<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some projects don’t only happen once. If you find yourself doing repetitive work and re-creating the same type of project again and again, save time by re-using your original project and turning it into a </span><strong>project template</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">. You can then re-use the template as many times as you want.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can export project templates as CSV files, or as weblinks that you can easily save for later use or share with others. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s how: </span></p>
<div class="box-note">
<p>You can only create project templates from the web or desktop apps. This feature isn’t available on mobile.</p>
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<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Creating project templates</span></h2>
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<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Open the project you want to duplicate. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the top-right corner, click on the <strong>three dots icon</strong>.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Select <strong>Export as a template</strong>. </span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Choose whether you want to save the template as a CSV file or as a shareable weblink.</span></li>
</ol>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your project template will be an exact duplicate of the original including all due dates, comments, and files.</span></p>
<div class="box-tip">
<p>You can also easily <a href="https://support.todoist.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001800469" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">duplicate tasks</a> within a project.</p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Additionally, you can also create a custom template to import tasks from a different program or spreadsheet using a CSV file. <a href="https://support.todoist.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000748525-How-to-format-your-CSV-file-so-you-can-import-it-into-Todoist">Learn more about how to format your CSV file so you can import it into Todoist.</a></span></p>
<p>You’ll have the option to “Use relative dates” in your template. That means that dates like “tomorrow” or “in 5 days” will be set based on the date you import the template into a new project. For example, if you create your new project and import the template on May 5, any task with a due date of “tomorrow” will be due on May 6.</p>
<div class="box-warning">
<p>When downloading a project, the start date of a recurring due date will not be saved in the template. As an example, if you have a task with the recurring due date <em>every year starting January 31</em> and you then export and import a template with that task, the task's due date will be changed to <em>every year</em>.</p>
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<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Importing project templates from a shareable weblink</span></h2>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Click on the weblink for the project template you want to re-create (see step 4 above).</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Click </span><strong>Use This Template</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span>
</li>
</ol>
<p><img src="https://get.todoist.help/hc/article_attachments/360001056379/New_Templates_Image.png" alt="New_Templates_Image.png"></p>
<p>A new project will appear at the bottom of your project list with all of the original project’s tasks, including all due dates, comments, and files.</p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Importing pre-made project templates from todoist.com/templates</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you're looking to get a headstart on your project, browse the Todoist library of 60+ pre-made templates in categories ranging from work to personal to creative. Find the templates at <a href="https://todoist.com/templates">todoist.com/templates</a>.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Importing project templates from a CSV file</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The project will be populated with all of the original project’s tasks – including all due dates, comments, and files. </span></p>
<div class="box-tip">You can re-create the project template even faster by dragging and dropping the CSV file directly into an existing project.</div>
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<div data-platform="web mac windows-10">
<ol>
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<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Create a new project (or open an existing project) to import your template into. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the top-right corner, click on the <strong>three dots icon</strong>.</span></li>
<li>Select<strong> Import from template</strong>. Please note that your CSV file needs to be UTF-8 encoded. You can learn more about this in the next section of this article.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Select the CSV file template from your computer (see step 4 above).</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span>
</li>
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</ol>
<div class="box-warning">Please note that your CSV file needs to be UTF-8 encoded. You can learn more about this in the next section of this article.</div>
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<h2>Save your CSV file with UTF-8 encoding</h2>
<p>In order for Todoist to import your CSV file correctly, it'll have to be encoded using UTF-8 formatting. Below you can learn how to save your CSV file with UTF-8 encoding in Microsoft Excel, Numbers, and Notepad!</p>
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<h4>Save your CSV file using UTF-8 encoding in Microsoft Excel</h4>
<ol>
<li>Open your CSV file in Microsoft Excel.</li>
<li>Click <strong>File </strong>in the top-left corner of your screen.</li>
<li>Select <strong>Save as...</strong>
</li>
<li>Open the drop-down menu next to <strong>File format</strong>.</li>
<li>Select <strong>CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (.csv)</strong>.</li>
<li>Click <strong>Save</strong>.</li>
</ol>
<h4>Save your CSV file using UTF-8 encoding in Numbers</h4>
<ol>
<li>Open your CSV file in Numbers.</li>
<li>Click <strong>File </strong>in the top-left corner of your screen.</li>
<li>Select <strong>Export to...</strong>
</li>
<li>Select <strong>CSV...</strong>
</li>
<li>Click <strong>Advanced options</strong>.</li>
<li>Open the drop-down menu next to <strong>Text Encoding</strong>.</li>
<li>Select <strong>Unicode (UTF-8)</strong>.</li>
<li>Click <strong>Next</strong>.</li>
<li>Once you've chosen a name and location for your file, click <strong>Save</strong>.</li>
</ol>
<h4>Save your CSV file using UTF-8 encoding in Notepad</h4>
<ol>
<li>Open your CSV file in Notepad.</li>
<li>Click <strong>File </strong>in the top-left corner of your screen.</li>
<li>Select <strong>Save as...</strong>
</li>
<li>Select the following options:
<ol>
<li>Open the <em>Save as type</em> drop-down menu and select <strong>All Files</strong>.</li>
<li>Open the <em>Encoding</em> drop-down menu and select <strong>UTF-8</strong>.</li>
<li>Rename your file using the <strong>.csv </strong>extension. For example, if you want to name your file "Work" you should save your file as <em>Work.csv</em>.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>Click <strong>Save.</strong>
</li>
</ol>
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<h2>FAQ</h2>
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<h4>My project is in <a href="https://get.todoist.help/hc/en-us/articles/360013988740" target="_self">board view</a> and I want to export it as a CSV file. If I later import it again, will it retain board view?</h4>
<p>Yes, it will! Whether you export a project as a CSV file in list view or in board view, it'll retain that view once imported.</p>
<h4>Will completed tasks be included in my templates?</h4>
<p>No, unfortunately not. Only active tasks will be exported/imported.</p>
<h4>Will template URLs expire?</h4>
<p>No, they will not expire.</p>
<h4>Are template URLs public?</h4>
<p>Yes, anyone who has access to a template URL will be able to access that template and see the tasks in that template.</p>
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Importing or exporting project templates

Introduction to sections

How to use board view

Introduction to projects

Manage your view

What’s the difference between the Team Inbox and my personal Inbox?

Create a sub-project

Duplicate a project

Archive a project

Unarchive a project

What’s the difference between the Inbox and a project?

How to format your CSV file so you can import it into Todoist

Use a template from todoist.com/templates

Projects & Sections

Importing or exporting project templates

Available for

Platforms

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