Task templates
A file task often follows a shape: a weekly review has the same sections, a release has the same checklist, a client note has the same fields. Task templates let a new file task start from that shape instead of a blank page. You point Operon at a folder of templates, and the file-task creator offers them when you make a task.
MEDIA-DOCS-024-1: The template picker shown while creating a file task, listing available templates.
How templates work
Templates apply to file tasks, the ones that have a note body. When you create or convert a file task, Operon can build it from a template: the template's body and frontmatter become the starting point, and Operon fills in the task fields it manages, like the operonId.
There is always a built-in option, the Minimal File Template for Operon Tasks, so the picker is never empty. Your own templates sit alongside it.
Set up a template folder
In settings, choose a template folder. The top-level Markdown files in that folder become the choices in the template picker. A few rules worth knowing:
- Only top-level files in the folder are listed, not files in subfolders.
- If you leave the folder empty or unset, the picker shows just the built-in minimal template.
- When a conversion needs a template without asking, Operon uses the first file alphabetically as the default. Name your everyday template so it sorts first if you want it chosen automatically.
Pick a Task Creator default template
If you create file tasks through Task Creator often, you can make your usual template the default. In Settings → Operon → Tasks → File Tasks → New File Task Creation Defaults, set Default file task template to one of the templates from your file-task template folder. When Task Creator enters File mode, that template is preselected.
This is separate from the alphabetic fallback above. The fallback is for conversion flows that need a template without asking. Default file task template is for Task Creator, where you can still change the selected template for the current task before saving.
Templater support
Templates can contain Templater syntax. If the Templater plugin is installed, Operon processes that syntax when it builds the task, so a template can insert dates, prompts, and other dynamic content. If Templater is not available but a template uses its syntax, Operon tells you rather than writing raw syntax into your note. For the wider pattern of dynamic templates, see Templater and QuickAdd workflows.
A template can also use Operon template variables. These are written as {{...}} tokens and can mint ids, reuse one parent id across subtasks, and fill values such as the final status, priority, scheduled date, due date, note, and creation time.
For example, this template frontmatter:
---
operonId: {{operonId}}
Status: {{status}}
Priority: {{priority}}
dateScheduled: {{dateScheduled}}
datetimeCreated: {{datetime}}
---
can become output like this when Operon creates the file task:
---
operonId: a1b2c3d
Status: Project.Brainstorming
Priority: High
dateScheduled: 2026-06-27
datetimeCreated: 2026-06-27T13:46:10
---
Your actual status, priority, and dates come from the task being created and your Operon defaults. See operonId template variables for the full list and parent-child examples.
FAQ
Do templates work for inline tasks? No. Templates are for file tasks, which have a body to fill. Inline tasks are a single line.
What if I do not set a template folder? You still get the built-in Minimal File Template for Operon Tasks. Templates are optional.
Which template is used when Operon does not ask? For conversion flows, the first file alphabetically in your template folder. For Task Creator, set Default file task template if you want a specific template preselected.
Settings
Operon settings for this live in Settings → Operon → Tasks → File Tasks. File Task Templates sets the template folder that fills the picker, and New File Task Creation Defaults sets whether Task Creator opens in File mode and which file-task template is preselected.