In Shortcut we have Story Templates that allow you to create Stories from a pre-formatted template, saving you and your team time and effort on commonly written Stories.  Did you ever want to do the same with Epics? 

In lieu of a native Epic Templates feature, this workaround uses Story Templates in combination with the Convert to Epic action to replicate similar functionality.

When you’re ready to use it:

1. Create a new Story from the template.

2. Convert that Story into an Epic.

3. All associated Subtasks will become Stories in the new Epic.

Key Points to Note

• Title limitations: Story titles must be plain text and under 512 characters; markdown formatting is not supported.

• Descriptions carry over: Story descriptions will become the Epic description.

• Subtasks convert into Stories: Subtasks from the original Story become individual Stories under the new Epic.

• The original Story will be Archived: A reference to the original Story is preserved in the Epic’s comment section for reference.

Step 1: Create the Template Story

Start by creating a Story that includes all the information and structure you'd like in your Epic:

• Title – A clear name for the Epic. 
• Description – Context, instructions, or a checklist (markdown supported here)
• Subtasks – These will become Stories when converted to an Epic
• Team - This value will become the Team value on the Epic
• Story Owner or Owners - This value will become the Epic Owner
• Labels → Will transfer to the Epic
• Followers → Will be added to the Epic
• Story Due Date → Will carry over as the Epic due date

Step 2: Save the Story as a Template

Once your Story is fully set up:

1. Click the ⋯ (three-dot menu) on the Story.

2. Select Save as New Template.

3. Give the template a recognizable name, like Story → Epic Template.

You can now reuse this template across projects.

Step 3: Create an Epic from the Template

When it’s time to use the Epic Template:

1. Create a new Story using the saved template.

2. Open the Story, adjust the metadata and information as needed

3. When the Story represents the Epic structure, click the ⋯ menu.

4. Select Convert to Epic.

This action will:

• Convert all Subtasks into new Stories under the Epic

• Add the original Story as a comment in the Epic’s Activity section

• Copy over the Title (as Epic Title), Description (as Epic description), Labels (as Epic Labels), Team, Story Owner as Epic Owner, Followers, and Due date as the Epic Due Date.

Tips for Managing Templates

• Use a consistent naming convention like Epic Template: [Project Type]

• Tag all Epic Templates with a common label (e.g., template) to keep them organized

• Revisit and update your templates periodically to keep them current

Please note that while this process is still meant to be a workaround and may not capture everything, it's a really great way to get a bunch of information created quickly! Please feel free to reach out to Support if you come across any wonky behavior, run into any challenges, and/or have additional questions - we're here to help!

Updated July 11, 2025 17:37