--- title: "Document Templates Overview" slug: "document-templates-overview-4" updated: 2026-10-09T17:17:21Z published: 2026-10-29T16:56:04Z canonical: "wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/document-templates-overview-4" --- > ## 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. # Document Templates Overview **COBBLESTONE SOFTWARE** Contract Insight — User Guide **Document Templates Overview** *Document Templates Management › Document Templates Overview* **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 Administration > **Document Templates** is the redesigned counterpart to the legacy Document Authoring Module, used to build merge templates for contracts, purchase orders, requests, and other record types. Each template carries a **Template Type** of **Document Package** (full mergeable content, clauses, subtables, and attachments) or **Third Party Paper** (rules, conditions, and approval/signature groups only, with files supplied after generation) — the same Internal/Standard-vs-Third-Party-Paper split the legacy wiki described. A template's editor is organized into five steps — **Core setup**, **Subtables setup**, **Approvals & signing**, **Files/Attachments**, and **Additional links** — each covered by its own topic in this module (Template Overview, Mergeable Sub-Tables, Document Packages Without E-Approvals/Signatures, Mergeable Content & Attachments, and Generated Document Packages respectively). # 2. Key Elements - **Administration > Document Templates** — the live counterpart to the legacy Document Authoring Module. - **Template Type** — every template is either **Document Package** (full merge content) or **Third Party Paper** (rules/approvals only, file added after generation). - **Document Templates list** — shows every template with its Area, Type, Status, Content, and Approvals, with a **Search** box, column filters, and an **Open** button on each row. - **+ Add template** — opens an inline form to name a new template and choose its Record Type, Table, and Type. - **5-step editor** — Core setup, Subtables setup, Approvals & signing, Files/Attachments, and Additional links. Each step has its own set of tabs and its own topic elsewhere in this module. # 3. Navigating to Document Templates 1. From the Contract Insight homepage, click the **Administration** icon at the bottom of the left navigation bar. 2. On the Administration page, scroll to **Templates & Presentation** (or type *Document Templates* in the **Search administration** box) and click **Document Templates**. ![Administration page with the Administration icon and Document Templates highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/01-admin-document-templates(3).jpg) # 4. Using the Document Templates List The Document Templates page lists every merge template in the system. From here you can: - Type in the **Search** box to find a template by name. - Use the **Type** column (and its filter icon) to tell Document Package templates from Third Party Paper templates. The Area, Status, Content, and Approvals columns can be filtered the same way. - Click **Open** on a row to open that template's editor (see Section 6). - Click **+ Add template** to create a new template (see Section 5). ![Document Templates list with Add template, Search, Type column, and Open highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/02-template-list(1).jpg) # 5. Adding a Template 1. Navigate to **Administration → Document Templates** (see Section 3) and click **+ Add template**. 2. In the **Add template** panel, enter a **Name** for the template. 3. Select the **Record Type** the template merges from (for example, Contracts, Purchase Orders, or Requests). 4. Select the **Table**. This list fills in after a Record Type is chosen. 5. Select the **Type**: **Document Package** or **Third Party Paper**. 6. Click **Create & open**. The new template opens in the editor on **Core setup**, where you add the document and its merge fields. Click **Cancel** to close the panel without creating a template. ![Add template panel with Name, Record Type, Table, Type, and Create & open highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/03-add-template.jpg) # 6. Understanding the Template Editor 1. From the Document Templates list, click **Open** on the template you want to work with. 2. Use the **step bar** across the top to move between the five steps: **Core setup**, **Subtables setup**, **Approvals & signing**, **Files/Attachments**, and **Additional links**. 3. Use the **tabs** under the step bar to move between the areas of the current step. On Core setup these are Template overview, Mergeable fields, Rules & conditions, Clause library references, Mergeable clauses, and Static content. 4. On the **Template overview** tab, the **Template overview** card shows the template's Description, Record Type, Base Table, **Template Type**, and other settings. Click **Edit** to change them. ![Template editor with the step bar, Core setup tabs, Template Type, and Edit highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/04-template-editor.jpg) # 7. Quick Reference Summary | Task | How to Complete It | | --- | --- | | Open Document Templates | Administration → Templates & Presentation → Document Templates. | | Find a template | Type in the Search box, or filter the Area, Type, or Status column. | | Add a template | + Add template → enter a Name, choose Record Type, Table, and Type → Create & open. | | Open a template's editor | Click Open on the template's row. | | Move between editor steps | Click a step in the step bar: Core setup, Subtables setup, Approvals & signing, Files/Attachments, Additional links. | | Check or change a template's Type | Core setup → Template overview tab → Template overview card → Edit. |