# Push project template updates to existing projects **URL:** \ **Category:** Features Launched\ **Tags:** templates, launched\ **Created:** [15 March 2018 03:19 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778 "2018-03-15T03:19:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skyler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/skyler/32/34575_2.png) [@Skyler](https://forum.asana.com/u/Skyler)\ **Post date:** [19 April 2021 04:44 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/23 "2021-04-19T04:44:59Z")
In ClickUp you can have templates at the: - Workspace level - Project Level - List Level - Task Level - Subtask Level - Checklist Level Once you update a template, if you decide you want to update an existing list item (from the above list), you can do so from that item’s options menu—you can then merge current progress with the new updated template. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/asana/original/3X/7/5/75d5559d80c5940982ee0fde18358d53d7e547c1.png) And yes, I’m hard on Asana because I know they’re better. They have more resources, a team full of stellar developers, and they’re public. If an upstart like ClickUp can pull this off in a matter of weeks—I know Asana’s capable of it too. That being said, I do think that just because they can implement a feature, doesn’t always mean they should or will. The product team at ClickUp is very different from the Product team at Asana. ClickUp prides itself on having a public roadmap (Canny board), listening to customers desires, and acting/iterating on them swiftly…and sometimes that’s a detriment as it inevitably introduces bugs and other unforeseen consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Rebecca\_McGrath](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/rebecca_mcgrath/32/74508_2.png) [@Rebecca\_McGrath](https://forum.asana.com/u/Rebecca_McGrath)\ **Post date:** [19 April 2021 08:28 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/24 "2021-04-19T08:28:48Z")
HI all, thanks for taking the time to provide this feedback! As mentioned by @Phil_Seeman, there is an existing thread on this topic so I’ve gone ahead and merged this post with that one to consolidate feedback! 🙂 I’ll loop back in on this post should there be any updates to this feature 🙂 🚨 Don’t forget to add your vote by clicking the “Vote” button at the top of the page if you would like to see this feature added to Asana! ---
**Author:** ![Phil\_Seeman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/phil_seeman/32/81525_2.png) [@Phil\_Seeman](https://forum.asana.com/u/Phil_Seeman)\ **Post date:** [19 April 2021 13:47 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/25 "2021-04-19T13:47:55Z")
> [@Skyler](#): > > if you decide you want to update an existing list item (from the above list), you can do so from that item’s options menu—you can then merge current progress with the new updated template. If you merge, does ClickUp overwrite all values in the current task with those from the template (even if you’ve modified those values in the current task since you made it from the template)? If so, does it show you both values so you can see what you’re about to potentially overwrite? ---
**Author:** ![Skyler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/skyler/32/34575_2.png) [@Skyler](https://forum.asana.com/u/Skyler)\ **Post date:** [19 April 2021 19:51 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/26 "2021-04-19T19:51:37Z")
You can choose what gets brought in from the new template. If you want to update things like the description, dependencies, custom fields, tags, and time estimates, etc., then you can select those and it will update those alone. It’s ultimately up to you what you want to import in—suppose you’ve already been working on a checklist, you can either import the new checklist or just keep the old one as is and use the new template for future items. Note on checklists, you can have multiple checklists inside of each task (but you’re limited to one “set” of subtasks). ![Clickup Import Items](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/asana/original/3X/2/e/2eaed40d76cbddc9077342e59bb44127f34cc1fd.png) In Asana, it would be nice to update things like dependencies, tags, custom fields, and such. I’d reserve updating “templates” from updated subtasks and descriptions and other “in progress” items within a task since that would cause confusion—this could be alleviated by having a global template library though. Asana could implement that the way ClickUp has as well — when saving a template in ClickUp you can choose who has access to that template. Also, when saving a template in ClickUp, you’re given the option of what items you want to be updated in the templated version in the template library. Hope that makes sense @Phil_Seeman! ---
**Author:** ![Bastien\_Siebman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/bastien_siebman/32/172354_2.png) [@Bastien\_Siebman](https://forum.asana.com/u/Bastien_Siebman)\ **Post date:** [21 April 2021 07:20 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/27 "2021-04-21T07:20:51Z")
> [@Skyler](#): > > If an upstart like ClickUp can pull this off in a matter of weeks—I know Asana’s capable of it too. There is an order of magnitude between ClickUp size and Asana size. You don’t code a feature the same way for millions of users 😅 so basically i’d say the bigger you get the slower you usually get 😕 Thanks for the explanation! ---
**Author:** ![Skyler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/skyler/32/34575_2.png) [@Skyler](https://forum.asana.com/u/Skyler)\ **Post date:** [22 April 2021 01:42 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/28 "2021-04-22T01:42:35Z")
From a product feedback standpoint—sure. From a development standpoint, that’s why SOLID principles are critical. ---
**Author:** ![anon31130795](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@anon31130795](https://forum.asana.com/u/anon31130795)\ **Post date:** [26 October 2021 18:21 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/29 "2021-10-26T18:21:48Z")
Our company has a project template we use for all our clients, which in turn has template tasks within that project. Every time we need to make an update to the template task, we have to then go into every single project manually to update the template tasks there as well. It would be nice to have the template tasks be just like the custom fields - where if you change the template task in one place it changes everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Roman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/emily_roman/32/283076_2.png) [@Emily\_Roman](https://forum.asana.com/u/Emily_Roman)\ **Post date:** [27 October 2021 08:44 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/30 "2021-10-27T08:44:28Z")
Thanks for sharing your feedback with us, @anon31130795! We already have a thread on this topic so I’ve gone ahead and merged your post with [https://forum.asana.com/t/when-modifying-template-tasks-propagate-changes-out-to-existing-descendant-tasks/117962](https://forum.asana.com/t/when-modifying-template-tasks-propagate-changes-out-to-existing-descendant-tasks/117962) to consilidate votes. ---
**Author:** ![Getz\_Pro](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/getz_pro/32/13546_2.png) [@Getz\_Pro](https://forum.asana.com/u/Getz_Pro)\ **Post date:** [27 October 2021 13:49 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/31 "2021-10-27T13:49:52Z")
> [@Scott\_Murray](#): > > (I understand why it’s not popular — it’s probably hugely complex to implement!) Downvote! Although I see where you are going with the efficiency gains. Not necessarily the complexity of implementation from a functional standpoint, although there is, but rather from a practical one, this is a nightmare. Those 20 projects are in flight, but in different stages of flight. Pushing an update for a section let’s call Week 2 when projects are already in Week 4 and those upstream tasks are already completed would create HAVOC! Then there are the people not understanding the downstream implications and are click happy with any popup and again, HAVOC. “ **Oh, I was just making changes to the template for you to review. I thought the Apply to All projects was to apply to all new projects** ” Yes, that will happen. I think a better implementation would to allow the project owner (and only the project owner) to PULL any changes from a template into their project with a screen showing you a before / after of what the changes will do. Do this in the project details section. (Refresh from Template with checkbox options of what you want to pull) As Bastien mentioned, the current state of Asana would probably not even allow for a pull request. ---
**Author:** ![zigojacko](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/zigojacko/32/100153_2.png) [@zigojacko](https://forum.asana.com/u/zigojacko)\ **Post date:** [20 April 2022 09:00 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/32 "2022-04-20T09:00:03Z")
I’ve tried to work with custom project templates but if I then make a change to the template, it isn’t applied to those projects that use it. If I have 75 projects, how can I make a customisation (like adding a new column) and apply this to all 75 projects? ---
**Author:** ![Rebecca\_McGrath](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/rebecca_mcgrath/32/74508_2.png) [@Rebecca\_McGrath](https://forum.asana.com/u/Rebecca_McGrath)\ **Post date:** [20 April 2022 09:09 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/33 "2022-04-20T09:09:44Z")
Hi @zigojacko, while this feature isn’t available at this time, hopefully it’s something our Product team can implement in the future We do have an existing thread for this feature request in the [**#productfeedback**](https://forum.asana.com/c/productfeedback/20) category so I’ve gone ahead and merged your post with the existing one to consolidate feedback. I’ll keep you posted and let you know if I have any updates 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_Dzaramba](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Frank\_Dzaramba](https://forum.asana.com/u/Frank_Dzaramba)\ **Post date:** [17 June 2022 14:24 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/34 "2022-06-17T14:24:02Z")
Hello Team Asana, I hoped to check if it were to possible that when one adds new custom fields or rules, they can be automatically and easily added to existing projects and templates. Our use-case for Asana is as follows: The Asana Teams are set as products and services that our company offers and within each team, clients are created as projects. So if a client has several of our products and/or services they will appear in the all the relevant teams. What that means is our projects (500+) remain “live” as long is the client is active. There is no start and end date for projects. All our projects/clients use the same template with the board view as default. The template uses the following sections: **To-do** , **In-progress** , **Customer-Follow-up** and **Completed**. This is for all our projects/clients. So any custom field or rule is the same across the 500+ projects we now have. \*\* We started using Asana a month ago. The challenge we have is, we developed new rules and custom rules and fields after the initial on-boarding process and we want these new rules and fields populated across all our 500+ projects as they use the same template. This is currently not possible. At least as far as I can tell. One is only able to update rules and custom fields per project which obviously will not scale. Is there a way to do this or its a feature that will need to be added? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Rebecca\_McGrath](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/rebecca_mcgrath/32/74508_2.png) [@Rebecca\_McGrath](https://forum.asana.com/u/Rebecca_McGrath)\ **Post date:** [20 June 2022 08:56 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/35 "2022-06-20T08:56:20Z")
Hi @Frank_Dzaramba, thanks for providing this feedback 🙂 We do have an existing thread for this feature request in the [**#productfeedback**](https://forum.asana.com/c/productfeedback/20) category so I’ve gone ahead and merged your post with the existing one to consolidate feedback. I’ll keep you posted and let you know if I have any updates 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Becky\_Manson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/becky_manson/32/107767_2.png) [@Becky\_Manson](https://forum.asana.com/u/Becky_Manson)\ **Post date:** [12 July 2022 12:23 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/36 "2022-07-12T12:23:44Z")
I totally 100% think this feature is still required!! But instead of just automatically updating anything that has been created from the template, give the user the option to “refresh” their project when the template is updated or not. ---
**Author:** ![anon49481838](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@anon49481838](https://forum.asana.com/u/anon49481838)\ **Post date:** [11 September 2022 00:18 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/37 "2022-09-11T00:18:10Z")
So is Asana any closer to adding this feature? ---
**Author:** ![Bastien\_Siebman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/bastien_siebman/32/172354_2.png) [@Bastien\_Siebman](https://forum.asana.com/u/Bastien_Siebman)\ **Post date:** [11 September 2022 06:26 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/38 "2022-09-11T06:26:37Z")
@anon49481838 Asana is not sharing their roadmap, like most competitors’ tools, so we don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![anon3801900](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@anon3801900](https://forum.asana.com/u/anon3801900)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2022 21:09 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/39 "2022-09-20T21:09:42Z")
I also see a strong use case for this when using a portfolio for roadmap planning. I’d love to create a project early and leave it empty so we can use that project shell in a portfolio and then sync the latest version of the project template to the shell project once we’re ready to actually start the work. ---
**Author:** ![Natalie\_Risen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/natalie_risen/32/132197_2.png) [@Natalie\_Risen](https://forum.asana.com/u/Natalie_Risen)\ **Post date:** [14 December 2022 14:56 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/40 "2022-12-14T14:56:25Z")
There is a program (Instructional Canvas) that will allow you to create a Blueprint Template as a master template. When you create new templates from the Blueprint this will allow you to make any changes to the Blueprint template and then sync the update to all other templates that derived from that Blueprint. When you create a very long program/project that is constantly being upgraded and improved, it is important to keep the other programs updated as well. Not sure if this type of concept can be added to Asana templates, but it’s something to consider. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Melbourne](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Ryan\_Melbourne](https://forum.asana.com/u/Ryan_Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [15 October 2023 06:14 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/41 "2023-10-15T06:14:21Z")
It’s crazy this feature hasn’t been implemented yet. When was it first brought up? 2018? It feels like Asana really does ignore its user-base, preferring to push their ideology rather than just giving us the tools we need. There’s multiple ways to do it. Give them a different name (Live templates??) and keep them separate from normal Templates or just code it so the link can be broken if the project will become its own branch. It’s silly to roll out project and task templates across many teams and have to go through one team at a time to update them. I think it’s time for us to trial Clickup before we make any future financial commitments to Asana. ---
**Author:** ![FenwayJohnny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/fenwayjohnny/32/147211_2.png) [@FenwayJohnny](https://forum.asana.com/u/FenwayJohnny)\ **Post date:** [15 October 2023 17:33 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778/42 "2023-10-15T17:33:47Z")
+1 for this functionality is some form or another. Especially in myindustry of construction, the interative improvements can and should be implemented on existing projects as we discover new use cases and functions. Im finding my projects becoming more and more fractured with different rule sets, structures, etc. Would be great to create more uniformity across all projects. Unless Im suppose to hire an Asana admin just for this stuff… [Previous page](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778.md?page=1) [Next page](https://forum.asana.com/t/push-project-template-updates-to-existing-projects/17778.md?page=3)