---
title: "Creating a New Third Party Paper Template"
slug: "creating-a-new-third-party-paper-template-2"
updated: 2026-10-29T17:03:07Z
published: 2026-10-29T17:03:07Z
canonical: "wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/creating-a-new-third-party-paper-template-2"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating a New Third Party Paper Template

**COBBLESTONE SOFTWARE**

Contract Insight — User Guide

**Creating a New Third Party Paper Template**

*Document Templates: Generation/Merging › E-Signature - Document Generation › Creating a New Third Party Paper Template*

**Note:** Each procedure in this guide begins at the Contract Insight homepage, so any section can be followed on its own. Custom fields are configurable, so the exact field list on a contract category record may vary between environments.

# 1. Overview

Every document template has a **Type** of either **Document Package** (the default, content-merging template used for most documents) or **Third Party Paper**. A Third Party Paper template is used when the document comes from the other party — for example, a vendor's own contract — so it is used to route a document for approval and signature rather than to merge content into a Word file. The type is chosen when the template is created in **Administration › Document Templates** and appears in the template's subtitle, on the **Template overview** panel, and in the **Type** column of the Document Templates list. Once created, a Third Party Paper template is configured the same way as any other template: its **Rules & conditions** and its **Approvals & signing** steps (E-Approvals and E-Signatures tabs). A Third Party Paper template typically shows **No document yet** under Content, because its document is supplied after the template is generated onto a record rather than merged automatically.

# 2. Key Elements

- Templates are managed in **Administration › Document Templates**, which lists each template's Area, **Type**, Status, Content, and whether Approvals and Signatures are on.
- **+ Add template** opens an inline form with **Name**, **Record type**, **Table**, and **Type** (Document Package or **Third Party Paper**), then **Create & open**.
- The record type, base table, and template type are set when the template is created and cannot be changed afterward.
- The template editor is organized into five steps: **Core setup**, **Subtables setup**, **Approvals & signing**, **Files/Attachments**, and **Additional links**.
- **Rules & conditions** and the **E-Approvals** / **E-Signatures** tabs are configured the same way as for a Document Package template.

# 3. Navigating to Document Templates

1. From the Contract Insight homepage, click the **Administration** (settings) icon at the bottom of the left navigation bar.
2. In the **Search administration…** box, type **Document Templates**, then click the **Document Templates** card.

![Administration search with the Document Templates card](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/tpp-01-admin-document-templates.jpg)

The **Document Templates** page lists every template. Third Party Paper templates show **Third Party Paper** in the **Type** column. Use the **Search** box or the Type column filter to find them.

![Document Templates list with Add template, Search, and Type column](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/tpp-02-document-templates-list.jpg)

# 4. Creating a Third Party Paper Template

1. On the **Document Templates** page, click **+ Add template**. The **Add template** form opens above the list.
2. Enter a **Name** for the template.
3. Select the **Record type** the template is generated from (for example, **Contracts**).
4. Select the **Table** (for example, **Contract Details**). The list is available once a record type is chosen.
5. Set **Type** to **Third Party Paper**.
6. Click **Create & open**. The template editor opens on **Core setup**. Click **Cancel** to close the form without creating a template.

![Add template form with Type set to Third Party Paper](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/tpp-03-add-template-form.jpg)

**Note:** Choose the record type, table, and type carefully. They are set when the template is created, and every field and condition on the template is written against them.

# 5. Reviewing the Template Overview

The template editor opens on **Core setup › Template overview**. The subtitle confirms the record type and template type (for example, “Contracts · Third Party Paper · template #33”), and the step bar across the top moves between the five setup steps.

1. Confirm **Template type** reads **Third Party Paper** on the **Template overview** panel.
2. A banner reads **No document has been added yet**. For a Third Party Paper template, the document is usually supplied after the template is generated onto a record. To attach a document to the template itself, click **Add the document** (see Section 8).
3. Click **Edit** on the Template overview panel to change the template's details (see Section 5a).
4. Use **Signature fields** in the header to place where signers sign.

![Template editor Core setup with Template overview panel](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/tpp-04-template-overview.jpg)

## 5a. Editing Template Overview Information

1. Click **Edit** on the **Template overview** panel. The **Template overview information** panel opens.
2. Update the **Title** and **Description**.
3. Review the **Record type · Base table · Template type** values. These are read-only.
4. Optionally enter e-mail addresses in **Notify on change** (comma-separated).
5. Set the **Options**: **Active**, **Append files into one document**, **Use header / footer**, and **Secure PIN authentication**.
6. Click **Save**.

![Template overview information panel](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/tpp-05-overview-information.jpg)

# 6. Setting Rules & Conditions

Rules and conditions decide which records may use the template. With no conditions, every record of the template's type may use it.

1. On **Core setup**, click the **Rules & conditions** tab.
2. Choose whether records must match **ALL** or **ANY** of the conditions.
3. Click **+ Condition** to add a field, operator, and value, or **+ Group** to nest a group of conditions.
4. Click **Save & preview**. Use **Refresh** under **Records this template can be used on** to see which records now qualify.

![Rules and conditions tab](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/tpp-06-rules-conditions.jpg)

# 7. Configuring Approvals & Signing

## 7a. E-Approvals

1. Click step **3 Approvals & signing** in the step bar, then the **E-Approvals** tab.
2. Check **Use E-Approvals › Enabled** to route generated documents for approval, then click **Save approval settings**.
3. Under **Who approves, and in what order**, click **Add group**. Approvers within a group act in parallel; groups run in sequence.
4. Use **Edit**, **Participant**, **Rules**, **Copy**, and **Delete** on a group to manage it. A group with no participants is skipped at generation.

![Approvals and signing step, E-Approvals tab](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/tpp-07-e-approvals.jpg)

**Note:** A template that targets a sub-table inherits its parent's approval process, so the Approval process picker is hidden.

## 7b. E-Signatures

1. Click the **E-Signatures** tab.
2. Check **Use E-Signatures › Enabled**, and optionally **Allow direct signing**, then click **Save signature settings**.
3. Under **Who signs, and in what order**, click **Add step** to add signers. Signers within a step sign in parallel; steps run in sequence.

![Approvals and signing step, E-Signatures tab](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/tpp-08-e-signatures.jpg)

**Note:** If E-Signatures is switched off, the signing flow is not copied onto generated documents.

# 8. Adding a Document (Optional)

A Third Party Paper template does not need a document of its own, because the other party's document is added after the template is generated onto a record. If you do want a file on the template:

1. Click step **4 Files/Attachments** in the step bar (or **Add the document** on the Template overview banner).
2. Click **Add file** and upload the document. Files merge in the order shown, and each file keeps its own version history.

![Files and Attachments step with Add file button](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/tpp-09-files-attachments.jpg)

# 9. Quick Reference Summary

| Task | How to Complete It |
| --- | --- |
| Open Document Templates | Administration → Document Templates. |
| Find Third Party Paper templates | Document Templates → Type column, or Search. |
| Create a Third Party Paper template | **+ Add template** → Name, Record type, Table → Type **Third Party Paper** → **Create & open**. |
| Confirm the template type | Core setup → Template overview → Template type. |
| Edit title, description, or options | Template overview → **Edit** → **Save**. |
| Limit which records can use it | Core setup → **Rules & conditions** → **+ Condition** → **Save & preview**. |
| Turn on approvals | Approvals & signing → E-Approvals → Enabled → **Save approval settings** → **Add group**. |
| Turn on signatures | Approvals & signing → E-Signatures → Enabled → **Save signature settings** → **Add step**. |
| Add a document to the template (optional) | Files/Attachments → **Add file**. |