Reusing content with sub-templates

Sub-templates enable you to create reusable content you can use in multiple entries and entry templates. They’re useful for creating and standardizing routine actions in entries that you want to create once and reuse in multiple places. Manage sub-template permissions in your template access policies. Any users with Read permissions in a template collection can use its sub-templates.

The reusable content is stored in a simplified version of a template, called a sub-template. You can do anything in a sub-template that you can do in a template, except:

• Add date inserts
• Assign Entry schemas
• Attach protocols
• Configure review criteria or assign review processes
• Use the fill-in feature

This article explains creating and searching for sub-templates, and inserting sub-templates into entries and templates.

Create a sub-template

You can create and store sub-templates in the Template Collections section. 

To create a sub-template, click Create in the top-right corner and select Sub-template from the drop-down menu.

Tip: Create and store your own template elements, like Results table configurations, standard headers, etc., in their own collection to make template creation more efficient. For more controlled usage, you can limit access to the collection to prevent other users from inserting your sub-templates.

Search for sub-templates

You can search for sub-templates using the search bar at the top of the Template Collections page. Templates and sub-templates can both display in the search results, and are differentiated by the Type column.

Insert sub-templates into entries and templates

Authors and template creators can insert sub-templates they have access to into entries and templates from the Insert menu in the toolbar.

To add a sub-template to an entry or template:

1. In the Insert menu, select Insert subtemplate.
2. Search for the sub-template and select it.
3. Click Insert.

Note: When inserting a sub-template, the current version is inserted and is indistinguishable from the rest of the content. If a sub-template is later updated, it doesn’t update the content in entries or templates that the sub-template has already been added to.