Concept Topic

HotDocs Templates Overview

A HotDocs template is a document-based HotDocs application you build in HotDocs Author to gather answer data from users and produce customized documents specific to each user. For example, you can create a HotDocs template from an existing Work document (by replacing all the changeable text - e.g. names, addresses, phone numbers, etc. - with placeholders), then generate an interview that turns those placeholders into questions, then lastly, assemble a customized document specific to each user who fills out the interview.

Overview

A HotDocs template is based on a document whose main content you want to use over and over for different users. The main text of such a document does not change, while the details that make it specific to a given user need to change to make the document work for more than one user. HotDocs enables you to convert a standard Word document into a HotDocs template where you replace the changeable text with HotDocs fields called placeholder fields that you can use to reference template building blocks called components.

Once you build your template using the elements above, you instruct HotDocs to generate an interview. An interview is the mechanism HotDocs provides to gather data from your template users. With the data you gather in an interview, HotDocs assembles a customized document.

Common Reference Topics

• Template Upload Overview
• Template Management Overview

For more information, see the HotDocs Author documentation.