Doc Templates

Doc templates are a premium feature that let you quickly create Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and more from a template. Set up doc templates for meeting agendas, presentations, invoices, and other docs you frequently duplicate (e.g. docs you create for every client, or every new hire).

For teams, doc templates help team members easily create the docs they need to do their job — with consistent doc names and organized exactly where they belong in Google Drive every time.


How doc templates work

Doc templates let you quickly create docs from a template — perfect for meeting agendas, client presentations, sales quotes, reports & more. You can create doc templates for personal use, or share them with your team so they can quickly and easily create docs from your team’s templates.

When you set up a doc template in Workona, you can choose any doc in Google Drive as the "template doc". This is the doc that will be duplicated when the doc template is used.

The template doc isn't changed in Google Drive in any way, it is just flagged as a doc template within Workona. However, any changes you make to the content of the template doc within Workona's template editor will be reflected in Google Drive.

Doc templates allow you to specify the doc naming convention (e.g. Meeting Agenda - {{Date}} ), default folder location (e.g. Meeting Agendas Drive folder), and default sharing permissions (e.g. Anyone at example.com can edit). When you create a doc from the doc template, these defaults will be initially set, but you'll be able to adjust them before creating the doc.

When you create docs from the doc template you've set up, we simply duplicate the template doc and give the copied doc the new name, folder location, and sharing permissions you've specified.

Your templates can be managed in the template manager.

Your team’s templates can be managed from team template settings in the admin dashboard.


Example doc templates

The doc templates you set up will appear in the New Doc menu.

Below is an example of what your New Doc menu might look like:

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New Google Doc

New Google Sheet

New Google Slides

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New Kickoff Meeting Agenda

New Client Presentation

New Customer Implementation Plan

New Sales Quote

New Customer Contract

New Invoice

New Email Newsletter Draft

New Blog Article Draft

New Quarterly Report

New Story Requirements Document

New Blank Interface Jamboard

New FeatureX User Interview Notes

New Post Mortem Meeting Notes

New Board Deck

New All Hands Deck

New Offer Letter

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

When you click on a doc template in the New Doc menu, you'll be able to name the new doc, select where to create it within Google Drive, and even adjust the sharing permissions.


Create a doc template

  1. Open Workona.
  2. Click Templates at the top of a sidebar.
  3. Navigate to the Doc Templates section.
  4. Click the + button in the upper right.
  5. Connect to Google Drive if you haven't already.
  6. Template doc: Begin template setup by selecting the source "Template Doc", which is the Google Doc, Sheet, Slides, etc. that will be duplicated when the doc template is used.
    • Optionally modify the template doc's content.
    • Click Next when you're done.
  7. New doc menu: Specify the name that you will click in the New Doc menu to use the doc template. This also serves as the doc template's name (only visible in Workona). Click Next when you're done.
  8. Doc creation form: Set up the doc creation form that will appear when users create docs from the doc template. We recommend specifying a doc naming convention, as well as default folder and permissions. The defaults you specify will be applied when you use the template (you'll be able to adjust any of the fields before creating the doc). Then click Next when you're done.
    • Google Doc Naming Convention: What docs (Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.) will be named by default.
    • Default Google Drive Folder: The folder the docs will be saved in.
    • Default Google Doc Permissions: Who will be able to edit, comment on, or view the docs. 8.Test doc creation: Test your new doc template so you can ensure it's working as expected. Confirm the generated doc is using the naming convention you defined and the content is as expected. Delete the test doc when you're done, then click Done testing.
  9. Share doc template: If you're happy with how your doc template is working, you can optionally share it with your team. All team members will see the doc template appear within the New Doc menu in Workona, and they will be able to create docs from the template.
Keep Google Drive organized with consistent doc names
Have a naming convention for certain docs? Specify it in the doc template's Google Doc naming convention to help you and your team name the docs the same way every time.

Define a naming convention for generated docs

We recommend setting up a doc naming convention for each of your doc templates. Doc naming conventions help your team use the same naming structure every time so docs will always be easy to find, and neatly organized in Drive.

For example, you might set these as the doc naming convention for the examples above:

  • Kickoff Meeting - {{Client}}
  • Welcome to AcmeAgency - {{Client}}
  • Acme Customer Implementation Plan - {{Customer}}
  • Acme Sales Quote - {{Company}}
  • Acme Sales Agreement - {{Customer}}
  • Acme Invoice - {{Client}}
  • Email Newsletter - {{Send Date: YYYY/MM}} - {{Newsletter Name}}
  • Blog - {{Article Title}}
  • Quarterly Report - {{Current Date: YYYY}}-{{Quarter}}
  • {{Story Name}} Requirements
  • {{Feature}} Mockup
  • {{Feature}} User Interview Notes - {{User Name}} at {{Company}}
  • Post Mortem Meeting Notes - {{Sprint Number}}
  • Acme Board Deck - {{Meeting Date: YYYY/MM/DD}}
  • All Hands - {{Meeting Date: YYYY/MM/DD}}
  • Offer Letter - {{Candidate Name}}

Use a doc template (create new Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides from a template)

  1. Open Workona.
  2. Click the New Doc button at the top of a space, next to the search bar.
  3. Click the name of your doc template in the menu.
  4. Click Create Google Doc. The new doc will open in your current space.
Create docs from your doc templates even faster
Use the shortcut OPTION-N (ALT-N on Windows) from anywhere in the browser, then search for the doc template you want to use. Learn more →

Edit a doc template

  1. Open Workona.
  2. Click Templates at the top of a sidebar.
  3. Navigate to the Doc Templates section.
  4. Click the Edit doc template settings button (gear icon) that appears when you hover over the doc template you want to modify.
  5. For an overview of how the doc template editor works and the available settings, see the create doc template section.

Share a doc template with your team

  1. Open Workona.
  2. Click Templates at the top of a sidebar.
  3. Navigate to the Doc Templates section.
  4. Click the Share doc template button (team icon) that appears when you hover over the doc template you want to share.
  5. Select the team(s) you want to share the doc template with, or create a team if you don’t have one yet. Doc templates cannot be shared with individuals, and you must be a member or admin of the team to share it with team members.
How can team members use the doc templates?
All team members will see the team's doc templates in the New Doc button and will be able to create docs from the doc templates you've set up for them. That means that new team members can start using the doc templates they need for their role on day one on the job.

Delete a space template

  1. Open Workona.
  2. Click Templates at the top of a sidebar.
  3. Navigate to the Doc Templates section.
  4. Click the Delete doc template button (trash icon) that appears when you hover over the template.
  5. Click Delete to confirm you want to delete the template.

Manage doc templates

  1. Open Workona.

  2. Click Templates at the top of a sidebar.

  3. Navigate to the Doc Templates section.

  4. Hover over the doc template you want to manage, then click the buttons that appear:

    • Edit doc template settings (gear icon)
    • Edit doc template content (pencil & note icon)
    • Share doc template (team icon)
    • Delete doc template (trash icon)

Manage team space templates

  1. Open Workona.

  2. Click the Teams button (team icon) at the bottom of the sidebar, or navigate to workona.com/admin/.

  3. Select the team you want to manage.

  4. Select Templates in the team settings sidebar.

  5. Select Doc Templates in the sidebar, and the team’s doc templates will appear.

  6. Hover over the doc template you want to manage, then click the buttons that appear:

    • Edit doc template settings (gear icon)
    • Edit doc template content (pencil & note icon)
    • Share doc template (team icon)
    • Delete doc template (trash icon)