HotDocs is an award-winning software application that significantly reduces the time spent generating customized documents, such as contracts, sales proposals, government and court forms, legal documents, loan applications, and medical forms.
Using HotDocs, you can transform any word processor file or form into an interactive template by replacing the changeable text with HotDocs variables. Then, the next time you want to generate a completed document, just assemble the interactive template you've created. As you do this, you a prompted for the information needed in the document in the form of interview questions and HotDocs then merges that information into the document.
A HotDocs template is a software component created using HotDocs Developer. The template contains all of the document's boilerplate text (the parts of the document which remain the same every time HotDocs generates the document), the variable fields (which are replaced with the new information collected from the interview questions), and any template logic needed. The HotDocs template and the paired HotDocs component file (generated by HotDocs alongside the template) contain all the information necessary to produce multiple documents with the information gathered in a HotDocs interview.
The HotDocs Template Package File (.hdpkg) is a file format that acts as a container for HotDocs Templates uploaded to a web service.
When you upload HotDocs templates from HotDocs Developer, the templates and associated files (including images and files containing template metadata) are wrapped in the Template Package File. The Package File is then sent to the web service.
Template Package Files can then be used by other HotDocs Services (e.g. HotDocs Server and HotDocs Cloud Services) for document assembly.