TL;DR: Set up a "template item" with a fixed set of subitems, then auto-copy them onto any item on a Status change. One Status flip = a full pre-built subitem set instantly.
What this does
Recipe:"When item's Status changes to something, copy all subitems from an item in this board and map subitem column values."
When an item's Status changes to a specific label, the automation:
Finds the designated template item
Copies all of its subitems
Creates those same subitems under the item whose Status changed
Maps the column values you specified during setup
Useful when you have a fixed set of tasks that should be created the same way every time — orders, deals, projects, onboardings.
When to use it
Order management — create the same processing steps for every order
CRM workflows — add follow-up tasks whenever a deal enters a new stage
Project management — generate the same checklist for every new project
Speeds up creation of new subitems — full set appears instantly
Pre-fills subitem column values via mapping
Templates can be updated anytime by editing the template item
No need to build complex automations with many "create subitem" actions
No need to use monday.com's Template Center — your templates live on the same board
Before you start
A Status column on the parent items (will trigger the automation)
A plan for what your template subitems should be
Step 1: Set up your template (recommended)
Before configuring the automation, set up a dedicated template area on your board. This makes templates clear to your team and easy to maintain.
Create a Template group. Add a new group on your board called Template (or similar). Place it at the bottom so your team knows these items are templates and shouldn't be modified during normal work.
Create your template items. Inside the Template group, add an item for each template you want — e.g. Onboarding Process, Order Processing Steps, Sales Follow-Up Tasks.
Add subitems to each template item. These are the subitems that will be copied. Example for an order template: Verify payment, Prepare shipment, Package order, Send tracking email.
Prepare your Status column. Use an existing Status column or create a new one. Each Status label will trigger a different template (e.g. Template 1 copies from Onboarding Process, Template 2 copies from Order Processing Steps).
The template item can live on a different board. If you have a central "Templates" board, you can pull subitems from it into the boards where you actually do the work.
Search copy subitems template and find the recipe.
Click Use Template.
Configure the underlined fields:
Field
What to select
Status
The Status column on parent items that triggers the automation
something
The Status label that triggers this template (e.g. "Template 1")
this board
The board where the template item lives (can be the current board or another)
item
The template item whose subitems will be copied
subitem column values
Open the mapping page and connect each source column to the destination column. Leave columns unmapped if you don't want to copy them.
Click Create automation.
Test that it works
Open or create an item on your board.
Change its Status to the trigger label (e.g. "Template 1").
Confirm the template subitems appear under the item, with the mapped column values filled in.
Editing templates later
To update what gets copied, edit the template item directly:
Go to your Template group.
Find the template item.
Edit existing subitems, add new ones, or remove ones you no longer need.
The next time the automation runs, it uses the updated template — no need to touch the automation itself.
Common gotchas
One automation per template. If you have 3 templates triggered by 3 different Status labels, set up 3 automations.
Status labels are case-sensitive. "Template 1" ≠ "template 1".
Don't manually edit the template item's subitems during normal work. That's why the dedicated Template group helps — clear separation from active work.
Read-only columns can't be mapped. Mirror, Formula, and Last-updated columns won't copy over.
The automation copies subitems each time the Status fires — repeated triggers create duplicate subitems. Pick a Status label that only fires once per item lifecycle.