gitlab-org--gitlab-foss/doc/user/admin_area/custom_project_templates.md

---
stage: Manage
group: Import
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#designated-technical-writers
type: reference
---

# Custom instance-level project templates **(PREMIUM ONLY)**

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/6860) in [GitLab Premium](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/) 11.2.

GitLab administrators can configure the group where all the custom project
templates are sourced.

Every project directly under the group namespace will be
available to the user if they have access to them. For example:

- Public projects, in the group will be available to every signed-in user, if all enabled [project features](../project/settings/index.md#sharing-and-permissions)
  are set to **Everyone With Access**.
- Private projects will be available only if the user is a member of the project.

Repository and database information that are copied over to each new project are
identical to the data exported with
[GitLab's Project Import/Export](../project/settings/import_export.md).

NOTE: **Note:**
To set project templates at a group level,
see [Custom group-level project templates](../group/custom_project_templates.md).

## Configuring

GitLab administrators can configure a GitLab group that serves as template
source for an entire GitLab instance by:

1. Navigating to **Admin Area > Settings > Templates**.
1. Expanding **Custom project templates**.
1. Selecting a group to use.
1. Pressing **Save changes**.

NOTE: **Note:**
Projects below subgroups of the template group are **not** supported.

<!-- ## Troubleshooting

Include any troubleshooting steps that you can foresee. If you know beforehand what issues
one might have when setting this up, or when something is changed, or on upgrading, it's
important to describe those, too. Think of things that may go wrong and include them here.
This is important to minimize requests for support, and to avoid doc comments with
questions that you know someone might ask.

Each scenario can be a third-level heading, e.g. `### Getting error message X`.
If you have none to add when creating a doc, leave this section in place
but commented out to help encourage others to add to it in the future. -->
Refine topics for Phase 2 of SSoT audit Includes admin_area and application_security topics. 2019-07-25 10:16:25 -04:00			`---`
Add latest changes from gitlab-org/gitlab@master 2020-08-05 14:09:49 -04:00			`stage: Manage`
			`group: Import`
Add latest changes from gitlab-org/gitlab@master 2020-06-09 11:08:05 -04:00			`info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#designated-technical-writers`
Refine topics for Phase 2 of SSoT audit Includes admin_area and application_security topics. 2019-07-25 10:16:25 -04:00			`type: reference`
			`---`

Changing badges to use parentheses not brackets Previously, we used brackets to denote the tier badges, but this made Kramdown, the docs site Markdown renderer, show many warnings when building the site. This is now fixed by using parentheses instead of square brackets. This was caused by [PREMIUM] looking like a link to Kramdown, which couldn't find a URL there. See: - https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/gitlab-docs/merge_requests/484 - https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/63800 2019-07-08 04:50:38 -04:00			`# Custom instance-level project templates (PREMIUM ONLY)`
Add docs for custom project templates 2018-11-30 07:48:16 -05:00
Add latest changes from gitlab-org/gitlab@master 2020-05-21 23:08:28 -04:00			`> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/6860) in [GitLab Premium](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/) 11.2.`
Add docs for custom project templates 2018-11-30 07:48:16 -05:00
Refine topics for Phase 2 of SSoT audit Includes admin_area and application_security topics. 2019-07-25 10:16:25 -04:00			`GitLab administrators can configure the group where all the custom project`
			`templates are sourced.`
Restructure projects template topics 2019-01-24 01:56:42 -05:00
Refine topics for Phase 2 of SSoT audit Includes admin_area and application_security topics. 2019-07-25 10:16:25 -04:00			`Every project directly under the group namespace will be`
			`available to the user if they have access to them. For example:`

Add latest changes from gitlab-org/gitlab@master 2020-10-01 14:10:20 -04:00			`- Public projects, in the group will be available to every signed-in user, if all enabled [project features](../project/settings/index.md#sharing-and-permissions)`
			`are set to Everyone With Access.`
Refine topics for Phase 2 of SSoT audit Includes admin_area and application_security topics. 2019-07-25 10:16:25 -04:00			`- Private projects will be available only if the user is a member of the project.`

			`Repository and database information that are copied over to each new project are`
			`identical to the data exported with`
			`[GitLab's Project Import/Export](../project/settings/import_export.md).`
Restructure projects template topics 2019-01-24 01:56:42 -05:00
			`NOTE: Note:`
			`To set project templates at a group level,`
			`see [Custom group-level project templates](../group/custom_project_templates.md).`
Add docs for custom project templates 2018-11-30 07:48:16 -05:00
Refine topics for Phase 2 of SSoT audit Includes admin_area and application_security topics. 2019-07-25 10:16:25 -04:00			`## Configuring`
Add docs for custom project templates 2018-11-30 07:48:16 -05:00
Refine topics for Phase 2 of SSoT audit Includes admin_area and application_security topics. 2019-07-25 10:16:25 -04:00			`GitLab administrators can configure a GitLab group that serves as template`
			`source for an entire GitLab instance by:`

Add latest changes from gitlab-org/gitlab@master 2020-01-08 19:07:40 -05:00			`1. Navigating to Admin Area > Settings > Templates.`
Refine topics for Phase 2 of SSoT audit Includes admin_area and application_security topics. 2019-07-25 10:16:25 -04:00			`1. Expanding Custom project templates.`
			`1. Selecting a group to use.`
			`1. Pressing Save changes.`
Add docs for custom project templates 2018-11-30 07:48:16 -05:00
Restructure projects template topics 2019-01-24 01:56:42 -05:00			`NOTE: Note:`
Add docs for custom project templates 2018-11-30 07:48:16 -05:00			`Projects below subgroups of the template group are not supported.`

Refine topics for Phase 2 of SSoT audit Includes admin_area and application_security topics. 2019-07-25 10:16:25 -04:00			`<!-- ## Troubleshooting`

			`Include any troubleshooting steps that you can foresee. If you know beforehand what issues`
			`one might have when setting this up, or when something is changed, or on upgrading, it's`
			`important to describe those, too. Think of things that may go wrong and include them here.`
			`This is important to minimize requests for support, and to avoid doc comments with`
			`questions that you know someone might ask.`

			Each scenario can be a third-level heading, e.g. `### Getting error message X`.
			`If you have none to add when creating a doc, leave this section in place`
			`but commented out to help encourage others to add to it in the future. -->`