Work templates

Publish reusable ticket hierarchies and instantiate them through a reviewed, resumable preview.

Create a template

Managers open Project settings → Work templates. Create a draft for repeatable work such as a Harbor feature delivery. A template defines up to 100 tickets under one hierarchy root, with compatible types, defaults, dependencies, execution modes, named parameters and assignee slots.

Use a root epic for a complete feature or a compatible smaller root for a narrower process. Define implementation, test and review tickets as children of the appropriate level. Keep dependency direction clear; a blocked ticket waits on its prerequisite.

Parameters and assignee slots

Use named parameters for text that varies between deliveries, for example:

{{parameters.feature}}

Fill every required parameter during preparation. Use named assignee slots to map responsibilities to eligible current project members, rather than embedding a real account in a portable example. User fields and mappings use searchable people selection.

A template cannot assign an arbitrary typed name or make someone eligible through its content. Review project/type/custom-field mappings when moving a template between projects.

Publish and instantiate

1. Validate the draft hierarchy, dependencies and defaults.
2. Publish a reviewed version.
3. Choose Use template during ticket creation or from epic details.
4. Supply parameters and assignee mappings. If offered, map a compatible existing root to avoid a duplicate epic.
5. Select Prepare, inspect the expanded work and errors, then create deliberately.

Instantiation creates/links work in bounded steps, one target at a time. Pause/resume/stop preserve created work; stopping does not delete it. Closing the interface pauses creation. Reopen the saved progress to continue rather than launching a duplicate attempt.

Creation events are held until the complete instantiation finishes. This avoids downstream automation acting on only half of a template. Instances retain their frozen template version even if a manager later edits and republishes the source.

Portable examples

Start from Feature delivery or Defect investigation. Import JSON into Work templates, map unavailable types/custom fields/slots and review the resulting draft before publication.

Exports exclude live ticket IDs, credentials and assigned identities. Imported templates do not grant access or start chains automatically. Active automation pins template versions; changing the latest template does not silently change an in-flight run.

Harbor use case

The customer onboarding epic needs implementation, accessibility checks, test evidence and a release-note review. Publish that shape once, then instantiate it for document uploads and again for account preferences with different parameters.

Inspect the preview for duplicate existing roots and dependency cycles. If preparation fails, correct mappings; if creation partially completed, resume its recorded progress rather than deleting unrelated project work.