Microsoft Project Templates
A Microsoft Project template is a reusable starting point for similar projects. It can preserve reusable planning structure—such as task relationships, resources, views, and reports—without making each new plan start from an empty file. A template is an .mpt file, distinct from an editable project plan in MPP format.
Save a project as a template
Section titled “Save a project as a template”In Project desktop, choose File > Export > Save Project as File > Project Template. Enter a template name, confirm that Project Template is selected as the file type, and save. The template uses the .mpt format rather than the .mpp format used for an individual project plan.1
Before saving, review the choices for removing project-specific information. Remove names, dates, costs, rates, historical progress, or other sensitive details that should not become part of every project created from the template. Keep only the reusable structure and planning information.
Create a project from a template
Section titled “Create a project from a template”Choose File > New, select a template or search for one, review the preview, and choose Create. Review the inherited tasks, resources, durations, views, and reports before using the new project. Template availability can vary by installation or organization.2
For additional template options, the Project Plan 365 alternative tool provides templates in the app through its New from Template workflow and through its online templates library.
Reuse an existing project
Section titled “Reuse an existing project”To base a new project on an existing plan, open it, change the project start and finish dates, and use Save As with a new name and location. Review and remove project-specific progress, costs, dates, and assignments before treating the copy as a new plan. If the structure will be reused repeatedly, save a cleaned version as an MPT template instead.
MPT and Global.mpt
Section titled “MPT and Global.mpt”An MPT file is a reusable project template. Project also uses a Global.mpt file for shared formatting information, but that global file is not a normal project template for storing tasks, resources, or assignments.
For saving the working plan and protecting desktop files, see Save and Protect Microsoft Project Files.