Duration (days), and any tags.
3

Choose the project type

Pick a Project type. A type with Onboarding turned on, or Client onboarding (default), adds portal settings, dates, pages, and invitations. A plain project type shows Default status and ticket defaults.
4

Create it

Click Create Template. You can then add phases, items, and actions.
Project types are managed under Settings > Projects > Project Settings > Project Types. Archived types are not offered for new templates. Changing the type changes which editor sections show, so check the structure before you use the template.

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Understand what saves

The header Save button is not a batch save for every child editor. Reopen the template when you need to confirm the saved result.

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Build phases and tasks

1

Add a phase

Click Add Phase. It is saved at once.
2

Add an item

Click Add Item inside the phase. Expand the item and enter its title, description, priority, category, due offset and what it counts from, assignee role, estimated hours, and milestone flag.
3

Set ticket defaults

On a plain project, open Ticket defaults and set Budget hours, Start offset (days), Default assignee, and Billable. These shape the ticket made from the task. Check the dates and assignments on the real project.
Onboarding templates support additional task and document types, client ownership, dependencies, pages, dates, and visibility controls. See Onboarding Templates for those workflows.

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Add project actions

1

Open the Actions register

In the template editor, find Actions register.
2

Add an action

Click Add action, enter a title, and pick the Type. An action with no title stays a local draft.
3

Fill in the details

Set the description, due offset and what it counts from, the linked phase, and Urgent as needed.
Actions hold approvals, questions, access requests, scheduling, decisions, and action items outside phase tasks. They are separate from the delivery tickets. Creating a plain project or applying a template copies this register. Onboarding portals also copy their template actions when they are linked to a native or PSA project. An unlinked portal reports zero actions until you link a project. Relinking keeps existing responses and does not duplicate actions. Unlinking does not delete project actions.

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AI design

Use the template designer to propose a plan for the selected project type. Review each proposed change before you apply it, including phases, tasks, ticket defaults, actions, and client-facing content. Project and onboarding design modes keep separate chats and proposals. Switching mode does not apply an old proposal.

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Import, export, and maintain

Click Import from PSA when your connected PSA offers source templates. Check the imported plan, project type, task defaults, and actions before you use it. Importing does not write delivery work back to the PSA. The import and export controls use the formats in Onboarding Templates. Updating an existing template and importing a new one have different results, so check the format first. Use a template’s row menu to duplicate, archive, restore, or delete it, as your role allows. Archiving hides it from new-project choices. Changing a template does not change projects already made from it.

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Create or extend a project

1

Start a new project

Click New project on Projects. The wizard lists active templates.
2

Follow the template's path

A plain project template goes to the project destination check. An onboarding template adds a Client portal step. Where native creation is allowed, it creates a portal and a linked MSPortal project. If your PSA owns project creation, the portal is kept and the wizard asks you to link it to a PSA project. Open Client Portal to find that portal and do not create it twice. Check contacts before you start a portal or send invitations.
To add a template to an existing plain project, click Apply template in the project header, pick the template and the work to add, and check the result. Onboarding templates are not offered here. Native projects get local work. Supported PSA-backed projects can create records in the PSA. Check partial results before you retry.

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Troubleshooting

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Frequently asked questions

No. The header Save Changes saves the template details. Adding a phase saves it at once, and task fields save in their editor. Reopen the template to check what saved.
No. A template only affects projects you create or extend from it afterward.

Native Projects

Create and deliver a project.

Onboarding Templates

Configure client-facing onboarding work.