What it does
Document templates are reusable layouts — progress reports, letters, MSPE-style summaries — that the platform fills in with real data at generation time. A template combines page setup, merge fields (placeholders resolved per person, program, or site), reusable content blocks, and rich text with an optional header, footer, and custom styling.
Who it's for
Program administrators and coordinators build templates for their program, institution administrators build institution-wide templates, and anyone with document-management permission can create, edit, duplicate, or delete a template in their scope.
How it works
From the Document Templates page you create a new template or open an existing one. A four-step wizard walks you through Setup, Merge Fields, Charts & Blocks, and Content. Steps 1–3 save and continue to the next step; step 4 saves the template and returns you to the list. Once you've saved once, the step tabs at the top open any step directly. If you change Setup and try to leave without saving, you get a Stay/Leave prompt.
Setup — name, description, entity target (person, program, site, course, or free-standing), template type, and document category. Scope & permissions picks which programs, roles, groups, or people can see and generate it. Advanced options has three toggles. Requires Review sends generated documents through draft review first. PA Editable lets program admins edit generated documents. MSPE Document turns on MSPE-specific stages. Page settings sets page size and orientation.
Merge Fields — pick the placeholders the template uses. System fields (names, program details) fill in automatically. Custom fields are defined by your institution. The person generating the document types those in, and you can mark them required. Fields tied to a document category pull from your uploaded-documents library — see the merge fields article for setup.
Charts & Blocks — add reusable building blocks: content blocks, chart placeholders, conditional sections that appear only when a condition is met, and page breaks. For a course-targeted template, gradebook and schedule blocks don't apply — this step instead points you to insert curriculum data loops (objectives, session list, program objectives) from the Content toolbar.
Content — write the document body in a rich-text editor, inserting merge fields and blocks from a toolbar, and switch between Edit and Preview. You can also set header, footer, and custom styles.
Templates list. Shows each template's target type, merge field count, and category, split into Active and Inactive tabs. Row actions let you edit, duplicate, or start a single generation. A duplicate carries over content, header, footer, styles, merge fields, and visibility, named "(Copy)". Program-scoped, person-targeted templates opened from the program portal can also run a bulk generation.
Before you start
You need document-management permission to create, edit, duplicate, or delete a template. Without it, the Document Templates page is read-only.
The wizard needs a program or institution scope selected — pick one before you open New Template.
If your template uses custom merge fields, they should already exist in system settings; see the merge fields article to add new ones.
Do this
Open Documents → Templates (
/document-templates) → you should see the Document Templates page with Active and Inactive tabs.Select the New Template button → you should see the Setup screen of the wizard.
On the Setup screen, enter a Template Name, choose the Entity Target and Template type, then select Continue → you should see the Merge Fields screen.
On the Merge Fields screen, add the fields the template needs and mark required ones, then select Continue → you should see the Charts & Blocks screen.
On the Charts & Blocks screen, add any blocks you need, then select Continue → you should see the Content screen.
On the Content screen, write the document body and insert merge fields or blocks from the toolbar, then select the Save Template button → you should return to the Document Templates page with your new template listed.
You're done when
✓ The template appears on the Active tab of Document Templates.
✓ Its merge field count and target type show correctly in the list.
✓ You can select Generate (or Bulk Generate, if it qualifies) from its row actions.
Boundaries and limits
A template belongs to exactly one scope — a program, an institution, or an organization, set by the portal where it's created. It appears outside that scope only through explicit program/role/group/person visibility links.
Creating and editing templates need the document-management permission. Without it, the list is read-only.
The template wizard is available in the program (administration) and institution portals. The organization portal can view the list but not open the wizard.
Templates are deactivated or deleted, not versioned side by side. Deleting is a soft delete behind a confirmation dialog. Deactivating moves it to the Inactive tab, out of the Active generation view.
Bulk generation is only offered for templates that target a person, are scoped to a program, and are opened from the program portal.
The platform resolves system merge field values at generation time. You cannot override them in the template itself.
Course-targeted templates don't use gradebook or schedule blocks — use the curriculum data loops (objectives, session list, program objectives) inserted from the Content toolbar instead.
Common questions
Q: What's the difference between a system merge field and a custom merge field? A: System fields — names, program details — fill in automatically. Custom fields, defined by your institution, are typed in by the person generating the document and can be marked required.
Q: Can I reuse a template in another program? A: A template is owned by one scope, but in Setup you can make it visible to specific programs, roles, groups, or people, or duplicate it and adjust the copy.
Q: What does "Requires Review" do? A: Documents from that template go through draft review before approval (see the generating documents article for sending review links).
Q: I deactivated a template — what happens to documents already generated from it? A: Nothing. Existing generated documents stay as they are. The template just stops appearing on the Active list for new generation.
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