Project templates and statuses

When to use

Use a template when you run similar projects again and again, such as onboarding a customer or delivering a standard service. Use this page too when you need to know what a project status allows and which settings change that.

Before you start

You need projects:read to browse templates and projects:write to create a project from a template or save a project as one.
The templates page is Project templates (/projects/templates).
Status rules are controlled in Settings (/projects/settings, needs projects:admin). All are off by default: projects.block_close_with_open_tasks, projects.budget_approval_required, projects.closure_approval_required, projects.block_work_on_hold.
projects.kickoff_threshold (default 50000000) is the amount used by the project kickoff approval workflow, which runs on the project_change subject.

Steps

Browse templates

Open Project templates (/projects/templates) to see the templates your company has.

Create a project from a template

Choose a template and use it to create a new project. Then set the owner, dates, and budget as for any other project.

Save a project as a template

Open a project that went well and save it as a template, so the next project starts with the same structure.

Start from a marketing campaign

On a campaign in the marketing app you can create a project directly from the campaign, which keeps the link to the customer and campaign.

Move the project through its statuses

Change the status as work progresses. If your company requires approval for the kickoff or the closing, the project waits for the approver before it moves on.

Statuses

Status	What it allows	Setting that changes it
Planning	Setup, budgeting, scheduling.	None.
In progress	Time, expenses, and billing.	`projects.budget_approval_required`: needs an approved budget first.
On hold	Work is paused.	`projects.block_work_on_hold`: blocks new work from being logged.
Closed	The project is finished.	`projects.block_close_with_open_tasks` blocks closing with open tasks; `projects.closure_approval_required` requires approval.

Tips & common mistakes

Keep templates short. Remove optional tasks so people do not start with a list they have to delete.
An accepted quotation does not create a project in the interface.
Internal projects can log all costs, but their hours are forced to non-billable, so they cannot be invoiced by mistake.
If you cannot move a project to In progress, check whether it still needs an approved budget.

Reporting on delivery Project roles and members