I would recommend giving a try to our app - Advanced Templates. You can set due dates for items and subitems based on when they’re created, or even make them relative to the parent item’s deadline—no extra formula columns needed. There’s a free plan available too. Feel free to DM me—I’m happy to help you with the initial setup for free!
When an item is created, set smart timeline to start today and end in number days.
This lets each task (like “Receive content” or “Proof and deliver”) generate its own timeline relative to today, just by setting the duration, no need for formula or extra columns.
If you want steps to follow each other (e.g., Step 2 starts after Step 1 ends), there’s another automation:
Every time period when Timeline1 ends, set Timeline2 start in number days.
That way, tasks flow in sequence automatically.
It’s a clean, scalable way to manage repeatable workflows without clutter.
By the way, this is all handled by a monday.com app we built called Smart Timeline + Duration. It’s designed to sync timelines and durations intelligently, so you can build workflows like this without the manual work.
Plus, there are over 20 advanced recipes you can explore to automate even more.
