# Description templates

>**Note:** [Introduced][ce-4981] in GitLab 8.11.

Description templates allow you to define context-specific templates for issue
and merge request description fields for your project.

## Overview

By using the description templates, users that create a new issue or merge
request can select a description template to help them communicate with other
contributors effectively.

Every GitLab project can define its own set of description templates as they
are added to the root directory of a GitLab project's repository.

Description templates must be written in [Markdown](../markdown.md) and stored
in your project's repository under a directory named `.gitlab`. Only the
templates of the default branch will be taken into account.

## Creating issue templates

Create a new Markdown (`.md`) file inside the `.gitlab/issue_templates/`
directory in your repository. Commit and push to your default branch.

## Creating merge request templates

Similarly to issue templates, create a new Markdown (`.md`) file inside the
`.gitlab/merge_request_templates/` directory in your repository. Commit and
push to your default branch.

## Using the templates

Let's take for example that you have created the file `.gitlab/issue_templates/bug.md`.
This will enable the `bug` dropdown option when creating or editing issues. When
`bug` is selected, the content from the `bug.md` template file will be copied
to the issue description field.

![Description templates](img/description_templates.png)

[ce-4981]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/merge_requests/4981