Working with Templates in Univents
After reading this guide you will know which template types exist in Univents, how the central Templates Hub organizes them, and where to create item templates, finance document templates, and layouts in detail.
Univents brings all template types together in one place: the Templates Hub under Settings > Templates is your central starting point — from item templates to finance document templates, run-of-show schedules, event templates, and contract texts. This article shows caterers and event managers what the hub can do and where to click through for the details of each type.
The Templates Hub — your central starting point
- Open Settings in the main navigation and pick the Templates card.
- The filter bar at the top (All plus one chip per type) narrows the list down to a specific template type.
- Use New Template in the top right to open a grouped dropdown menu:
- Event building blocks: Event template, Task list, Run of Show, Crew groups, Job (staffing)
- Documents & finance: Contract, Item template, Finance document template, Layout template, plus the Document submenu (Upload, Whiteboard, Free text)
- Master data: Staff master-data
- For Event template and Layout template a dedicated editor opens on a separate page. Every other type opens a dialog directly inside the hub.
- Clicking an existing row in the list opens that same dialog in edit mode with all saved values — you change name, description, and content there.
One exception: Document template shows up as a filter in the hub but isn't created via "New Template" — you create it directly on an existing finance document via Save as Template.
Item template, finance document template, and layout — don't mix them up
These three terms sound similar but mean different things:
| Term | What it is | Where you create it |
|---|---|---|
| Item template | A saved bundle of sections and individual line items — no date, no customer, no layout. You insert it into any quote or invoice. | Hub > New Template > Item template, or directly from a finance document via Save as item template |
| Finance document template | A complete quote, invoice, or delivery note saved as a template — including line items, due date, clerk, and layout. | Hub > New Template > Finance document template |
| Layout | The visual design of the PDF: colors, logo, which sections appear. Independent of the content of the line items. | Hub > New Template > Layout template |
For the full walkthrough on creating, editing, and inserting an item template, see Create & use item templates. For complete finance document templates with due date, clerk, and layout, see Create & use finance document templates. Colors, logo, and sections in the PDF are configured as described in How do I create layouts for financial documents?.
Other template types at a glance
| Type | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Event template | Complete event template including title, tags, and optional location |
| Run of Show | Recurring run-of-show schedules for events |
| Task list | Reusable task lists with deadlines |
| Crew groups | Recurring crew line-ups for events |
| Job (staffing) | Job package bundled with its shifts, reusable across events |
| Staff master-data | Pre-filled staff profiles (role, hourly rate, qualification) |
| Contract | Contract texts with placeholders |
| Document (Upload/Whiteboard/Free text) | Files, whiteboards, or free text saved as a template |
Time logic: relative offsets
For Run-of-Show, Task, and Job templates, Univents stores times not as fixed dates but relative to the event date. The offset field is anchored to Event Start or Event End, combined with a value in Minutes, Hours, or Days and the direction before or after.
Example: a task with the offset "4 days before Event Start" will automatically appear as due on Sep 16 when the event is on Sep 20 — no manual calculation needed.
Creating contract templates
Use New Template > Contract to create a contract template directly in the hub: give it a name and write the text in the editor, including a placeholder dropdown for values like customer name or event date. When creating a contract inside an event you select the template — content and title are carried over, recipient and signatures are not.
You manage the full list — renaming and deleting included — on the Contract Templates page. See Creating contract templates for details.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between an item template and a finance document template? An item template is just a bundle of line items with no document context — you insert it into an existing quote or invoice. A finance document template is the whole document including due date, clerk, and layout.
Can I rename a template after it has been created? Yes. Click the row in the Templates Hub — the edit dialog opens with all saved values. Change the name and confirm with Save.
Will existing events or documents be affected if I delete a template? No. Anything already created from a template stays unchanged; the template just stops being available for future use.
Where do I save the line items from an open quote directly as a template? In the line-item editor of a finance document, via Save as item template — the current set of line items and sections is saved as a new item template without leaving the editor.