---
key: update-or-retire-an-agreement-template
title: Change, copy or retire an agreement template
audience: staff
section: agreements
routes: ["/agreements/templates/:templateUid", "/agreements/templates/:templateUid/editor", "/agreements/templates/:templateUid/history"]
permissions: ["agreements.templates.view"]
features: ["agreements.templates"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Start a new draft of a locked agreement template, lock the new version, copy a template, look back through its versions, or retire it so nobody starts new agreements from it.
keywords: [edit template, change template wording, new version, template history, copy template, retire template, archive template, deprecate, locked template]
related: [create-an-agreement-template, update-or-retire-a-clause, create-an-agreement]
---

In the sidebar, open **Settings**, then choose **Agreement Templates** under **Agreements**, and press a template's name (or **Open detail** in its row menu). The template opens in a panel over the list; the page address is `/agreements/templates/` followed by the template. **History** opens its versions in the same panel (the address ends in `/history`), and the editor is a full page (ending in `/editor`).

A locked version never changes, so agreements already sent keep their wording. To change a template you start a new draft, edit it and lock it. New agreements then use the new version.

## Before you start

- Starting or editing a draft needs permission to manage template versions. Locking needs permission to publish templates, copying needs permission to create them, and retiring or archiving need their own permissions.
- A template has at most one draft at a time.

## Steps

1. Open the template. The chips at the top show its status, the published version and any draft.
2. Press **Create draft version**. Nova copies the published version into a new draft and opens the editor. If a draft already exists, press **Open draft editor** instead.
3. Change the document (see [[create-an-agreement-template]]) and press **Save**.
4. Press **Save & lock this version**, add a note under **What changed? (optional)**, and press **Save & lock**. Nova says **Template version published.** and opens the history.
5. To retire the template instead, go to **Template lifecycle actions**. Press **Deprecate** to stop anyone starting new agreements from it, or **Archive** to hide it from the everyday list. Agreements already made from it are kept.

## What you see

- **Clone** under **Template lifecycle actions** makes a separate template you can change freely. Type a **Name for the copy** and press **Clone template**; the copy opens in the editor.
- **Publish draft**, in the same place, locks the current draft without opening the editor. Add a note under **What changed?** and press **Publish**.
- Four tiles: **Total versions**, **Merge fields** (the fill-in details), **Composition blocks** and **Updated**. Below them, the blocks and fill-in details of the current version, a preview with **Load preview PDF**, and **Version inventory**.
- **History** lists each version, marked **Current live version** or **Editable draft**, with the dates it was updated, published, deprecated or archived.
- In **History**, a draft has **Edit draft**, **Publish** and **Archive**. A published version has **Deprecate** and **New draft from history**, which starts a draft from that older version; pick it under **Start from which version?** and press **Create draft**.

## If something looks different

- The editor shows **This template is locked**: there is no draft. Press **Make an editable copy**.
- **Save & lock this version** is greyed out: save your changes first.
- **New draft from history** is greyed out: a draft already exists. Lock it or archive it first.
- The editor says you can view the template but not change it: your role cannot manage template versions.

[[route:/agreements/templates|Open Agreement Templates]]