TL;DR
Project templates let freelancers save a complete project structure, including task boards, task groups, individual tasks, relative due dates, and custom fields, and reuse that structure for every new client in seconds.
Plutio includes project templates natively on all plans. Any existing project can be saved as a template with one click, and new projects can be created from that template with all tasks and deadlines pre-populated. Freelancers who use project templates report cutting project setup from 30 to 45 minutes down to under 60 seconds, which adds up to 10 or more recovered hours per year across 15 to 20 projects.
Project templates are available in Plutio's Projects section. Link a template to a proposal, and Plutio auto-creates the project when the client signs. Templates work on all plans, including the 7-day free trial.
What project templates are
A project template is a saved project structure that includes task boards, task groups, tasks, relative start and due dates, descriptions, custom fields, and contributor assignments, ready to be duplicated for each new client or engagement.
In Plutio, project templates live inside the Projects section. When a freelancer builds a project with the right task boards, task groups, and tasks, they mark that project as a template by setting the isTemplate flag. The saved template then appears in the template picker whenever a new project is created. Plutio copies everything: task boards with their columns, task groups with their order, individual tasks with descriptions and checklists, relative due dates calculated from the project start date, and any custom fields attached to the project.
Full project templates vs task board templates
Plutio supports templates at two levels. A full project template captures the entire project: every task board, task group, task, and configuration. A task board template captures just one board with its task groups and tasks. Full project templates work for repeatable engagements like website builds or brand packages where the entire scope is consistent. Task board templates work for adding a standardized phase, like an onboarding checklist or QA board, to an existing project that already has other boards in place.
Proposal-linked project templates
Plutio's proposal system includes a projectTemplateId field. When a freelancer creates a proposal and links it to a project template, Plutio auto-creates the project from that template the moment the client signs. The project appears with all tasks and deadlines ready, the client gets portal access, and work starts without any manual project setup. The practical benefit: the gap between "client signed" and "project is live" drops from 30 minutes of manual setup to zero, because Plutio handles the creation automatically.
I used to spend the first hour of every new client engagement just setting up the project. Now the proposal links to my template, and when the client signs, everything is already there.
Why project templates matter for freelancers
Without templates, every new project starts from zero. Freelancers recreate the same task boards, the same task groups, the same individual tasks, and the same deadlines, project after project, even when the structure is identical to the last one.
On a 20-task web design project with 3 task boards and custom fields, manual setup takes 30 to 45 minutes. According to Harvard Business Review, knowledge workers spend an average of 9% of their annual working time on repetitive administrative tasks that could be automated. For a freelancer billing $100 per hour, 10 hours of annual project setup represents $1,000 in lost billable capacity.
Project management tools like Asana include project templates, but Asana's templates live inside a standalone project management app with no invoicing, proposals, or client portal. Freelancers using Asana still need to create the project in Asana, then separately create the proposal in another tool, then manually set up invoicing in a third tool. ClickUp offers project templates too, but ClickUp's template system is isolated from billing and client communication, so the template handles task structure but not the business workflow around the project.
The most common consequence of not having templates is inconsistency. When freelancers rebuild project structures from memory, tasks get forgotten, deadlines shift, and the quality of project delivery varies from client to client.
Plutio's approach ties templates to the full client workflow. A project template connects to a proposal, so the project auto-creates on client signature. Tasks from the template feed into time tracking, and tracked time flows into invoicing. The template is not just a task list; it is the starting point for the entire engagement.
How project templates work in Plutio
Build a project with the structure, tasks, and deadlines that match a repeatable engagement, then save it as a template. Every future project using that template launches with the full structure ready.
Before creating a template, have a completed or well-structured project with task boards, task groups, tasks, and relative due dates. Custom fields and contributor roles carry over to the template as well.
Step by step
- Step 1: Open an existing project in Plutio's Projects section, or create a new project specifically for template purposes. Add task boards, task groups, and individual tasks with descriptions, checklists, and relative due dates.
- Step 2: Mark the project as a template. Plutio sets the isTemplate flag, which removes the project from active project views and adds it to the template library.
- Step 3: When starting a new client engagement, create a new project and select the template from the template picker. Plutio copies all task boards, task groups, tasks, due dates, and custom fields into the new project.
- Step 4: Optionally, link the template to a proposal using the project template field. When the client signs the proposal, Plutio auto-creates the project from the template with no manual steps.
- Step 5: Adjust any project-specific details: update the client name, tweak individual task deadlines, or add project-specific notes. The template gives the structure; the details get customized per client.
Practical tip: use relative due dates in templates instead of fixed dates. Plutio calculates each task's deadline based on the new project's start date, so a "Day 7" task always falls one week after kickoff regardless of when the project launches.
I have three templates for different website tiers. When a client signs the proposal, the project creates itself with every task and deadline ready. I used to spend 40 minutes on setup alone.
Who needs project templates
Freelancers and agencies running repeatable client engagements, particularly in web design, branding, copywriting, and consulting, get the most value from project templates.
A web designer billing $5,000 per website build runs the same phases every time: discovery, wireframes, design, development, QA, and launch. Without a template, that designer rebuilds 20 to 30 tasks across 3 to 4 task boards for every new client. With a project template in Plutio, the entire structure is ready in seconds, and relative due dates auto-calculate based on the project start date.
Agencies running standardized delivery processes use templates to keep every project structurally identical. When a new team member picks up a project, the task boards, task groups, and tasks match the agency's documented workflow. No interpretation required, no tasks forgotten.
Freelancers exploring Asana alternatives often ask whether Plutio's project templates include the same task-level detail. Plutio's templates copy task boards, task groups, individual tasks with descriptions and checklists, relative due dates, and custom fields. The difference is that Plutio's templates also connect to proposals, contracts, and invoicing, so the template is the starting point for the full client engagement, not just the task list. Freelancers comparing Notion alternatives find Plutio's templates more structured, with built-in task boards and relative due date calculations rather than freeform database entries.
Bottom line: any freelancer or agency delivering the same type of work more than 3 times a year recovers hours of setup time and gains structural consistency by using project templates.
