# Create task templates in Amazon Connect
<a name="task-templates"></a>

Task templates make it easy for agents to capture the right information to create and complete a [task](tasks.md). All the fields they need to create a given type of task are provided for them.

## Important things to know before you create your first template
<a name="important-info-task-templates"></a>
+ When you publish your first template, your agents will be prompted to select a template when they create a new task. Agents must select one of the templates you have published.
+ If you want to return to the standard task experience and not require agents to select a template, on the **Task templates** page, use the **Disable/Enable** toggle to disable all templates you published.
+ Verify your Amazon Connect account has [permissions to create task templates](task-template-permissions.md).
+ Review the list of quotas for task templates, such as the **Task templates per instance** and **Task template customized fields per instance**. See [Amazon Connect service quotas](amazon-connect-service-limits.md). 
+ You can configure a task template to allow an agent to assign the tasks to themselves. The agent needs the security profile permission **Contact Control Panel - Allow self assigning of contacts** and the **Restrict Task Creation** permission must be disabled. The agent will then be able to check a box when they create a task from the CCP and assign it to themselves. 

## How to create a task template
<a name="build-task-templates"></a>

### Step 1: Name the template
<a name="name-template"></a>

1. Log in to the Amazon Connect console with an **Admin** account, or an account assigned to a security profile that has [permissions to create task templates](task-template-permissions.md). 

1. In the left navigation menu, choose **Channels**, **Task templates**.

1. On the **Task templates page**, choose **\$1 New template**. 

1. On the **Create new template** page, in the **Template name** box, enter the name that will be displayed your agents.

1. In the **Description** box, describe the purpose of the template. This information is not displayed to agents; it's for your own use.

### Step 2: Add fields, task assignment, schedule, and expiry
<a name="add-template-fields"></a>

1. In the **Fields** section, choose the **Add field** dropdown, and then select the type of field you want to add to your template.  
![\[The Create new template page, the Fields section, the Add field dropdown list.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/task-templates-field-type.png)

1. Use the up and down arrows as needed to change the order the field appears on the template.

1. In the **Validation and permissions** section, choose whether the field is required to be populated by the agent when they create a task, or add a default value to pre-populate the field when the agent opens the template. 

   The following image shows what this section looks like for a field that is type **Email**.  
![\[The Validation and permissions section for an email field.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/task-templates-field-permissions.png)
**Note**  
It is not possible to use attributes in the task templates page.

1. In the **Task assignment** section: 

   1. **Assign to**: Choose **Yes** to allow agents to view and edit a task assignment when they create the task. Or, assign a default value, as shown in the following image. Choose a published flow that runs after the agent chooses **Create** to create the task. Agents don't see the name of the flow on the CCP.
**Note**  
Only published flows are listed in the **Default value** dropdown.  
![\[The task assignment section, the default value dropdown list.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/task-templates-task-assigment.png)

   1. **Self-assign**: Choose **Yes** to allow agents to assign tasks to themselves on the CCP. For **Default state**, choose **True** if you want the self-assigned checkbox selected by default in the CCP.  
![\[The Self assign checkbox section, the Default state option set to True.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/task-templates-task-selfassigment.png)

1. In the **Task schedule** section, choose whether you want agents to be able to schedule a future start date and time for tasks.

1. In the **Expiry** section, specify how long the task should exist before it expires. The default is 7 days. You can configure it for up to 90 days (129,600 minutes)  
![\[The Task durations section of the template. list.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/task-expiry-duration.png)

### Step 3: Publish
<a name="task-template-publish"></a>

After you configure your template, choose **Publish** to create it and make it visible to your agents.

**Important**  
If this is your first template, when you choose **Publish**, agents are automatically required to select a task template when they create a task.   
If you want to maintain the standard task experience without selectable templates, disable all templates. 

## What your agents experience
<a name="agent-experience-task-template"></a>

After you publish a template, agents are required to select a template to create a task. 

For example, the following image shows two templates have published: **Customer Email Template** and **Billing Dispute**.

![\[The task templates page, the disable or enable toggle for each template.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/task-templates-published.png)


In the Contact Control Panel, when agents choose **Create task** they must choose one of the templates: **Billing Dispute** or **Customer Email Template**.

![\[The create task button on the CCP, the two templates the agents can select.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/task-templates-agent-experience.png)


Let's assume the agent chooses **Customer Email Template**. The following image shows the fields the agent must complete in order to create a task. Notice that there is no option for the agent to assign the task to others; this template has **Task assignment** set to a default value. However, the agent can opt to assign the task to themselves. 

![\[The CCP, no option to assign a task to others, but agent can assign the task to themselves.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/task-templates-create-task-ccp.png)


## "No data" message in the Assign to dropdown
<a name="no-data-message-task-template"></a>

Let's say that in the **Task assignment** section, you choose to allow agents to assign the task to another agent. To set up for this scenario, you must create a quick connect for the destination agent so it appears in the dropdown list of choices, as shown in the following image. For instructions about creating a quick connect for an agent, see [Test tasks](chat-testing.md#test-tasks).

![\[The CCP, create task page, the Assign to field set to John Doe's quick connect.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/task-templates-choose-agent-quick-connect.png)


If no quick connects exist, then the message **No data** appears when you choose the **Assign to** dropdown menu, as shown in the following image.

![\[The CCP, create task page, Assign to blank, No data message at the bottom of page.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/task-templates-no-data.png)