# Build a template in the editor

> Edit wording in place, have the assistant design it, add blocks, place fill-ins and decide who signs.

Tally Sign University › [Getting started](https://www.tallysign.com/university/getting-started)

A template holds your wording, layout and signature blocks. Every new document starts as a copy of it. New companies get three templates to start from: a Consulting Agreement (SOW), a Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement and an Order Form.

## Open a template

1. Choose **Templates** in the sidebar.
2. On a template card, choose **Edit** to change the template itself, or **Use template** to start a new document from it.
3. To start from a blank page, choose **New template**.

![The editor with the block palette on the left, the document in the middle and the inspector on the right](https://www.tallysign.com/university/getting-started/editor-overview.png)

*The editor. Blocks on the left, the page in the middle, settings for the selected block on the right.*

The editor has three columns:

- **Blocks** and **Fields** on the left. Drag a block onto the page, or click it to insert it below the selected block.
- The page in the middle. Click any text, cell or line item to edit it in place.
- The inspector on the right, with the **Block**, **Signers**, **Fill-ins** and **Document** tabs. A **Salesforce** tab appears once Salesforce is connected.

## Edit and add blocks

Click a block to select it. A small toolbar lets you move, duplicate or delete it, and the **Block** tab shows its settings.

![A Services block selected, with its toolbar and settings](https://www.tallysign.com/university/getting-started/editor-edit-block.png)

*Selecting a block shows its toolbar and settings. Here, the Services matrix.*

To add a block while typing, press `/` at the start of an empty line and pick from the menu: heading, callout, key details, table, pricing table, payment schedule, signature block and more.

![The slash menu open below a paragraph, listing block types](https://www.tallysign.com/university/getting-started/editor-slash-menu.png)

*Type / in any text to add a block.*

| Shortcut | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| `/` | Add a block |
| `{{` | Insert a fill-in, such as the client's name |
| `⌘Z` | Undo |
| `⌘D` | Duplicate the selected block |
| `⌥↑` `⌥↓` | Move the selected block |

## Design it with the assistant

Choose **Assistant** at the top of the editor and describe the document: what it's for, who reads it and how it should feel. The assistant writes the wording and designs the page every time: a cover, section headings, a summary callout, key details, pricing and a payment schedule where they fit, and a look that suits it. In Salesforce it builds around the record, so names, numbers, dates and quote lines fill in when it's sent.

1. Open a template, or choose **New template** (in Salesforce: the **Tally Sign** tab → **Templates** → **New template**).
2. Choose **Assistant** and type what you want, for example *Design an order form for this quote. Make it bold.*
3. Read **What changed**. Every change is highlighted on the page. Choose **Looks good** to keep them, or **Undo**.
4. Ask for more changes the same way: *make the terms shorter*, *add a confidentiality section*, *switch to the Classic look*.

![The editor in Salesforce with a Bold order form the assistant designed, previewed with a real quote](https://www.tallysign.com/university/getting-started/editor-assistant-design.png)

*An order form the assistant designed in the Bold look, previewed with a real quote.*

You can attach a picture to your message, such as the customer's logo or a product photo, and the assistant puts it on the cover or in the page.

To change the look yourself, open the **Document** tab and pick one under **Look**:

| Look | What it's like |
| --- | --- |
| **Modern** | A banner cover and clean tables. The default. |
| **Bold** | An ink cover, oversized headings and your brand color as the accent. Made for proposals and order forms. |
| **Proposal** | Arial, teal headings and bordered tables. |
| **Letterhead** | Lato, blue headings and a running header. |
| **Classic Word** | Cambria body and blue Calibri headings, like a Word document. |
| **Plain** | Helvetica, a centered title and bold labels. |

> **Why it matters:** Bold uses the brand color from **Settings → Company**, so every document you send looks like yours.

## Place and resize fields

Open **Fields** on the left and pick who fills them in. Drag a field anywhere on the page, over text, a table or a signature block, and it stays exactly where you let go. It moves with the content around it when you edit the page. Clicking a field instead places it on the page in view.

While you drag, pink guide lines show when the field lines up with another one, and it snaps into line.

Click a field on the page to select it. Drag the handles on its right edge, bottom edge or corner to make it bigger or smaller. The **Block** tab shows its settings: type, who fills it in, label, required, and exact width and height. The signer sees the field at the size you set.

| Shortcut | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Arrow keys | Nudge the selected field 1px (hold `Shift` for 10px) |
| `⌘D` | Duplicate the selected field |
| `⌫` | Delete the selected field |
| `Esc` | Deselect |

## Fill-ins

Fill-ins are values that change per document, written as `{{name}}`. Some fill themselves in: your company details come from Settings and signer details come from the recipients. Others you type per document, like an effective date.

![The Fill-ins tab with one empty value highlighted](https://www.tallysign.com/university/getting-started/editor-fill-ins.png)

*Fill-ins → Fill in lists values you type per document. Automatic lists values Tally Sign fills for you.*

> **Why it matters:** A document can't be sent while a required fill-in is empty, so nobody receives a contract with a blank date.

## Who signs

The **Signers** tab lists the roles in the template, for example **Your company** and **Counterparty**. Names and emails are filled in on each document.

![The Signers tab with two roles, Your company and Counterparty](https://www.tallysign.com/university/getting-started/editor-signers.png)

*Each role has a color. Its signature fields on the page use the same color.*

- **Signs** or **Gets copy**: signers sign; copy recipients receive the signed PDF.
- **This is me**: marks the role you sign as, so it's filled with the sender.
- **Sign in order**: each person is emailed after the previous one signs. Otherwise everyone gets it at once.

Next guide: [Send a document and track it](https://www.tallysign.com/university/getting-started/send-and-track)

Source: https://www.tallysign.com/university/getting-started/build-a-template