Custom templates in Microsoft Planner let you turn an existing plan into a reusable template for your group. Templates help standardize work, speed up plan creation, and make it easier to share best‑practice workflows.
With custom templates, you can:
- Create a reusable template from an existing Planner plan.
- Choose which fields are copied into new plans.
- Share templates with a Microsoft 365 group so others can reuse them. Custom templates are best suited for repeatable work such as project kickoffs, onboarding workflows, campaign planning, or operational checklists.
Before you begin
Before using custom templates, check the following:
- You have access to Microsoft Planner.
- The plan you want to turn into a template is group‑backed.
- You are a member of a Microsoft 365 group that you want to share the plan with. Templates are stored with the group you share them with, and access is tied to group membership.
Create a custom template from an existing plan
Start by using a plan you have already set up or create a new basic plan to turn it into a custom template.
To create a template:
- Open the plan you want to reuse in Planner.
- In the top‑right corner, select Share.
- Select Publish as template.
- Enter a template name and description.
- Choose the Microsoft 365 group you want to share the template with.
- Select which fields of the plan you want to include; by default, all tasks are included.
- Select Publish. Once published, the template is available to members of the selected group.
Choose what gets copied
When publishing a template, you can decide which elements are copied into new plans created from that template. Available options may include:
- Goals
- Buckets
- Tasks
- Task labels
- Task notes
- Task checklists
- Task attachments
Only the items you select are copied when a member creates a new plan from the template. Task status and progress are reset in the new plan.
Note: Task attachments get copied as links.
Create a new plan from a custom template
After a template is published, anyone in the shared group can use it to create a new plan.
To create a plan using a custom template:
- Open Planner.
- Start creating a new plan.
- Under the “Choose a template” category, navigate to Shared or Created by me, which lists templates that are either shared with you or have been created by you.
- Select the template you want to use.
- Confirm and configure the plan details. Planner creates a new plan using the structure defined in the template.
Share and manage templates
Custom templates are shared at the group level:
- All members of the group can see and use the template.
- Templates remain available as long as the group exists. If a template needs to change, update the underlying plan and publish a new template version. Existing plans created from a template are not affected by future template changes.
Delete a custom template
After a template is published, anyone in the shared group is able to delete the template.
To delete a template:
- Open Planner.
- Navigate to Create a plan.
- Under the “Choose a template” category, navigate to Shared or **Created by me **and identify which template you would like to delete.
- Click on ... to open the **Delete template **option.
- Click Delete to confirm deletion of the template. The updated template is available to members of the group. Plans that were already created from the template are not changed.
Common scenarios
Custom templates are useful when you want to:
- Ensure consistent setup for recurring work.
- Reduce time spent creating plans from scratch.
- Share proven workflows with your team. Examples include marketing launches, sprint planning, onboarding plans, and operational playbooks.
Notes on availability
Please note that not all users will see the new Planner interface at the same time. This refreshed interface, along with Task chat and Goals view, begins rolling out to basic plans today and will continue to roll out over the coming weeks.