Item Templates: Create & Insert

An item template bundles individual positions — for example a catering package made up of several lines — into a reusable building block. Create it once, then insert it into any quote, invoice, or delivery note with a single click. This article is for anyone who repeatedly uses the same positions across finance documents.

An item template contains only positions and sections — no date, no customer, no layout. For a complete document as a template (including due date, assigned staff, and layout), use a finance document template instead.

Create an item template

1. Open Settings in the main navigation and select Templates in the sidebar.
2. Click New Template in the top-right corner.
3. In the Documents & finance group, choose Item template.
4. Enter a meaningful name in the Template Name field, e.g. "Catering Package Standard". Category and Description are optional.
5. Add one or more rows under Positions, each with a title, quantity, unit, Price (€), Discount (%), and VAT (%). You can also group positions into sections, e.g. "Food" and "Drinks".
6. Turn on Use product name if you want the linked product's name to be used instead of your free text when the template is inserted.
7. Click Save — the template appears in the list immediately.

Save a template directly from a document

You don't need to switch to Settings first — from any quote, invoice, or delivery note you can save the current position list as a new template:

1. Open the positions table in the finance document.
2. Click Save as item template below the table.
3. Enter a Name and, optionally, a Description.
4. Click Save — the editor stays open, and the new template is immediately available for other documents.

Insert a template into a finance document

1. Open a quote, invoice, or any other finance document.
2. Click Add from template below the positions table.
3. In the Choose a template dialog, search your saved templates by name.
4. Click Add next to the template you want — all its positions and sections are inserted into the document immediately.
5. Edit the inserted positions directly in the document without affecting the template. You can reopen the dialog as many times as you like to combine positions from several templates in one document.

Edit or delete a template

1. Open Settings > Templates.
2. Click the item template you want to change in the list — the edit dialog opens with all saved values.
3. Make your changes and click Save.
4. To delete, click Delete in the dialog and confirm the "Really delete this template?" prompt. The template is then permanently removed; positions already inserted into existing documents remain unchanged.

Template types at a glance

Univents distinguishes between several template types under Settings > Templates. Don't mix them up:

For details on finance document templates, see Finance Document Templates: Create & Use. For an overview of quotes, invoices, and delivery notes themselves, see Financial Documents: Quotes, Invoices & Delivery Notes.

Frequently asked questions

If I change a template later, does it affect documents I already created? No. Changes to an item template only apply to future insertions. Positions already inserted into existing documents remain unchanged.

Why don't I see any entries in the "Choose a template" dialog? No item template has been created yet. Go to Settings > Templates, click New Template, and choose Item template.

Can I insert the same template into a document more than once? Yes. Every click on Add inserts the positions again — useful if, for example, you need the same flat rate for several rooms.

What's the difference between an item template and a finance document template? An item template contains only positions. A finance document template is a complete document including due date, assigned staff, and layout, which you duplicate instead of setting up from scratch — see Finance Document Templates: Create & Use for details.