Setting up Bitrix24 task templates

Setting up Bitrix24 Task Templates

Recurring tasks — goods acceptance, report preparation, employee onboarding — get created manually every time. A manager forgets to add a checklist, assigns the wrong observer, misses a deadline. Task templates solve this: describe the structure once, then create tasks in one click with the correct fields, assignees, and deadlines.

Where Templates Live and How They Work

Task templates are stored in the b_tasks_template table. Each template is linked to a creator (CREATED_BY), assignee (RESPONSIBLE_ID), and group/project (GROUP_ID). When creating a task from a template, Bitrix copies fields to the b_tasks table, using the current date as the reference point for deadlines.

Template access: Tasks → Templates (left menu). Or via API — method tasks.task.template.list for listing, tasks.task.template.add for creation.

Template Configuration: Key Points

Basic fields:

• Title — use variables: Goods acceptance — {{Date}} automatically substitutes the date.
• Creator and assignee — you can set a specific employee or a role (department head).
• Deadline — set as an offset: "in 3 business days from creation." Bitrix calculates business days based on Settings → Working Hours.

Checklists. The main value of a template is a standardized checklist. Each item is stored in b_tasks_template_checklist. When a task is created, items are copied, and the employee cannot "forget" a step. For goods acceptance: document verification → counting → damage inspection → signing the acceptance act.

Observers and co-executors. The template stores an array of user IDs in ACCOMPLICES and AUDITORS fields. A common mistake is adding specific people who later leave the company. Better to use roles through departments or set up automatic substitution via business processes.

Project binding. If the template is linked to GROUP_ID, tasks are created within the project. This is convenient for project teams — the task immediately appears on the project kanban board.

Automatic Task Creation from Templates

Templates can be launched manually, but the real value is automation:

• Recurring tasks. The template has a "Repeat" option — set the frequency (daily, weekly, monthly). Bitrix creates tasks via the cron agent CTaskTemplates::RepeatTaskByTemplateId. Make sure cron_events.php is configured on the server — without it, recurring tasks won't work.
• CRM Robots. In deal stage settings, add a "Create task" robot → select the template. When a deal moves to the "Contract signed" stage, a task "Prepare shipping documents" is automatically created with a checklist and deadline.
• REST API. Method tasks.task.add with TEMPLATE_ID parameter — programmatic task creation from a template. Used for integration with external systems.

Common Issues

Deadlines not calculated. Deadline offset only works if the template specifies relative time, not an absolute date. An absolute date will be copied "as is" — and the task will be overdue at creation.

Templates not visible to other employees. By default, a template is only visible to its creator. To share — set TPARAM_REPLICATION_COUNT = 0 and add access via TEMPLATE_ACCESS (array with roles: DEPARTMENT_ID, GROUP_ID).

Checklist not copied. If the checklist was created via REST API and not saved to b_tasks_template_checklist, it will be empty when a task is created. Verify via tasks.task.template.get with the CHECKLIST parameter.