Document Templates

Document templates produce printable PDFs (or Word, Excel, HTML) from record data — invoices, quotes, contracts, receipts, letters, certificates. You design the template once and the platform fills in the values for each generated document.

Why Templates Matter

• Brand consistency: Every generated document looks identical.
• Compliance: Required clauses always present (terms, legal notices, VAT details).
• Speed: One click vs manual document creation.
• Auditable: A snapshot of every generated document is saved against the source record.

Output Formats

• PDF: Universal, locked-content, signable. Default for most uses.
• DOCX: Editable Word documents; useful when the recipient wants to amend.
• XLSX: Excel — for templated spreadsheets like a price list with calculations.
• HTML/email: Inline preview, send by email without an attachment.

Worked Examples

• Invoice PDF: Header with logo, customer billing address, line items table, subtotal/tax/total, payment terms footer.
• Quote PDF: Branded cover page, scope of work, line items, terms, signature page.
• Contract DOCX: Multi-page legal text with merge fields for parties, dates and amounts.
• Certificate of completion: Decorative landscape PDF with attendee name, course title, date.
• Letter: Personalised correspondence on company letterhead — opening paragraph, body, sign-off.

This article walks through creating a new document template — from picking the source datastore to designing the layout and testing with real data.

Step-by-Step

1. Open Architect Panel → Document Templates and click New Template.
2. Pick a name (e.g. “Invoice — Standard”), source datastore (e.g. Invoices) and output format (PDF).
3. Choose a starting point — blank, or a built-in style (Modern, Classic, Minimal, Bold).
4. In the editor, design the document:
   • Header: logo and document title.
   • Body: insert merge tokens via the picker — {{customer.name}}, {{date}}, {{invoice_number}}.
   • Tables: drag-in a repeating-row block, bind to a child collection (e.g. line_items), define columns.
   • Footer: terms, page numbers, contact info.
5. Use the “Preview with sample record” button to see real output.
6. Save.

Merge Token Syntax

• {{customer.name}} — direct field.
• {{date|short}} — with a formatter.
• {{total|currency}} — currency formatter, uses tenant locale.
• {{#if discount}}…{{/if}} — conditional sections.
• {{#each line_items}}…{{/each}} — loops for tables.

Worked Examples

• Invoice template: Header logo, customer block, invoice number/date/due date, line item table with quantity/unit/total, subtotal/VAT/grand total, payment instructions footer.
• Quote template: Title page with project name, executive summary, scope sections with conditional includes, line items, signature page.
• Certificate: Landscape A4, decorative border, large title, attendee name in script font, signature, date.
• Multi-language template: Conditional sections based on customer's preferred_language field deliver an English or French version.

Once a template is created, generation is a single click (or a single API call). This article covers the user experience, automation options, and the underlying mechanics.

From the UI

1. Open the source record (e.g. an order).
2. Click Generate document.
3. Pick the template (if multiple available).
4. Choose action: view, download, email, attach to the record.
5. Done — PDF generated and either previewed, saved or emailed.

From the API

POST /api/v1/documents/generate with body { template_id, record_id, action }. Useful for automated workflows — e.g. when an order is marked shipped, generate the invoice and attach to the order automatically.

From Workflows

Add a “Generate Document” step in any workflow. Configure template and action — fire-and-forget for the workflow author.

What's Saved

• The generated file (PDF, DOCX, etc.) is stored in the file store.
• A document record links source → generated → template + timestamp.
• The source record's documents tab shows all generated outputs.
• Re-generation creates a new version; old versions retained for audit.

Worked Examples

• Order to invoice: When an order is marked shipped, a workflow automatically generates the invoice PDF and emails it to the customer.
• Bulk certificate: Course manager clicks “Generate certificates for all completed attendees” — 200 PDFs generated and emailed.
• Sales quote: Sales rep clicks generate, chooses template, downloads PDF, attaches in their own email client.
• Contract on signup: When a new customer signs up at the Enterprise tier, a signed-ready contract DOCX is generated and routed for e-signature.