Create a Smart Doc from a Template

The Templates starting point creates a new Smart Doc from a saved template so you don’t have to rebuild a layout you (or your firm) already use. Templates carry over pages, Smart Fields, Smart Schedules, Document Elements, and styling. When you start from a template, Product fields inside Reference Binders automatically bind to the schedule you attach.

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When To Start From a Template

• You’re producing a recurring deliverable (submittals, cutsheets, spec packages) and want a consistent look.
• Your firm has company-wide templates for standard document types.
• You want to reuse a document you built before as a starting point.

If no template fits, use Create a Blank Smart Doc instead.

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Creating a Smart Doc from a Template

1. Open the project you want to add the document to.
2. Open Smart Docs from either entry point:
   • From Schedules View: open the project’s Views menu, click Create New View, then choose Smart Doc.
   • From the side navigation: open the project’s menu (the + CTA), then click Create Smart Docs.
3. Give the document a name and set visibility to Shared or Personal, then click Create View.
4. In the Choose a starting point modal, select Templates.
5. Browse the Template Library:
   • Filter by Tag to narrow by document type (Submittal, Cutsheet, Spec, etc.).
   • Filter between Personal and Company-wide templates.
   • Preview a template to see its pages before choosing.
6. Click Use Template.

The editor opens with the template’s pages, binders, and layouts already in place.

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Attaching a Schedule

If the template includes a Reference Binder, you’ll be prompted to attach a schedule from the current project. Once attached:

• The Reference Binder auto-generates one page per product in that schedule.
• Product Smart Fields resolve to each row’s data.
• Any Smart Schedule in the template that’s set to reference a schedule will use the one you picked.

You can attach or change the schedule later from the Binder Inspector.

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Editing After Applying a Template

Once the template is applied, everything is fully editable, the new document isn’t linked to the template. You can:

• Add or remove pages, binders, fields, schedules, and elements.
• Restyle any page or element.
• Save the modified document (or any single page) as a new template for future reuse.

See Page Templates for how templates are saved and managed.

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Template Types Available

• Personal templates — saved by you and visible only to you.
• Company-wide templates — published by an admin and visible to your whole firm. Use these to keep firm deliverables consistent.

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