About this article
This article will explain which high-level steps one should go through to create a smart template in Templafy, it will be assumed that the user profile form, as well as the necessary data sources, are already created and ready to be utilized.
Prerequisites
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How to create a smart template with the Template Designer?
Creating a best-in-class smart template with the Template Designer can require up to 7 different steps:
- Inspecting the requirements for the smart template
- Enabling the desired file as a smart template
- Creating a response form when applicable
- Adding the required smart fields in the template
- Setting the document settings and properties necessary for the template
- Uploading and verifying that the smart template is behaving as expected
- Distributing the template to all relevant users
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1. Inspecting the requirement for the smart template
Before transforming a file from static to smart and dynamic, it is recommended to inspect the required file to get a better understanding of which data will be required and where it can be pulled from.
Example with the letter template in Word where the information that will come from the user profile is highlighted in green, the information that will come from the response form in yellow, and the information coming directly from a data source in blue.
Going through this exercise will allow for a better understanding of the steps required to finalize the template. For example, if no information is needed from the response form it means that step 3 can be skipped.
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2. Enabling the desired file as a smart template
In order to start creating a smart template, the first step is to enable the desired dynamic capabilities on the desired file:
- Open the desired file in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint
- Open the Template Designer
- Click the
Create template
button- The file will be enabled as a template and the document updater will be activated by default, this can be edited in the Template Designer settings
- Additional tabs will appear in the Template Designer allowing to build the dynamic components necessary for the smart template
Example in Word
3. Creating a response form when applicable
Some of the information required for the smart template might require creating questions for the end-user to answer in order to fill in the template. Creating questions can be done through the response form available in the Form
tab of the Template Designer.
- In the Template Designer, navigate to the
Form
tab - Click on the
Add question
button and choose the desired question type
Text
: allow the user to input free text in the response formDate
: allow the user to pick a date in the response formNumber
: allow the user to only input numbers in the response formDropdown
: allow the user to select an answer from a list originating from data sources in the response form?Flexible dropdown
: allow the user to select an answer from a list originating from data sources or input a different answer in the response formData Connector
: allow the user to select an answer from a list originating from external data sources in the response formCheckbox
: allow the user to check or uncheck a checkbox in the response formHeader
: add guidance or supportive description in the response formDescription
: add guidance or supportive description in the response form
- Click
Add to form
- Repeat the above steps as many times as required to create the necessary form
Example of adding a date picker in the response form as well as the preview of the overall response form that will be presented to the end-users
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4. Adding the required smart fields in the template
Based on the information that should be injected into the smart template, the relevant smart fields should be added to the template through the Template
tab.
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- In the Template Designer, navigate to the
Template
tab - In the template, place the cursor or select the area where the smart field should be inserted
- In the Template Designer, click on the relevant smart field and select the required data
User profile
: insert user profile information in a templateForm responses
: insert answers from the response form in a templateData
: insert specific data from a data source in a templateExternal data
: insert specific data from an external data source in a templateText element
(in Word only): dynamically insert text elements from the Library in a documentSlide(s)
(in PowerPoint only): dynamically insert slides from the Library in a presentationGroup
(in Word only): group elements to adjust their visibilityCustom text binding
: insert custom text bindings to accommodate complex use casesCustom image binding
: insert custom image bindings to accommodate complex use casesCustom repeating group
: repeat specific items from an array based on variable data inputRepeating item
(only displayed once an adaptive section was created for a Data connector): repeat specific items from an array based on variable data input
- Click
Add to template
- Repeat the above steps as many times as required to create the necessary smart fields
Example of adding a user profile information and a form response into a template
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5. Setting the template settings and properties necessary for the template
In addition to smart fields, specific template settings and properties can be added to a smart template through the Advanced
tab. In order to utilize the Advanced
tab, one must understand the binding syntax to generate the expected result.
- In the Template Designer, navigate to the
Advanced
tab - Click
Add property
and select the desired setting or propertyColor Theme
: apply color themes to a templateDocument Name
: set the name of a templateProofing Language
: set the proofing language of a templateImage Header
(in Word only): set the image header of a documentHeader Footer
(in Excel only): set the header or footer of a spreadsheetPage Setup
(in Word only): set the page layout of a documentDocument Property
: document property in the metadata of a templateCustom document property
: set a custom document property in the metadata of a templateCustom XML Value / DateTime Value / Managed Metadata
: set a custom XML value in the metadata of a template
- Click
Add to document
Example of adding the subject response form as document name and the user profile name as an author of a template
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6. Uploading and verifying that the smart template is behaving as expected
Once the smart template contains all the desired questions in the response form, smart fields, and template settings and properties, it is recommended to verify that the template is behaving as expected before deploying it to all relevant users.
- In Admin Center, navigate to the relevant Library
- Navigate to a filtered folder or create a filtered folder
- Upload the smart template into the filtered folder
- Access the Library WebApp or the relevant application
- Create the smart template and verify its behavior
- The response form behaves as expected
- Smart fields are created as expected
- The template settings and properties are generated as expected
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7. Distributing the template to all relevant users
Once the smart template, it can safely be distributed to the rest of the users. To do so, one can:
- Either remove the filter on the folder
- Move the smart template into another folder available to end-users
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