Task templates: define reusable maintenance procedures

Task templates are reusable definitions of maintenance procedures in SimplyPrint. When you create a maintenance job, you select which templates to include - each one becomes a task in the job's checklist. Think of a template as the "recipe" and a task as the instance of that recipe being carried out.

This article covers how to create, configure, and manage task templates, including how triggers work to automate scheduling.

What are task templates?

A task template describes a single maintenance procedure - things like cleaning the print bed, lubricating linear rails, or inspecting the nozzle. Templates live in your account and can be reused across as many jobs as you need.

When you create a maintenance job (either manually or through automated scheduling), you pick which templates to include. Each selected template becomes a task in that job's checklist, complete with the instructions, spare part requirements, and reference materials you defined in the template.

This separation between templates and tasks means you define a procedure once and use it everywhere. Update a template, and future jobs will use the updated version.

Creating a template

To create a new template, go to the maintenance section and click Create template. You'll see a modal with several fields and options.

Name and description

Give your template a clear name (e.g. "Clean print bed", "Replace nozzle", "Belt tension check") and an optional description that summarizes what the task involves.

Category

Pick a category that best fits the type of work:

• Cleaning - bed cleaning, enclosure wipedown, nozzle cold pull, etc.
• Lubrication - linear rails, lead screws, bearings
• Replacement - nozzle swaps, belt replacement, PTFE tube changes
• Calibration - bed leveling, e-step calibration, PID tuning
• Inspection - visual checks on belts, wiring, frame, hotend
• Firmware - firmware updates and configuration changes
• Other - anything that doesn't fit the above

Categories help you organize and filter your templates as the list grows.

Instructions

A rich text field where you write the step-by-step guide for whoever carries out the task. Be as detailed as you need - include specific torque values, temperatures, or measurements. These instructions are shown to the technician when they're working through the job's checklist.

Reference URLs

Link to manufacturer guides, wiki pages, or any external documentation that supports the procedure. Handy for linking to official maintenance manuals or community guides.

YouTube links

Add video tutorial links. These are embedded directly in the task view so the technician can watch the procedure without leaving SimplyPrint.

Spare part requirements

Define which spare parts are needed to carry out the task. You can select parts in two ways:

• Direct part selection - pick a specific item from your inventory
• Category-based selection - pick a part category (e.g. "nozzles") and the technician chooses the specific part when performing the task

This ties into SimplyPrint's inventory system. For more on managing spare parts and inventory, see our [inventory article].

Tool integration

Some templates can trigger built-in printer tools as part of the task. Available tool integrations:

• Bed leveling - run the printer's automatic bed leveling routine
• Change filament - guide the technician through a filament change
• Z-offset calibration - run z-offset calibration
• Preheat - preheat the printer to a specified temperature
• Send G-code - send custom G-code commands to the printer

These make it easy to bundle software-assisted steps right into the maintenance procedure.

Estimated time

Set an estimated duration for how long the task should take. This helps with planning - when a job includes multiple templates, the estimated times add up so you can see the total expected duration.

Scope

Control which printers a template applies to:

• All printers - the template is available for every printer in your account
• Specific models - only printers of certain models
• Specific groups - only printers in certain groups
• Specific printers - hand-pick individual printers

Scope is useful when certain maintenance tasks only apply to specific hardware. A belt tension check template might only apply to your CoreXY printers, while a bed cleaning template applies to everything.

Responsible user

On multi-user accounts, you can set a default assignee for the template. When a job is created that includes this template, the responsible user is automatically assigned to that task. They can be reassigned later if needed.

Template triggers

Triggers determine when a task becomes "due". This is the key to automated scheduling - instead of manually tracking when each printer needs maintenance, you define the conditions and let SimplyPrint handle the rest.

Always (default)

The template is included in every job. This is the default trigger and works well for tasks you want done every time - like a quick visual inspection or bed wipe that should happen during every maintenance session.

Time interval

The task becomes due after a set number of days since it was last completed. For example, "lubricate linear rails every 30 days" or "replace PTFE tube every 90 days".

SimplyPrint tracks the last completion date per printer, so each printer has its own countdown.

Usage-based

The task becomes due after a certain amount of printer usage since last completion. You can set thresholds based on:

• Print hours - due after X hours of printing
• Filament usage - due after X grams of filament consumed

This is great for tasks tied to wear - a nozzle inspection after every 200 print hours, or a cold pull after every 500g of filament, for instance.

Problem-based

The task becomes due when related problems are reported on a printer. If someone flags an issue that matches this template's scope, the template is marked as due so it gets included in the next maintenance job.

Failure-based

The task becomes due after a printer hits a certain number of print failures. For example, "check bed adhesion after 5 failed prints" or "inspect nozzle after 3 failures".

This is a practical way to catch issues before they snowball - repeated failures often point to a maintenance need.

Importing default templates

SimplyPrint includes a library of built-in templates for common maintenance tasks - cleaning the bed, inspecting the nozzle, checking belt tension, lubricating rails, and more. These give you a solid starting point so you don't have to build everything from scratch.

To use them, click Import default templates in the templates view. The built-in templates are added to your account, and you can customize them however you like - change the instructions, adjust triggers, modify the scope, or add spare part requirements.

Editing and deleting templates

Click any template row to open it for editing. All fields can be updated, and changes apply to future jobs that include the template. Existing tasks from earlier jobs keep the values they had when the job was created.

You can also duplicate a template if you want to create a variation without starting from scratch. This is handy when you have similar procedures for different printer models that need slight adjustments.

Deleting a template is a soft delete - the template is removed from the list and won't be included in future jobs, but any existing tasks that were created from it are preserved in their respective jobs. You won't lose historical data.

Related articles

• [Maintenance schedules] - set up automated scheduling that uses triggers to create jobs
• [Inventory and spare parts] - manage spare parts referenced by task templates

Updated on: 01/04/2026