Creating a DOCX Template

There are two avenues to creating a DOCX template:

In this topic Hide

  1. Prerequisites
  2. Creating a DOCX Template from the Author Tab on the Word Ribbon
  3. Creating a Template from Workspace Explorer

Prerequisites

Creating a DOCX Template from the Author Tab on the Word Ribbon

Once you install Author, the Author Add-in for Word provides a way to turn any Word DOCX file into a DOCX template.

To create a DOCX template from the Author tab

  1. On the Author tab of the Word ribbon, click Create Template; then, from the Workspace drop-down list, choose the workspace where you want HotDocs to create your new template.
  1. Once you choose the workspace, HotDocs uses the name of the open DOCX file to populate the template's File Name.
  2. (Optional) Change the File Name (and the Title).

You should limit your template file names to 100 characters or less.

  1. (Optional) Type a Description.
  2. (Optional) Click Properties to change the template's properties; then click OK.
  3. Click OK. Your original document remains open and unaffected, and HotDocs opens a new Word window containing the new template for you to work with.

Creating a Template from Workspace Explorer

Workspace Explorer enables you to create a template from scratch, or to choose a document upon which to base your template.

To create a DOCX template from Workspace Explorer

  1. At the top of the Workspace Explorer, click New Template.
  2. From the Type drop down, select DOCX Template (.docx).
  3. Type a File Name and a Title (optionally, also a Description).

You should limit your template file names to 100 characters or less.

  1. (Optional) If you want the contents of your template to start from an existing document, in the Initial Contents (optional) box, browse to the location of a document, then click Open.
  2. (Optional) Click Properties to change the template's properties, then click OK.
  3. Microsoft Word opens and initializes the HotDocs Author Add-in for Word, enabling you to edit your template. Use the Field Editor to replace the changeable text in your template with placeholders by creating variables, or insert conditional or repeated regions as needed.

From the HotDocs Author tab, you can click Component Studio to create any components (such as dialogs) or scripts required for the interview HotDocs generates when you click Test.