Creating Templates for Word, Spreadsheet or Presentation

Templates can be set up and maintained by an FYI Admin, or a user in a User Group with Permissions enabled for Templates (refer to Managing Users and Managing User Groups).

You can create FYI Templates for Word, Excel and PowerPoint in the following ways:

• Create Templates directly in FYI in the same way as you would create Word, Spreadsheet or Presentation documents in FYI.
• Create the Templates and copy and paste the images and text from existing Word, Excel or PowerPoint files and make any modifications in FYI.
• Drag and Drop an existing Word, Excel or PowerPoint file onto the Knowledge - Templates list to import the file
• Where you have an existing Word, Excel or PowerPoint file (as .docx, .xlsx or pptx) you can create the Word, Spreadsheet or Presentation template and then upload the file in the Upload section of the drawer.
• Stationery for Word is created in the same way as Templates but with the addition of checkmarking the Stationery indicator to mark them as Stationery. Refer to Creating Stationery for Word.

Creating Word, Spreadsheet and Presentation Templates in FYI

There are the following steps when creating the Template:

Step 1 - Create the Template and select the Template Filing details
Step 2 - Add the Template Contents
Step 3 - Set the Template Status and, if required, the AutoFile Defaults

Note: When you create a new template, by the default the Status is set to "Draft". If you have the "Active" view selected, the newly created Draft template will not be shown. Before creating a new template, it is recommended to change the selected view to "All"  so it includes the Draft templates.

Step 1 - Create the Template and select the Template Filing details

1. From FYI, click the Knowledge menu option.
2. Go to the Templates tab.
   
3. Click the drop-down next to the Create template button and select Word, Spreadsheet or Presentation
   
   Cabinet is always set as Templates and cannot be changed.
   
   
4. Select the Filing details for the Template itself. This determines how it shows in the Knowledge Templates list. The following example shows a Word Template being created. In the example, this has been set up with the Categories "Team" and "Work Type" and Keywords and Tags have been enabled for the Templates Cabinet.
5. Enter the Name of the Template. This identifies the template internally and is the name that displays when selecting the Template when creating a document. Make sure this clearly describes when the Template would be used.
   
   
6. Click Create

The Office document opens in Office online or desktop, according to your default settings.

Step 2 - Add the Template Contents

The Template contents is entered in the same way via Office online or desktop as when you create any document is FYI.

You can enter the information directly, or you can copy and paste it from a pre-prepared document.

If you want to upload an existing Word, Excel or PowerPoint file (as .docx, .xlsx or pptx) for this step close the office application and continue to set the Template Status and, if required, the AutoFile Defaults as in step 3 below. Then use the Upload section of the drawer to upload the file.

Important Note: If you want to include Merge Fields, Bookmarks and Fields such as the Office Date function in the Template, you need to edit the Template contents using the desktop version of Word.

These functions are not available if you are using the online version of Word.

You also need to edit Template contents in Word desktop if you will be copying and pasting Merge Fields from a pre-prepared document or from the downloaded FYI Merge Fields.docx document (refer to Including Merge Fields in Word Templates and Stationery).

Click here to download the FYI Merge Fields.docx for a list of Merge Fields that you can copy and paste into your Templates and Stationery (or download the file from the bottom of this article).

Note: If you are using Chrome as your browser, the link may not automatically download the document. You need to right-click on the download link above, select Copy link address and paste it into a new browser tab in the browser's URL field.

Step 3 - Set the Template Status and, if required, the AutoFile Defaults

When you close the document in Office, the drawer for the Template displays.

Initially the Status of the Template is set to "Draft" so if you want to set this as "Active" you do this in the Filing section of the drawer.

1. Status - Select the Status as "Active", "Draft" or "Archived". A template will only be available for selection if it has a status of "Active".
   
   To set this to "Active", in the Filing section, change the Status.
   
   
   
   When creating a Spreadsheet Template, if you are including Merge Fields, indicate if you are using Merge Fields (for the codes via the Email Template Editor) or Merge Names by enabling one of these. Refer to Including Merge Names in Excel Templates.
   
   
   
   
2. Optionally set the AutoFile Defaults
   Templates can hold AutoFile Defaults for Cabinet and Categories that will be set when a document is created with that template selected, providing the user has access to the relevant Cabinet. The AutoFile Defaults for Cabinet and Categories in the selected Template will override any Filing Defaults set at the Client, User or Practice level.
   
   These are optional and can be left blank in a Template. You can also select, for example, just the Cabinet so that any categories are selected as relevant for the document that is created. When the document is created, the AutoFile Defaults Cabinet and Category from the Template can be changed if the user needs to.
   
   
3. You can Preview the Template contents in the Preview pane and make further changes if needed.
   
   You can add Comments to a template, for example if you want to advice any users that it is available, or if you need a user to make some changes. Comments on Templates are added and used in the same as for other FYI documents. Refer to Adding Comments and Notifying Team Members.
   
   
   
   
4. When you have finished editing, click I am finished editing.

Uploading a File with the Upload Section

Where you have an existing Word, Excel or PowerPoint file (as .docx, .xlsx or pptx) you can upload the file to the Word, Spreadsheet or Presentation template.

1. Create the Word, Spreadsheet or Presentation template as above
2. Click I am finished editing,
3. Edit the template as above.
4. Upload the file in the Upload section of the drawer.
   Click Choose a file to select the filename from Windows Explorer.
   Or drag and drop the file onto the Choose a file area in the template drawer.
   
   

Drag and Drop to Create a Template

You can import a Word, Excel or PowerPoint Files to use in FYI Templates. This is useful if you already have files prepared in your practice that contain all the images and text that will be brought into the Template.

1. Create or locate the Word, Excel or PowerPoint files with any standard text, layout or format that you want to import as a Template or Word Stationery in FYI.
2. Drag and drop one or more files onto the Knowledge - Templates
3. The Import drawer displays.
   The Cabinet is automatically set as "Templates" and you can change the categories for the Template Filing if relevant for the Templates being created.
   
   
4. Click Create.
   The Template is created from the imported file(s). This automatically selects the relevant type of Template to create (according to the type(s) of file imported) and adds the file name as the name of the Template.
   
   
5. Where a single file has been dragged and dropped, the Template drawer displays.
   Where multiple files have been dragged and dropped, select each in turn to display the drawer
   
   You can expand the Filing section and change any of the template's Filing details and set the Status if required.
   If relevant, you can set the AutoFile Defaults for the Cabinet and Categories that will be set when the Template is used to create a document.
   You can Preview or edit the Template contents and make any changes as needed (refer below Making Changes to a Template) and you can add Comments.
   You can change the file using the Upload section.
   
   

Adding a Signature Bookmark to a Word Template

You can add a Word Bookmark to a Template to indicate where the user's Signature will be positioned if the user adds their digital signature to the document. The Signature Bookmark could alternatively be added to the Word Stationery. Refer to Adding a Signature Bookmark to Word Stationery in Creating Stationery for Word.

The Bookmark is used to position the signature image when a user clicks Insert Signature in the FYI Drawer when editing the document in Word. If the Signature Bookmark is not included in the Template (or in the Word Stationery that is being used), a user can still add their digital signature by first positioning the cursor in the document where they want the signature to display and then click Insert Signature. Refer to Inserting your Signature into a Document.

Important Note: Adding the Signature Bookmark to a Word Template must be done using the desktop version of Word. This functionality is not available in the online version of Word.

To add a Bookmark with the name "Signature".

1. Position the cursor in the location where you want the digital signature to be positioned when a user clicks Insert Signature in the FYI Drawer when editing the Word document.
2. In the Word menu, select Insert.
3. Select Bookmark on the menu.
4. Enter the Bookmark name as "Signature". The Bookmark is case sensitive and must be added as "Signature".
5. Click Add.

Creating Templates with Merge Fields

For full information, refer to Including Merge Fields in Word Templates and Stationery and Including Merge Fields in Excel Templates.

Note: The Signature Merge Field is not used to add a user's digital signature to a document. It is used to indicate where the recipient has to sign when sending documents for signature to a signing service.

Making Changes to a Template

You can make changes to the Template Filing details or to the AutoFile Defaults at any time. You can also upload a different file if needed.

1. Select the Template in the Knowledge - Templates list to display the drawer.
2. Expand the Filing or AutoFile Defaults section and make any changes. In the Upload section, you can select a different file (.docx, .xlsx or pptx as relevant) to add the contents to the template.
   Changes to the Filing, AutoFile Defaults or content are recorded in the Activity

You can make changes to the contents of the Templates in the same way as any document in FYI. Refer to  Opening, Editing and Finish Editing Documents.

1. Edit the document, either via the browser or desktop version of Office.
   
   Important Note: If you want to make any changes to Merge Fields, Bookmarks and Fields in the Template, you need to edit the Template contents using the desktop version of Word.
   
   
2. Make changes as required.
3. Close the Office application.
4. In the drawer for the Template, click I am finished editing.

Versions
When the contents of a template are changed and you have finished editing, this updates the current version. You can see a record of the versions in the Versions section in the drawer of the Template. If you have selected a previous version of the document, you can select Set as Current, Read or Delete (to delete the selected version). Refer to Version History and Creating a New Document Version.

Archiving or Deleting a Template or Word Stationery

You can archive a Template by setting the Status to "Archived". ". A template will only be available for selection if it has a status of "Active".

You can delete a Template by selecting it the Templates list and clicking Delete.

• If you need to archive or delete a Template or Word Stationery, first check if it has been used in any automations (refer to Automation Process Steps and Process Step Details - Creating Documents and Tasks).

Note: There is currently no restore facility for deleted Templates or Stationery. In the interim, instead of deleting a Template or Stationery that is not in use we recommend setting the Status to "Archived".

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