---
type: reference
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
---

# Custom group-level project templates **(PREMIUM)**

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/6861) in [GitLab Premium](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/) 11.6.

When you create a new [project](../project/index.md), creating it based on custom project templates is
a convenient option.

Users can configure a GitLab group that serves as template
source under a group's **Settings > General > Custom project templates**.

NOTE: **Note:**
GitLab administrators can
[set project templates for an entire GitLab instance](../admin_area/custom_project_templates.md).

Within this section, you can configure the group where all the custom project
templates are sourced. Every project _template_ directly under the group namespace is
available to every signed-in user, if all enabled [project features](../project/settings/index.md#sharing-and-permissions) are set to **Everyone With Access**.

However, private projects will be available only if the user is a member of the project.

NOTE: **Note:**
Only direct subgroups can be set as the template source. Projects of nested subgroups of a selected template source cannot be used.

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).

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