Hive is smart about handling deadlines with the template you create.
First, to ensure deadlines are set when you apply an action template, ensure that the 'automatically add due dates' option is checked.
We will refer to the below image in the two scenarios described:
Assuming you've used positive and negative deadlines, there are two different scenarios to which deadlines will be applied:
1. If your main action card already has a deadline set, at the moment that you apply the action template
Since you have already applied the deadline to the action, Hive is smart to know that you need to complete the action by that specific date. Hive will set any subaction in your action template that is listed as 'Day 0' as equal to the parent action due date.
All negative days will happen before the action due date and all positive days will happen after the action due date, following the same pattern.
Using the above example for the Blog Post action template, if you have set the action card's deadline to 15 Jan before applying the template, when you apply the Blog Post action template:
"Research" will be set for 5 Jan (minus eight days before 15 Jan)
"Write Draft" will be set for 11 Jan (minus four days before 15 Jan)
"Edit" will be set for 13 Jan (minus two days before 15 Jan)
"Add graphics and formatting" will be set for 14 Jan (minus one day before 15 Jan)
"Finalize & post" will be set for 15 Jan (Day 0)
"Analyze post traffic" will be set to begin 16 Jan (plus one day after 15 Jan)
2. If your action does not currently have a deadline set when you apply the action template:
Since you have enabled deadlines and your action currently has no deadline, Hive assumes that the subaction marked as 'Day 0' in the action template is today.
Using the above example for the Blog Post action template, if today is 17 Dec:
"Research" will be set for 5 Dec (minus eight days before today)
"Write Draft" will be set for 11 Dec (minus four days before today)
"Edit" will be set for 15 Dec (minus two days before today)
"Add graphics and formatting" will be set for 16 Dec (minus one day before today)
"Finalize & post" will be set for 17 Dec (today)
"Analyze post traffic" will be set to begin 18 Dec (one day after today)
Lastly, if your subactions have start and due dates, add durations to your action template! Edit the duration to add the number of days you want that subaction to be scheduled for. When you've selected to automatically add due dates, start dates and due dates will automatically be added to the subactions when the template is applied.
When a duration is added, 'Day' becomes the start date and the due date is calculated based on the duration.
With automatic deadlines enabled for your common company workflows, you will never have to set one again! 😉