Aspects of the present disclosure relate to task template generation and social task discovery. In examples, a task template catalog comprises task templates, which may be automatically generated and/or user-submitted, among other examples. Task templates can be reviewed, shared, and curated within the task template catalog. A user may browse the task catalog or search the task catalog for task templates. Once the user selects a task template, a task is generated based on the task template and added to the user's task list. In some examples, aspects of a task template may be customized. For example, a task may comprise parametric or conditional subtasks, thereby enabling a user to further tailor the task template to his or her needs. Thus, the task catalog provides a starting point from which the user can author a task in a task management application.