# Playbook templates

> Build the stages and tasks a playbook follows, and chain one playbook to the next.

A playbook template is the recipe; a [playbook](/projects/playbooks/) is that recipe applied to one customer. Templates belong to your whole organization.

Find them under **Projects › Templates**, in **All Available Playbooks**. Each template shows how many customers it is used for (or *Not used for a customer*).

## Create a template

1. Click **New playbook**.
2. Enter a **Name** and a **Description**. The description is shown on every playbook made from this template.
3. Under **Add stage**, type a **Stage name** and click **Add stage**. Repeat for each stage.
4. For each stage, set **Estimated** … **days in stage**. This sets the stage's due date when it starts.
5. Add tasks to each stage (see below).
6. Optionally, pick a follow-up under **After this playbook is finished, automatically start this playbook:**. **Clear** removes it.
7. Click **Create playbook**.

Drag stages and tasks to change their order.

## Add a task to a stage

Click **Add task** in a stage and fill in:

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Task Name**, **Description** | Copied to the task. Both are required. |
| **Starts** … **days after stage start** | *"Empty or 0: the task starts when it is created (when its stage begins)."* |
| **Due** … **days after start** | *"Empty: due on the stage's due date."* |
| **Visible to customer** | *"Customers on a shared playbook see this task, also before its stage starts."* See [Share a playbook](/customer-portal/share-a-playbook/). |

Tasks are created when their stage begins, assigned to the playbook's owner, with **Medium** priority.

## Edit or delete a template

Use the menu on a template: **Edit** opens the builder (save with **Save changes**), **Delete** removes it after you confirm.

- Removing a stage deletes its tasks too.
- If you close the builder with unsaved changes, you're asked to **Keep Editing** or **Continue** (and lose them).
- Playbooks already running build each new stage from the template when that stage starts, so template edits also reach stages that haven't started yet.

:::note
Creating and editing templates needs the Edit permission; deleting needs the Delete permission. See [Team settings](/settings/team/).
:::