Copy and move Planner tasks
Applies ToMicrosoft Planner

Note: The new Microsoft Planner is currently rolling out to customers. If your experience looks different than the steps listed in this article, or you're working from a Government Cloud Communities (GCC), GCC High, or Department of Defense (DoD) environment, refer to the instructions toward the bottom of this page. ​​​​​​​Learn more about the new Planner in Frequently asked questions about Planner.

In Microsoft Planner, you don't have to spend time recreating the same task within the same plan, or across plans. You can also move tasks from plan to plan. With the Copy task and Move task commands, you can:

  • Copy tasks from one plan to another

  • Move tasks from one plan to another 

  • Repeat a task within a plan

  • Create multiples of the same task so you can assign an individual task to everyone on the team

Learn how to copy a task, move a task, and what's copied and what's not copied.

Need to copy more than just a task? You can also copy a plan.

Copy a task

Note: Copying or moving tasks to/from premium plans is not yet supported.

  1. In Planner, open the task details for the task that you want to copy.

  2. Open the task's More menu by selecting the 3 dots (. . .) at the top of the task card, and then select Copy task.

    Selecting the 'Copy task' option in task details

    Or, you can open the task's More menu directly from the board, and then select Copy task.

    Selecting the 'Copy task' option in board view
  3. You can change the name of the task, copy the task to a different plan, select a different bucket, and also choose which data you are going to copy over.

    Copy task dialog for copying within a task within a plan
  4. If you want to copy the task to a different plan, use the Plan name drop-down box to select a different plan. You'll notice that Assignment, Attachments, and Labels can't be copied across plans. For more information, see What's copied and what's not copied.

  5. Select Copy to save your changes.

  6. You'll get a notification if the task was successfully copied.

Move a task

Note: Copying or moving tasks to/from premium plans is not yet supported.

  1. In Planner, open the task details for the task that you want to move.

  2. Open the task's More menu by selecting the 3 dots (. . .) at the top of the task card, and then select Move task.

    Or, you can open the task's More menu directly from the board, and then select Move task.

  3. Choose the plan and bucket where you want to put the task.

    Note: When you move a task to a different plan, its label information will be lost. Labels are unique to each plan.

  4. Select Move.

  5. You'll get a notification if the task was successfully moved.

What's copied and what's not copied

The following table describes which elements of a task can be copied to a new task or to a new plan.

Copy within the same plan

Copy to a different plan

Comments

Assignment

Yes

No

People assignments aren't copied by default. You'll have to select the Assignment check box. Also, you can't copy assignments to different plans because the memberships may be different. Set and update task progress

Progress

Yes

Yes

Task progress isn't copied by default. You'll have to select the Progress check box.

Priority

Yes

Yes

Priority is copied by default.

Dates

Yes

Yes

Dates aren't copied by default and you'll have to select the Dates checkbox.

Recu​​​​​​​rrence

Yes

Yes

Recurrence isn't copied by default. You'll have to select the Dates checkbox and the Recurrence checkbox to copy the recurrence.

Descriptions

Yes

Yes

Descriptions are saved and copied to new plans and tasks; however, you can uncheck the Descriptions check box if you don't want to copy that information over.

Checklists

Yes

Yes

Checklists are saved and copied to new plans and tasks. However, you can uncheck the Checklist check box if you don't want to copy that information over.

Attachments

Yes

No

Task attachments can only be copied from within the same plan. Attach files, photos, or links to a task

Labels

Yes

No

Labels are plan-specific. You'll need to create and assign new labels if you're copying this task to a new plan. Flag your tasks with labels

Comments​​​​​​​

No

No

Comments aren't copied over to the newly created task.

In Planner, you don't have to spend time recreating the same task within the same plan, or across plans. You can also move tasks from plan to plan. With the Copy task and Move task commands, you can:

  • Copy tasks from one plan to another

  • Move tasks from one plan to another 

  • Repeat a task within a plan

  • Create multiples of the same task so you can assign an individual task to everyone on the team

Learn how to copy a task, move a task, and what's copied and what's not copied.

Need to copy more than just a task? You can also copy a plan.

Copy a task

  1. In Planner, select the task that you want to copy.

  2. Open the task's More menu by selecting the 3 dots (. . .) in the task's upper-right corner, and then select Copy task.

    Copy task

    Or, you can open the task's More menu directly from the board, and then select Copy task.

    Screen capture: Showing the MORE menu being opened from a task on the Planner board.
  3. You can change the name of the task, copy the task to a different plan, select a different bucket, and also choose which data you are going to copy over.

    Screen capture: Showing the COPY TASK dialog box. Assignments, Progress, and Dates items are off by default.
  4. If you want to copy the task to a different plan, use the Plan name drop-down box to select a different plan. You'll notice that Assignment, Attachments, and Labels can't be copied across plans. For more information, see What's copied and what's not copied.

    Screen capture: Showing that assignment, attachments, and lables, are grayed out and can't be copied across plans.
  5. Select Copy to save your changes.

  6. You'll get a notification that the task was copied. You can click on the notification and it will take you to the new task that you just copied.

Move a task

  1. In Planner, select the task that you want to move.

  2. Open the task's More menu by selecting the 3 dots (. . .) in the task's upper-right corner, and then select Move task.

    Or, you can open the task's More menu directly from the board, and then select Move task.

  3. Choose the plan and bucket where you want to put the task.

    Note: When you move a task to a new plan, its label information will be lost. Labels don't exist across plans.

  4. Select Move.

  5. You'll get a notification that the task was moved. You can click on the notification and it will take you to the task at its new location.

What's copied and what's not copied

The following table describes which elements of a task can be copied to a new task or to a new plan.

Copy within the same plan

Copy to a different plan

Comments

Assignment

Yes

No

People assignments aren't copied by default. You'll have to select the Assignment check box. Also, you can't copy assignments to different plans because the memberships may be different. Set and update task progress

Progress

Yes

Yes

Task progress isn't copied by default. You'll have to select the Progress check box.

Dates

Yes

Yes

Dates aren't copied by default and you'll have to select the Dates checkbox.

Descriptions

Yes

Yes

Descriptions are saved and copied to new plans and tasks; however, you can uncheck the Descriptions check box if you don't want to copy that information over.

Checklists

Yes

Yes

Checklists are saved and copied to new plans and tasks. However, you can uncheck the Checklist check box if you don't want to copy that information over.

Attachments

Yes

No

Task attachments can only be copied from within the same plan. Attach files, photos, or links to a task

Labels

Yes

No

Labels are plan-specific. You'll need to create and assign new labels if you're copying this task to a new plan. Flag your tasks with labels

Comments

No

No

Comments aren't copied over to the newly created task.

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