Overview
This article is a field reference companion to the published System Settings - Templates article, which covers the step-by-step process for updating and creating templates. If you are looking for how to edit a template or create a Marketing Email, start there.
This article explains what each field on the template form does, how fields conditionally appear based on the selected Type, and how the content editor tools work. For the full list of template types with descriptions, see System Settings - Template Types Reference. For how templates link together via the Detail Template field, see System Settings - Template Hierarchy and Detail Templates.
Templates are found at System Settings, then Templates.
Template List Page
The template list shows all templates with two columns: Name and Type. Use the Type filter dropdown at the top of the list to narrow results to a specific template category. Each row has the following actions:
Edit - Opens the template form.
Three-dot menu ? Copy - Opens a new unsaved template form pre-filled with the selected template's content and settings. Enter a new Name and save to create a separate copy.
Three-dot menu ? Delete - Permanently removes the template. Templates currently assigned to an active document type or product cannot be deleted until unassigned.
Template Form Fields
Name (Required) - The internal label used to identify this template in the list and in Detail Template dropdowns elsewhere in the system. Use a descriptive name such as "Invoice - Standard" or "Reservation Email - Marina" so templates are easy to distinguish when multiple versions of the same type exist.
Type (Required) - Defines what this template is used for. The selected Type controls three things: which additional form fields appear, which merge variable buttons appear in the Content editor toolbar, and whether this template is selectable as a Detail Template for another parent template. See System Settings - Template Types Reference for what each type does and when Sharper uses it.
Detail Template (Conditional) - Links this template to a companion child template responsible for rendering each repeating line-item row. Only appears on template types that support it, and the dropdown is automatically filtered to show only compatible child types. If this field is missing from your template form, the selected Type does not use a Detail Template. See System Settings - Template Hierarchy and Detail Templates for the complete parent-child map.
Email Subject (Email types only) - The subject line of the outgoing email. Merge variables can be used here - for example, including the customer name or invoice number in the subject. Only appears when the selected Type is an email type.
Email From (Email types only) - Selects the sender address for this email from your configured email addresses in System Settings. If left blank, Sharper falls back to the system-level default sender. Only appears on email types.
Email BCC (Email types only) - A comma-separated list of internal email addresses that receive a blind carbon copy of every email sent using this template. Useful for internal audit trails or forwarding to shared inboxes. Only appears on email types.
Content (Required) - The body of the template, containing the full document or email layout. Supports two editing modes described below.
Content Editor Modes
Content Editor (default) - A rich text editor with a formatting toolbar. Available tools include standard text formatting plus two template-specific toolbars:
Variables - Buttons that insert merge variable tags at the cursor position. Each variable is replaced with live data from the relevant Sharper record when the document is generated. Available variables change based on the selected template Type - only variables applicable to that document type appear.
Inputs - Interactive form elements for use in contract and e-sign templates: signature boxes, blank text lines, and checkboxes. These are the Inputs referenced in the existing System Settings - Templates article.
Raw Editor - Switches the Content field to a plain HTML view. Use this when pasting HTML from an external source or troubleshooting rendering issues. Click Content Editor to return to the visual mode.
Print Preview (footer button) - Renders the current template content in a print-formatted view so you can check how the document will appear on paper or as a PDF before saving.
Merge Variables vs. Inputs
The existing System Settings - Templates article introduces Variables and Inputs with screenshots. Here is the distinction for reference:
Variables are read-only data placeholders. At document generation time, Sharper substitutes each variable tag with the actual field value from the relevant record. For example, the customer name variable outputs the customer's display name from the reservation or invoice. The set of available variables is scoped to the template Type - an Invoice template exposes invoice and customer variables, a Reservation Email exposes reservation and product variables.
Inputs are write-capable form elements embedded in the document for customer interaction during contract acknowledgment or e-sign. They create fillable spaces - signature capture boxes, blank underlines for handwritten text, and checkboxes for terms acceptance.
Using Multiple Templates of the Same Type
Multiple templates of the same Type can coexist in the system. Only the one actively assigned in the relevant settings location is used for document generation. This is useful for maintaining separate layouts - for example, an Invoice template with marina-specific footer text and another with campground-specific content - and toggling between them without deleting either version.