Managing Templates
Templates are reusable, pre-approved documents with fill-in-the-blank fields. They power the Start from Template option when people create documents, so everyone produces consistent, on-brand paperwork. This page is for the administrators who create, version, and publish those templates.
How to open this page
Go to Templates → Document Templates. This page requires the Manage Document Templates permission, so it's only visible to administrators.
The header reads Document Templates with Import and New Template buttons, and the description explains that templates are "used by the 'Start from Template' generator."
What you see on this page
- Stat cards — Total Templates, per-category counts, and Published.
- Toolbar — search, plus filters for category and status (Published / Draft / Archived), a clear button, and a result count.
- The templates table:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Template | Icon, name, description, the number of variables, and the last-updated date. |
| Category | HR, Finance, Legal, or IT. |
| Type | DOCX, PDF, or XLSX. |
| Version | The current template version. |
| Owner | Who owns the template. |
| Usage | A bar showing how often it's used. |
| Status | Published, Draft, or Archived. |
| Actions | Edit, plus a row menu for more options. |
Creating or editing a template
- Click New Template (or the edit icon on a row).
- The editor dialog opens with three tabs.
Basics tab
Set the core details:
- Name (required)
- Description
- Category (required) — HR, Finance, Legal, or IT
- File Type (required) — Word (DOCX), PDF, or Excel (XLSX)
- Default Workspace
- Document Category
- Default Security Level
- Owner
- Auto-start workflow — tick to kick off a workflow automatically when a document is generated from this template.
Variables tab
Define the fill-in-the-blank fields. Each variable has a Key, a Display Label, and a
Type. In the template body you reference a variable by wrapping its key in double braces — for
example {{EmployeeName}}. The tab heading shows how many variables the template has.
Body tab
Write the document content. A live preview shows the body with each {{Key}} replaced by sample
text, so you can see how the finished document will read.
Saving
Click Save & Publish to publish the template (set its status to Published) so it appears in the Start from Template gallery.
Templates are versioned automatically — saving an edit creates a new version, so you keep a full history of changes.
More actions on a template
Open the row menu on any template for:
- Edit
- Duplicate
- Publish / Unpublish
- Archive / Restore
- Export JSON
- Delete
You can also Import a template from the page header.
How templates are used
When someone creates a document and chooses Start from a Template, they pick from the published templates here, then a wizard walks them through Variables → Metadata & Location → Finalize. See Uploading and creating documents for that flow.
Tips
- Only Published templates appear in the gallery — keep works-in-progress as Draft until they're ready.
- Give variables clear Display Labels; that's the text people see when filling in the template.
- Use Auto-start workflow on templates that always need approval, so the workflow begins the moment the document is generated.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| A template doesn't appear in Start from Template | Its status must be Published — check the status filter and publish it. |
| I can't open this page | It needs the Manage Document Templates permission — ask an administrator. |
My {{Key}} shows literally in the generated document | The variable key in the body must exactly match a Key defined on the Variables tab. |
| Editing created a new version unexpectedly | That's by design — every saved edit is versioned automatically. |