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- Block Templates
Block Templates
Updated
by Lee Dussinger
Block Templates
Block Templates let you save a fully configured block and reuse it whenever you create that type of work again. Now, setting up campaigns is more efficient than ever!
A block template can include the following traits:
- Color coding
- Duration
- Relative date behavior, if enabled
- Description text
- Custom field values
- Document and brief structure, including sections
- Smart swimlanes and swimlane group structure
Here's a quick demo of Block Templates in action and how you can set them up 👇
Creating a Block Template
Before creating a template, configure the source block exactly the way you want future blocks of that type to start. This can include the block’s color, description, custom fields, brief sections, swimlanes, and duration.
Here's how to create a template:
- Open a block that is configured the way you want the template to start
- Click the three-dot menu on the block
- Select Make Template
- Optionally enable relative dates by setting a duration
- Choose a scope:
- Plan-level: the template is available only within the current plan
- Workspace-wide: the template is available across every plan in the workspace
- After the template is created, click the toast notification to open Manage Templates
This template can now be used whenever you need. You can still edit the original block without changing the template.
Note: Templates can only be created from blocks that have a block type assigned, such as Campaign, Email, or Social. If a block does not have a type, the Make Template option is disabled.
Using a Block Template
Once a template has been created, you can use it when adding a new block to a plan.
To use a template:
- Hover over the cell where you want to create the new block
- Click the caret dropdown next to New
- Select the template you want to use
- Name your block and confirm
The new block is created from the template, and a pill indicator appears on the block to show that it came from a template. After the block is created, you can edit it like any other block. Changes you make to the new block do not affect the template or any other blocks created from it.
Key Point: Relative Dates
This detail of a block template deserves special attention. Relative dates let a template adjust to wherever you place the new block on the timeline, instead of reusing the original block’s exact calendar dates.
For example, if a campaign template has a 30-day duration and relative dates are enabled, the new block can keep that same 30-day structure while shifting its start and end dates based on where you create it.
Use relative dates when:
- The template represents a repeating pattern, such as an 8-week campaign
- You want the same structure across multiple time periods
- The template is intended to be reused across quarters, seasons, or fiscal years
Skip relative dates when:
- The original block’s exact dates should be preserved
- The template is tied to a specific calendar moment that should not move
One-time decision: Relative-date behavior cannot be changed after the template is created. To change it, you will need to create a new template.
Block Template Use Cases
Block Templates are useful whenever your team repeats the same kind of work across plans, campaigns, or time periods.
Common examples include:
- Campaign plans with consistent briefs, fields, swimlanes, and timelines
- Email or social tactic blocks that use the same field structure each time
- Quarterly or seasonal planning blocks
- Workspace-wide starting points for new teams or customers
- Integrated marketing calendar structures that need to stay consistent across teams
By using templates, teams can reduce repetitive setup, keep briefs and custom fields consistent, and help new team members start from a structure that already reflects how the team works.