New in Basecamp: Create a template from an existing project and more

Project templates are handy when you create the same kind of project over and over.

Until now, the only way to make a project template was to start from scratch. But sometimes you don't realize a project is worth repeating until it's already in progress. Or you might not have your process figured out from the beginning — instead, you refine as you go.

Wouldn't it be great if you could create a template from an existing project? Now you can!

Use the ••• menu and select "Save as a project template"

Select include people to assign to-dos, cards, events, and check-ins to the same people in the template as on the original project. To copy over any existing discussions — like on to-dos, cards, documents, and messages — include comments.

Choose what's included in (and excluded from) your new template

When you're ready, hit Create template, and your new project template will be built. Completed to-dos are automatically marked incomplete, and all cards are returned to Triage. Chat history is also cleared. Client visibility is reset, making everything private to your team to start. And any due dates or events from the original project will transition to relative dates in the template, based on the project's start date.

Your new template is ready! Edit as needed with the ••• menu at the top.

But wait... there's more!

Want to create multiple templates that are similar to each other? Maybe you have an employee onboarding template and want slightly different versions for each department. Or perhaps you need to customize a template for each client, making just a few updates to the original. Now you can duplicate a project or to-do list template in just a few clicks.