# Copying Template Tasks to EXISTING Projects **URL:** \ **Category:** Ask the Community\ **Created:** [27 July 2018 16:19 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/copying-template-tasks-to-existing-projects/27229 "2018-07-27T16:19:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lorraine\_Williams](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/lorraine_williams/32/6588_2.png) [@Lorraine\_Williams](https://forum.asana.com/u/Lorraine_Williams)\ **Post date:** [27 July 2018 16:19 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/copying-template-tasks-to-existing-projects/27229/1 "2018-07-27T16:19:55Z")
We are just getting ramped up with Premium and are developing templates, which is great. HOWEVER, as the templates are fleshed out, I would like to be able to copy the extensive Template task lists into our already existing projects. I have found a possible work around (below) but there must be a better way! - recreate/duplicate the project using the template - move the already completed tasks from the original project back over into the duplicate - delete the original project Is there an easier way? The work around is a pain and I need to be really careful to not lose existing history on works in process. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Heath\_Jackson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/heath_jackson/32/10348_2.png) [@Heath\_Jackson](https://forum.asana.com/u/Heath_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [27 July 2018 17:17 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/copying-template-tasks-to-existing-projects/27229/2 "2018-07-27T17:17:04Z")
@Lorraine_Williams You should be able to highlight the templates that you want to duplicate using the keyboard shortcut CTRL-C and pasting them into any amount of new projects with CTRL-V. ---
**Author:** ![Christine\_Olshefsky](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/christine_olshefsky/32/28937_2.png) [@Christine\_Olshefsky](https://forum.asana.com/u/Christine_Olshefsky)\ **Post date:** [6 February 2019 00:12 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/copying-template-tasks-to-existing-projects/27229/3 "2019-02-06T00:12:52Z")
@Heath_Jackson Unfortunately that workaround doesn’t fully work - it only copies the larger tasks. Any sub tasks or information entered into them will not be copied. Following this thread as this is my main Asana complaint. ---
**Author:** ![Andrew\_Legrand](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/andrew_legrand/32/1565_2.png) [@Andrew\_Legrand](https://forum.asana.com/u/Andrew_Legrand)\ **Post date:** [12 June 2019 22:08 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/copying-template-tasks-to-existing-projects/27229/4 "2019-06-12T22:08:32Z")
I also wanted to chime in here. Copy and paste works, but has significant limitations (in our case, also dependant tasks) as @Christine_Olshefsky pointed out. Our use case is that we’re using Zapier to create projects for clients. Sometimes, during the course of a project, a workflow pops up that would make it useful to copy a project template into an existing project. Creating a new project doesn’t really exist. For now, we’re doing the copy and paste workaround. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_McEwin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/sam_mcewin/32/38285_2.png) [@Sam\_McEwin](https://forum.asana.com/u/Sam_McEwin)\ **Post date:** [12 September 2019 00:47 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/copying-template-tasks-to-existing-projects/27229/5 "2019-09-12T00:47:32Z")
Follow. Also my one and only issue with Asana. Having a library of templated tasks or groups of tasks that can be easily duplicated into existing projects would be a game-changer. Thanks Lorraine for listing your process, it’s actually slightly more elegant than what I’ve been doing. ---
**Author:** ![Amanda\_Berry](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/amanda_berry/32/41058_2.png) [@Amanda\_Berry](https://forum.asana.com/u/Amanda_Berry)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2019 21:08 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/copying-template-tasks-to-existing-projects/27229/6 "2019-09-20T21:08:45Z")
I tried exporting a template as a CSV file and then importing that CSV file into an existing project. I haven’t yet figured out the options to select to get the Section headers to import as section headers and not tasks. Has anyone else had more success with this? ---
**Author:** ![Stuart\_Major](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/stuart_major/32/247393_2.png) [@Stuart\_Major](https://forum.asana.com/u/Stuart_Major)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2020 12:10 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/copying-template-tasks-to-existing-projects/27229/7 "2020-01-03T12:10:33Z")
Just started with asana. I create new projects on closing a sale won in pipedrive. This works fine but being able to copy an existing template to this new project would as stated above by others be great. Any updates? ---
**Author:** ![Thomas\_van\_der\_Woude](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/thomas_van_der_woude/32/38119_2.png) [@Thomas\_van\_der\_Woude](https://forum.asana.com/u/Thomas_van_der_Woude)\ **Post date:** [21 January 2021 13:46 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/copying-template-tasks-to-existing-projects/27229/8 "2021-01-21T13:46:34Z")
We would like to create a task from a template as well. We would like to include steps, checklists etc. At the moment we achieve this in the following steps: 1. Duplicate a single task (afaik, multiple is not possible, yet this would already be a game changer). 2. Add them to the new project 3. Then remove the templates project from the task 4. Remove the word Duplicate from the tasks name. Is there an easier way? ---
**Author:** ![Nicki\_Freshwater](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/nicki_freshwater/32/92618_2.png) [@Nicki\_Freshwater](https://forum.asana.com/u/Nicki_Freshwater)\ **Post date:** [12 January 2022 12:42 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/copying-template-tasks-to-existing-projects/27229/9 "2022-01-12T12:42:49Z")
Do we know if Asana ever got anywhere with this? I want to set up a template and input it to existing projects but am having the same issues as above. I’m also wanting to add template tasks to a different project but seem unable to - what is the point of template tasks if you cant add them to multiple projects? ---
**Author:** ![Andrea\_Mayer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/andrea_mayer/32/39226_2.png) [@Andrea\_Mayer](https://forum.asana.com/u/Andrea_Mayer)\ **Post date:** [12 January 2022 20:02 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/copying-template-tasks-to-existing-projects/27229/10 "2022-01-12T20:02:46Z")
Hey @Nicki_Freshwater welcome to the Asana Community Forum! Yeah as it stands you have to work with workarounds provided. But I also recommend upvoting this popular feedback request: [Make Task templates available to other projects (Task templates library)](https://forum.asana.com/t/make-task-templates-available-to-other-projects-task-templates-library/111617) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Berger\_lpb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/larry_berger_lpb/32/276017_2.png) [@Larry\_Berger\_lpb](https://forum.asana.com/u/Larry_Berger_lpb)\ **Post date:** [12 January 2022 23:29 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/copying-template-tasks-to-existing-projects/27229/11 "2022-01-12T23:29:05Z")
@Nicki_Freshwater, I came up with this approach to automate adding task templates to other projects which you may find useful: > [@bulb Why and when use task templates](https://forum.asana.com/t/why-and-when-use-task-templates/119700/15): > > @Michele_Giorgianni, This is a bit of a hack, but I tested it and it works. It will be useful if you have Asana Business or Enterprise until there is a more direct native feature in Asana, I feel. One time only: Make a project called Task Templates and add sections corresponding to each destination project where you’d like to use these common PM and other task templates Add one rule for each section with Trigger: Task added to section (this section) and Action: Move to another project (the d… Larry ---
**Author:** ![Dean5](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/dean5/32/93556_2.png) [@Dean5](https://forum.asana.com/u/Dean5)\ **Post date:** [4 July 2024 03:35 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/copying-template-tasks-to-existing-projects/27229/12 "2024-07-04T03:35:09Z")
Not sure if this is exactly what you’re after, but here’s the workaround I came up with to move a task template from one project to another while preserving all dates, assigned tasks and dependencies. 1. Create a task in Project A using the template. 2. Add the newly created task to Project B. 3. In Project B, use the “Convert task to template” from the task options (three dots) to add the template to Project B. 4. Delete the original task in Project A. 5. The template should now be available in both projects. Not too painful, but the ability to copy a template or have templates available in multiple projects should really be available by now.