Task Templates and Sprint Planning

This article covers two pages in the Views group: Templates (the page title is Task Templates) and Sprints (the page title is Sprint Planning). Templates save you from retyping the same task. Sprints let you plan a fixed block of time with a set of tasks.

Task Templates

A template is a saved task. You describe it once, and later you press Use to create a real task from it. It suits work you repeat but not on a schedule, such as "Onboard a new client". For tasks that come back on a schedule, use Recurring Tasks instead.

What you see

1. A hint line, "Create templates for repeatable tasks and workflows.", and the New Template button.
2. A Search box and a count of how many templates match.
3. One card per template with its name, description, a priority label, the phase, estimated days, and the number of subtasks.
4. On each card, a trash icon to delete the template and a Use button.

Cards with subtasks list the first three steps. If there are no templates yet, the page says No Templates.

How to create a template

1. Click New Template.
2. Fill in Template name. This is required.
3. Add a Description (optional), a Phase and Est. days. Est. days must be a whole number greater than zero.
4. Choose a Priority. The choices are Very High, High, Medium, Low and Very Low. The default is Medium.
5. Click Create Template.

The form has no field for subtasks, so templates you make here have none.

How to use a template

1. On the card, click Use.
2. A window opens with the template details. Under Project, choose a project, or leave No Project.
3. Click Use again. The window shows Success when the task is created.

The new task gets the template's name, description, phase and priority. Its status is To Do. It has no start date or due date, so open it and set them. The template stays in the list, ready to use again.

How to delete a template

Click the trash icon on the card and confirm. Tasks you already created from it are not affected.

Sprint Planning

A sprint is a short, fixed period, usually one to four weeks, with a goal and a list of tasks. Each task in a sprint has Points, a number you choose to say how big the task is.

What you see

1. Filter chips for the sprint status: All, Active, Planning, Completed and Canceled. Each chip shows a count. The page opens on All.
2. The New Sprint button.
3. One card per sprint. It shows the status, name, dates, an optional goal, a progress bar, and the tasks inside it.
4. On each card: a Start button for a sprint in planning, a Complete button for an active sprint, and a trash icon.
5. A Velocity section at the bottom.

Active sprints are listed first, then planning, completed and canceled ones.

How to create a sprint

1. Click New Sprint.
2. Enter a Sprint name. Add a Sprint goal (optional) if you like.
3. Pick a Start Date and an End Date. The end date cannot be earlier than the start date.
4. Click Create Sprint.

A new sprint starts in Planning.

How to add tasks

1. Open the sprint card and click Add Task.
2. Set Points (a whole number, at least 1) for the next task you add.
3. Search for a task and click the plus button next to it. You can add several in a row, and a counter shows how many you added.
4. Close the window.

Only tasks that are not done, and are not already in this sprint, appear in the list. The card shows progress in two ways: tasks done out of total, and points done out of total.

How to run a sprint

1. When the sprint begins, click Start. The status becomes Active.
2. At the end, click Complete. A confirmation says that unfinished tasks stay unchanged. They are not completed or moved automatically.
3. Confirm. The status becomes Completed.

Complete and Start are the only status buttons. There is no button to cancel a sprint from the card.

Velocity

The Velocity section shows completed sprints, with completed points and total points for each. The page notes that these figures are based on current task states. They are not a snapshot taken when the sprint closed. If you finish or reopen a task later, the numbers change. Use velocity as a rough guide for how much you can plan next time.