---
key: create-a-workspace-template
title: Create a workspace template
audience: staff
section: settings/templates
routes: ["/settings/org/templates/workspaces", "/settings/org/templates/workspaces/:drawerUid?"]
permissions: ["templates.read"]
features: ["settings.org.templates"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Build the folder layout that a record's Notes, Files or Access tab starts with, save it as a draft, activate it, and apply it to a customer, work order or project.
keywords: [folder template, default folders, standard folders, file folders for work orders, notes folders, folder structure, folder layout, starter folders]
related: [find-your-templates, create-an-account, create-a-work-order, upload-files-to-the-media-center]
---

In the sidebar, open **Settings**, then choose **Workspace Templates** under **Templates**. The page address is `/settings/org/templates/workspaces`.

A workspace template is a set of folders. Apply it to a record and its Notes, Files or Access tab gets those folders, so every customer or work order is organized the same way. A draft is editable; an active template is frozen.

## Before you start

- Your role needs permission to read templates to open the page and permission to create them to add one. Activating a draft needs its own permission.
- Folders have to be turned on for that kind of record ([[turn-on-folders-for-record-types]]). If a record's Files tab shows no folders at all, that is a folder setting, not the template.

## Steps

1. Press **New template**. The **New template** drawer opens.
2. Pick the **Kind**: **Notes Workspace Template**, **Files Workspace Template** or **Access Workspace Template**.
3. Type a **Key** (a stable id such as `operations.onboarding`), a **Name** and a **Description**.
4. Under **Payload**, keep **Visual builder** selected. Pick the **Owner Type** the template is for, such as a customer or a work order.
5. Under **Folder builder**, build the tree in **Folders**: press the new-folder button in the header to add a top-level folder, type its name and press the save icon. Open a folder's **Folder actions** menu to **Add subfolder** or **Rename folder**. Drag folders to reorder them.
6. Press **Create draft**. The drawer stays open on the saved draft.
7. Press **Activate**. The status changes to **Active** and the template can be applied.

To apply it to one record now, scroll to **Apply workflow**. Under **Owner ID**, paste the code at the end of that record's page address, such as `acct_1a2b…` for a customer. Press **Dry run** first to see what would be created, then **Apply**. **Last apply summary** shows the result.

To apply it automatically to every new record of that type, scroll to **Automation bindings** and press **Add auto-apply binding**.

## What you see

- The list shows each template with its **Kind**, **Status** (**Draft**, **Active**, **Archived**), **Version** and **Tags**.
- On an active template the **Folder builder** is read-only. Press **Create editable draft** to copy it into a new draft.
- **Apply missing folders only (non-destructive apply)** is on by default, so applying to a record that already has folders only adds missing ones.
- **JSON editor** shows the same template as text. You do not need it.
- The row menu offers **Open**, **Activate**, **Duplicate draft** or **Create editable draft**, and **Archive**.

## If something looks different

- **New template** is missing: your role cannot create templates.
- **Activate** is off: your role cannot activate. On an active template it is replaced by **Create editable draft**.
- **Dry run** and **Apply** are off with a note about **Content Organization**: folders are turned off for that kind of record.
- **Apply** did nothing on a record: you pressed **Dry run** rather than **Apply**.
- The folders you added are not on new records: the template is still a draft, or there is no auto-apply binding for that record type.

[[route:/settings/org/templates/workspaces|Open Workspace Templates]]