Templates

Almost everything in QBO is created from a template: a process (case), its workflow, a document, a message, a form, a score, a ledger, a worklist, a contact role. The template is the definition; each record made from it is an instance.

Templates give you three things without writing code:

• Security. A template decides whether its records take part in partner (extranet) security, and how access is granted.
• Repeatability. A template decides how many of its records a parent may have — exactly one, one active at a time, or many — and QBO enforces it automatically.
• Consistent behavior. A template fixes what its records can attach to, which statuses and types they may use, and how they behave (the data they pull, the steps they run, the document they generate).

Common template types

Template	Defines
Process (case) template	A kind of process: its workflow, cost ledger, parties, and closing rules
Workflow (decision) template	A workflow definition: steps, dependencies, durations, branches
Document (attachment) template	A mail-merge-capable document: data source, generator, storage
Message template	Canned responses: merged email, SMS, and notifications
Worklist template	How work is routed: team, priority, due dates, escalations
Form, import, score, and ledger templates	Data capture, file layouts, calculations, and pricing
Contact template	A role a person or organization plays on a record

Choose Power user for the settings every template shares, or Developer for how templates behave when records are saved through the API.