# Admin Guide: Configuring Automatic Subjects

This guide explains how Begin of the insertionadministrators configure **automatic subjectEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion admins define **subjectEnd of the deletion patterns** for work Begin of the insertionpackages in OpenProject. Subject patterns combine static text with dynamic attributes—such as dates, author names, or custom fields—to automatically generate consistent and informative workEnd of the insertion package Begin of the deletion types, ensuring clear, automatedEnd of the deletion titles.

Begin of the insertionAutomatic subject patterns help teams quickly identify tasks, reduce manual errors, and standardize naming conventions across your projects.End of the insertion Begin of the deletion ## 1\. IntroductionEnd of the deletion

Begin of the insertion---

## 1. HowEnd of the insertion Subject Begin of the insertionPatterns Work

A subject pattern includes a combination of:

- **Static text** (e.g., `Invoice`, `Vacation Request`)
- **Dynamic attribute placeholders** (e.g., `[Author]`, `[Start date]`,End of the insertion Begin of the deletion patterns embed placeholders, like `[Author]` orEnd of the deletion `[Custom Field: Invoice Begin of the insertionID]`)

When users createEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion ID]`, into titles. Users creatingEnd of the deletion or Begin of the insertioneditEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion editingEnd of the deletion work Begin of the insertionpackages, OpenProject automatically replacesEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion packages see subjects auto-generated fromEnd of the deletion these Begin of the insertionplaceholders with real attribute values, generating clear subjects.End of the insertion Begin of the deletion patterns, promoting consistency and clarity.End of the deletion

Begin of the insertion---End of the insertion Begin of the deletion > **Tip:** See the [User Guide on Automatic Subjects](https://community.openproject.org/#) for the user's perspective.End of the deletion

## Begin of the insertion2.End of the insertion Begin of the deletion 2\.End of the deletion Adding, Changing, and Deleting Attributes

Begin of the insertionAdministrators configure subject patterns using a simple editor in the admin settings:

End of the insertion ### 2.1 Adding Attributes

1. Begin of the insertionNavigateEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion GoEnd of the deletion to **Administration → Work Package Types**, Begin of the insertionchooseEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion selectEnd of the deletion a type, then open **Subject configuration**. Begin of the insertion
End of the insertion Begin of the deletion

End of the deletion 2. Begin of the deletion End of the deletion Type `/` in the Begin of the insertioninputEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion textEnd of the deletion field to Begin of the insertionopenEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion activateEnd of the deletion attribute search. Begin of the insertion
End of the insertion Begin of the deletion

End of the deletion 3. Begin of the insertionSearch for and selectEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion Start typingEnd of the deletion an attribute Begin of the deletion name (e.g., “start date”); select itEnd of the deletion from the Begin of the insertiondropdown. The chosen attribute appears asEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion dropdown to insertEnd of the deletion a Begin of the insertionplaceholderEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion pillEnd of the deletion (e.g., `[Start date]`). Begin of the insertion

End of the insertion Begin of the deletion


End of the deletion ### 2.2 Changing Attributes

Begin of the insertion-End of the insertion Begin of the deletion * End of the deletion Click Begin of the deletion directlyEnd of the deletion into an existing Begin of the deletion pill. It becomes editable, triggering theEnd of the deletion attribute Begin of the insertionplaceholder to edit it. This triggersEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion search.

* TypeEnd of the deletion the Begin of the deletion newEnd of the deletion attribute Begin of the insertionsearch again.
- TypeEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion nameEnd of the deletion and select Begin of the insertiona different attributeEnd of the insertion from the dropdown. The Begin of the insertionplaceholderEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion pillEnd of the deletion updates Begin of the insertionautomatically.

End of the insertion Begin of the deletion immediately.


End of the deletion ### 2.3 Deleting Attributes

Begin of the insertion- Delete an attribute placeholder just likeEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion * Remove the pill as you wouldEnd of the deletion regular text (e.g., using backspace). Begin of the insertion

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End of the insertion Begin of the deletion


End of the deletion ## Begin of the insertion3.End of the insertion Begin of the deletion 3\.End of the deletion Supported Begin of the insertionAttributesEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion ValuesEnd of the deletion and Begin of the insertionLimitationsEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion DisplayEnd of the deletion

Begin of the insertion### 3.1 Work packageEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion Patterns support conciseEnd of the deletion attributes Begin of the deletion suitable for subjects:End of the deletion

Begin of the insertionSubject patterns can include placeholders referencing the following work package attributes:

| Attribute Name | Data Type | Example |
| -------------- | ----------------- | ---------- |
| Accountable | User name | Jon Doe |
| Assignee | User name | Jon Doe |
| Author | User name | Jon Doe |
| Category | String | Category A |
| Created on | Date | 2025-01-10 |
|End of the insertion Begin of the deletion * **Standard fields**: Author, Start date,End of the deletion Finish Begin of the insertiondate | Date | 2025-01-15 |
| ID | Integer | 3000 |
|End of the insertion Begin of the deletion date, Status,End of the deletion Priority Begin of the insertion | String | Normal |
| Project | Project ID | 30 |
| Remaining work | Hours (float) | 8.0 |
| Start date | Date | 2025-01-12 |
| Status | String | New |
| Type | Work package type | Task |
| Work | Hours (float) | 10.0 |

End of the insertion Begin of the deletion

* **User fields**: Assignee, Accountable

* **Version and Category**

* End of the deletion **Custom fields**: Begin of the insertionSupported custom fields include Text, Integer, Float, List, Date, Boolean, User, Version.
**Unsupported attributes**: LongEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion Short text, integer, lists (longEnd of the deletion text and Begin of the insertionLink custom fieldsEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion multi-select excluded)

* **Project attributes**: Project name, Project identifier


Unsupported attributes (long texts or ~~multi-selects~~) won’t appear in search results. \[ES: multi-selectsEnd of the deletion are Begin of the insertionexcluded to keep subjects concise.End of the insertion Begin of the deletion part now, they are represented as CSV\]End of the deletion

Begin of the insertion> **Note:** Ensure selectedEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion ## 4\. Limitations

* **Multi-select and long text fields** are not supported. \[ES: multi-selects are part now, they are represented as CSV\]

* Referencing unavailableEnd of the deletion attributes Begin of the insertionare activated and availableEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion or empty fields resultsEnd of the deletion in Begin of the insertionyourEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion **“N/A”**.

* Attributes from a parent orEnd of the deletion project Begin of the insertionandEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion update only when the childEnd of the deletion work package Begin of the insertiontypes to avoid showing “N/A” in subjects.

### 3.2 Supported project attributeEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion is saved.


## 5\. When Does the Subject Update?End of the deletion

Begin of the insertion| Attribute Name | Data Type | Example |
| ---------------------- | ----------- | -------- |
| Project: Active | Boolean | true |
| Project: Name | String | HR |
| Project: Status | Status code | on_track |
| Project: Subproject of | ID | 123 |
| Project: Public | Boolean | false |

**Custom project attributes:** Supported attributes include Integer, Float, List, Date, Boolean, User, Version.
**Unsupported project attributes**: Long text and Link custom fields are excluded to keep subjects concise.

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## 4. Updating AutomaticEnd of the insertion Subjects Begin of the insertion

Automatic subjects updateEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion regenerate automaticallyEnd of the deletion whenever Begin of the insertionan attributeEnd of the insertion referenced Begin of the deletion attributes changeEnd of the deletion in the **current work package** Begin of the insertionchanges and the work package is saved.

**Important:** Attributes referencing parent work packages or projectEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion upon saving. Changes toEnd of the deletion attributes Begin of the insertionwon't trigger immediate updates. ChangesEnd of the insertion in Begin of the insertionparentEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion the **parentEnd of the deletion or Begin of the insertionproject attributes appear only whenEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion project** require updating and savingEnd of the deletion the child work package Begin of the insertionitself is updated and saved again.End of the insertion Begin of the deletion again to refresh the subject.End of the deletion

Begin of the insertion---

End of the insertion ## Begin of the insertion5. Why "N/A" AppearsEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion 6\. “N/A”End of the deletion in Subjects

Begin of the insertion"N/A" indicates an empty or unavailable attribute referenced in the subject pattern. Typical causes:End of the insertion Begin of the deletion “N/A” appears when:End of the deletion

Begin of the insertion- The attribute hasn't been filled by the user.
-End of the insertion Begin of the deletion * End of the deletion A Begin of the insertionparentEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion referencedEnd of the deletion attribute is Begin of the insertionreferenced, but noEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion empty.

* NoEnd of the deletion parent is Begin of the insertionset, or theEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion set (ifEnd of the deletion parent Begin of the insertiondoesn't containEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion attributes are referenced).

* Referenced attributes don’t exist forEnd of the deletion the Begin of the insertionattribute.
- The attribute isn'tEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion parent’s type.

* Attributes aren’tEnd of the deletion activated Begin of the insertioninEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion forEnd of the deletion the Begin of the insertioncurrentEnd of the insertion project. Begin of the insertion

Providing the missing attributeEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion


Filling or enabling these attributesEnd of the deletion and saving the work package replaces Begin of the insertion**"N/A"**End of the insertion Begin of the deletion **“N/A”**End of the deletion with Begin of the insertiontheEnd of the insertion actual Begin of the insertionvalue.End of the insertion Begin of the deletion values.End of the deletion

Begin of the insertion---

End of the insertion ## Begin of the insertion6. Tips forEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion 7\. ChoosingEnd of the deletion Effective Patterns

Begin of the insertionGood subject patterns should be:

- **Concise**: Keep subjects short and readable.
- **Relevant**: Include onlyEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion * **Be concise**: Limit placeholders toEnd of the deletion essential attributes Begin of the insertionneeded for quick identification.
- **Descriptive**:End of the insertion Begin of the deletion (date, ID, author).

* **Clear labels**:End of the deletion Use Begin of the insertionclear static text (e.g., `Invoice`, `Bug Report`) to define theEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion short descriptions indicatingEnd of the deletion work package type. Begin of the insertion

Check ourEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion

* **Start simple**: Begin with common or critical tasks (Invoices, Vacation Requests).


For examples, refer toEnd of the deletion [Example Subject Begin of the insertionPatterns](#) for inspiration.End of the insertion Begin of the deletion Patterns](https://community.openproject.org/#).End of the deletion

Begin of the insertion---

End of the insertion ## Begin of the insertion7.End of the insertion Begin of the deletion 8\.End of the deletion Further Begin of the insertionResourcesEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion ReadingEnd of the deletion

Begin of the insertion-End of the insertion Begin of the deletion * End of the deletion [User Guide on Automatic Begin of the insertionSubjects](#)
-End of the insertion Begin of the deletion Subjects](https://community.openproject.org/#)

* End of the deletion [Tips Begin of the insertionforEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion onEnd of the deletion Writing Effective Begin of the insertionPatterns](#)

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End of the insertion Begin of the deletion Patterns](https://community.openproject.org/#)


End of the deletion **Summary:**
Automatic Begin of the insertionsubjectsEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion subject patternsEnd of the deletion simplify Begin of the insertiontask managementEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion work package identificationEnd of the deletion by Begin of the insertioncombining dynamicEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion standardizing titles. Choose conciseEnd of the deletion attributes Begin of the insertionwith descriptive text. Thoughtful, concise patterns helpEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion carefully, maintain simplicity, and clearly communicate the benefits toEnd of the deletion your Begin of the insertionteam quickly identify tasks, reduce errors, and ensure consistency across projects.End of the insertion Begin of the deletion users.End of the deletion