How to Use Todoist Templates (Import, Create & Share, 2026)
A template is a project you’ve already built once — a content calendar, a client onboarding checklist, a weekly review — saved so you can stamp it out again in seconds. Todoist has a public gallery of them and lets you turn any of your own projects into a reusable template. Here’s how to import, create, and share them.
How to Import a Template
You can pull in a template from Todoist’s gallery or from a .csv file someone shared with you.
From the gallery:
- Open the project you want to fill (or create a new empty one).
- Click the three-dot menu at the top of the project.
- Choose Templates → Browse templates (this opens the gallery).
- Find a template, click Use template, and pick the project to import it into.
From a file or URL:
- In the project menu, choose Templates → Import from template.
- Upload the
.csvtemplate file, or paste a shared template URL. - The project fills with the template’s tasks, sub-tasks, sections, labels, and due dates.
Templates Worth Starting From
The gallery is organized by use case. A few that map cleanly onto common workflows:
| Template | Good for |
|---|---|
| Project Planning | Kicking off any multi-step project with phases |
| Content Calendar | Bloggers and marketers planning posts |
| GTD (Getting Things Done) | A full Inbox → Next Actions → Someday system |
| Client/Employee Onboarding | Repeatable checklists per new person |
| Meeting Agenda | Recurring standups and reviews |
| Personal Errands / Packing List | Trips and routines you repeat |
You don’t have to use one as-is — import it, then delete or rename whatever doesn’t fit.
How to Create Your Own Template
Already built the perfect project structure? Save it so you never rebuild it.
- Open the project you want to turn into a template.
- Click the three-dot menu → Templates → Export as template.
- Choose how to export:
- As a file — downloads a
.csvyou can keep, version, or re-import later. - As a shareable URL — generates a link anyone can use to import your template directly into their own Todoist.
- As a file — downloads a
Dates in exported templates are stored as relative (e.g. “2 days after start”), so when someone imports the template, due dates recalculate from the import date rather than copying your original calendar dates.
How to Share a Template With Your Team
The shareable URL is the easiest path:
- Export the project as a shareable URL (above).
- Send the link to teammates.
- Each person clicks it and imports the template into their own account.
For a controlled, repeatable handoff (say, the same onboarding checklist for every new hire), keep the master template as a .csv in shared storage and import a fresh copy each time so the original stays clean.
Common Template Issues
Due dates look wrong after import. Templates use relative dates anchored to the import day. If a task should always fall on a fixed calendar date, set it manually after importing.
Sub-tasks flattened out. Indentation is preserved in the .csv, but a malformed file can flatten the hierarchy. Re-export from Todoist rather than hand-editing the CSV in a spreadsheet.
Labels didn’t carry over. Imported labels appear in the project, but make sure those labels exist in your account if you rely on them in filters.
Can’t find the Templates option. It lives in the project three-dot menu, not in global Settings. You need a project open first.
Templates Get You Started — Carly Keeps It Running
A template saves you the setup, but the recurring work still has to get done: the onboarding tasks chased, the content calendar filled, the checklist items assigned. Carly is an AI assistant that connects to 200+ apps including Todoist and can build and populate those project workflows for you — so the template isn’t just a starting point, it actually moves.
More on Todoist: How to use sections in Todoist · How to create subtasks in Todoist · How to set recurring tasks in Todoist · Todoist alternatives · Best AI tools for solopreneurs
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