Overview: Content templates define the content and merge fields used when generating merge documents in Active Documents. This article covers how to create a content template, use system and custom merge fields, add conditional merge fields, and publish a template for use.
Please refer to the Glossary for definitions of key terms used in this article.
Accessing the Templates page
Navigate to Active Documents by clicking the Active Documents logo.
In the global documents list page, click the Templates tab to access the Templates Library.
Create a new content template
To create a new content template, in the Templates List page, click New Template.
A pop-up will appear with two options: Content template and Master template.
To create a new master template, click on Content template.
Filling out the template details
Selecting a template type
A slide-out will open prompting you to select a template type:
Static template
Upload an existing Word, Excel, or Powerpoint file as a template. Documents generated from static template are an exact copy of the uploaded file.
Dynamic merge template
To create a dynamic merge template, select Dynamic merge template.
Note: Merge fields are not supported for static templates.
To create a template and use system, custom prompt and conditional merge fields in the template, select Dynamic merge template.
Template Configuration
Once the Dynamic merge template is selected, a slide-out will open where you can fill out the template configuration details:
Field | Description |
Template Title | The name of the template. This is a required field. |
Template Cabinet | The cabinet this template belongs to. This is a required field. |
Area | Select Clients for templates used to generate client documents, or Internal for firm-specific documents. |
Document Profile Defaults
These defaults are applied to documents generated from this template. All fields in this section are optional.
Field | Description |
Description | Default description for generated documents. |
Default Cabinet | Default cabinet assigned to generated documents. |
Default Document Type | Default document type assigned to generated documents. |
Default Status | Default status assigned to generated documents. |
Default Tags | Default tags assigned to generated documents. |
Financial Year | Default financial year assigned to generated documents. |
Month | Default month assigned to generated documents. |
Once all required fields are complete, click Create and Edit to open the template editor.
Using the template editor
Active Document’s built in template editor is designed to work like a standard document editor; if you are familiar with tools such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, the layout will feel similar.
Editor Canvas
The blank canvas to the right of the sidebar is where you write and format your template content. You can type directly, paste content from an external source, and insert fields from the sidebar as described above.
Template Editor's Toolbar
The toolbar at the top of the editor contains standard text formatting tools: font family, font size, text decoration (bold, italic, underline, strikethrough), font colour, highlight, paragraph styling (body, headings), text alignment, line spacing and list formatting. Additional options include an alternative view of merge fields, table insertion and upload image.
To the top-right of the toolbar, the following controls are available:
Field | Description |
Editing | Indicates the template is in edit mode. |
Preview | View a rendered preview of the template before saving or publishing. |
Save | Save the current draft without publishing. Templates that are saved but not published cannot be used for document generation. |
Publish | Publish the template to make it available for document generation. |
Profile | View and edit the template configuration set during creation. |
Versions | Access the version history for this template. |
Fields sidebar
The fields sidebar is open by default and sits to the left of the editor canvas. It can be hidden or shown using the sidebar toggle icon in the toolbar.
The sidebar has three tabs:
System fields consist of standard fields that will be populated automatically from data stored in the Active Platform and organised by category.
Custom prompt fields consist of custom prompt fields users can create for the template. These are fields that will prompt users for manual input when generating a document.
Conditions consist of conditional blocks that controls what content is displayed in a generated document based on field values.
Creating custom prompt fields
Custom prompt fields are template-specific fields that prompt the document author for input at the point of document generation. They are useful for information that varies per document and is not available as a system field.
To create custom prompt fields, in the Fields sidemenu, click the Custom Prompt Fields tab and click the New button. This will open a Create Custom Prompt Field pop-up.
In the modal, complete the following:
Field | Description |
Name | The name or label displayed to users for the field. |
Type | The input type for the field. |
Default Value | A pre-filled value for the field, if applicable. Leave empty if no default value is needed. |
Description | Additional context or instructions to guide users when completing the field. |
Required | Tick this checkbox if the field input is required before the document can be generated. |
Click Save and Close to finalise creation. The custom prompt field will appear in the Custom Prompt Fields tab and can be inserted into the template from the sidebar.
Creating conditional merge fields
Conditional merge fields control what content is displayed in a generated document based on the value of a system field or custom prompt field.
Note: For a step-by-step guide on creating conditional merge fields, including condition types and configuration options, refer to the support article: How to create conditional merge fields.
Working with conditional blocks in the editor
When a conditional block is created, it is inserted into the editor immediately. Each block displays labelled sections, one for each condition branch or match value.
Click within each section to type or paste the content that should display when that condition is met.
To update the condition configuration, such as the field, operator, values, or block name, click Edit on the block. This reopens the condition builder modal.
To remove a conditional block from the template, click Remove on the block.
Saving the templates saves all conditional block content and configuration.
Insert system and custom prompt fields
To insert a field, place your cursor at the exact position in the document where you want the field to appear, then click the field from the sidebar. The selected field will be inserted at the cursor position.
If you are familiar with the field syntax, fields can also be typed directly into the editor canvas. For users who are not yet familiar with the syntax, using the sidebar to insert fields is recommended.
Note: If the syntax used in the editor canvas does not match precisely with what is available in the System Fields and Custom Prompt Fields tabs, it will not be visible in the document generated.
Saving and publishing templates
Templates use a version-controlled editing model, where only one published version of a template can exist at a time. A template can also hold one draft version alongside its published version, but not more than one. Understanding how this works will help you make changes without disrupting documents already in use.
Draft and published states
When a template is first created, it can be saved or published.
Saving stores the template as a draft. Draft templates can be opened and edited at any time but are not available for document generation.
Publishing makes the template available for document generation. Published templates display with a Published status in the Templates list.
Editing a published template
Opening a published template from the Templates list will display it in read-only mode with an information bar at the top of the editor that indicates this state, and a clickable link for users to create a draft version and make changes.
To begin editing a published template, click here to create a draft.
Once a draft is created, the information bar turns yellow and displays Draft editing in progress. A link in the bar allows you to return to the published version at any time.
Saving changes to the draft keeps the published version unchanged. When you are ready to apply your changes, publishing the draft will replace the current published version.
Note: Updating and republishing a template does not affect documents that have already been generated from it. Changes will only apply to new documents generated from that point forward.
If a document was generated before the update and is still being worked on, it will need to be regenerated to reflect the updated template.
Viewing template versions and status
The Templates list displays the current status of each template: Published or Draft.
For templates that have a draft alongside a published version, both states are visible in the list.
The Versions control in the editor toolbar provides access to the full version history for a template.