How to Create and Import Bulk Action Templates

A bulk action template is a bulk action your agency has starred for reuse. Starring it lists it on the **Bulk Templates** tab, where anyone in your agency can import it into a new bulk action instead of rebuilding the settings by hand.

### Overview

- **What it is:** A star flag on a bulk action. Starred bulk actions appear under **Saved Templates** on the **Bulk Templates** tab, next to the **Sample Templates** that eCourtDate publishes
- **Why it matters:** Importing a template copies the name, action type, action settings, and saved search into a new draft bulk action, so a repeat job takes one click instead of a full setup
- **Who uses it:** Agency staff who create and update bulk actions
- **Expected outcomes:** A short list of reusable bulk actions on the **Bulk Templates** tab, and new bulk actions that start from a configuration you already trust

### Prerequisites

- You need an eCourtDate staging or production agency
- You need the `create_bulk_actions` and `update_bulk_actions` permissions, or super admin access
- You need at least one saved bulk action before you can star a template of your own
- You need to be signed into the correct agency and region, because the **Saved Templates** list is scoped to both

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Save a bulk action as a template

1. Click **Bulk Actions** in the top navigation bar.
2. Click the edit icon in the first column of the bulk action you want to reuse.
3. Review the **Bulk Action Settings** card and the **Search Clients** card so the configuration is the one you want to keep.
4. Click **Save Template** in the button group above the results list.
5. Confirm the button now reads **Remove Template**, which means the bulk action is starred.

**Save Template** is a toggle, not a form. It never asks you for a name, so the template carries the bulk action's own **Bulk Action Name**.

#### Step 2: Star a bulk action from the list instead

1. Click **Bulk Actions** in the top navigation bar.
2. Find the bulk action in the results table.
3. Click the button in the **Template** column on that row.
4. Confirm the icon changes from an X to a star and a **Template saved** message appears.

#### Step 3: Open the Bulk Templates tab

1. Click **Bulk Actions** in the top navigation bar.
2. Click the **Bulk Templates** tab.
3. Review the **Saved Templates** group, which lists the bulk actions your agency has starred. Each card shows the template name, a badge with its action type, and an **Import** button.
4. Click a template name to open the original bulk action in a new tab.
5. Click **Load more** under the **Saved Templates** group to load the next 20 starred bulk actions.
6. Scroll to the **Sample Templates** group, which lists the pre-built message templates eCourtDate publishes for every agency.

#### Step 4: Check a message template before you import it

1. Read the message body printed on the template card.
2. Click **Preview** to open the message preview page with that message loaded in the **Content** field.
3. Click **Copy** to copy the message body to your clipboard.

**Preview** and **Copy** appear only on templates that hold an English message, so a template for another action type shows the card without them.

#### Step 5: Import a template

1. Click **Import** on the template card.
2. Review the new bulk action page that opens.
3. Update the **Bulk Action Name**, because **Import** copies the template name exactly.
4. Adjust the action settings for this run.
5. Adjust the filters in the **Search Clients** card, including any limit carried over from the template.
6. Click **Search** to load the clients that match today.

#### Step 6: Run the imported bulk action

1. Confirm the client count and the results list are what you expect.
2. Click **Send Test** on a **Send a Message** bulk action to send a copy to a test phone or email first.
3. Click **Live Run** to run the action now, or click **Schedule Run** to pick a **Scheduled Date** and **Scheduled Time**.

On a bulk action marked as a test, the run button reads **Simulate Run** instead of **Live Run**.

#### Step 7: Remove a template

1. Click **Bulk Actions** in the top navigation bar.
2. Click the edit icon of the starred bulk action.
3. Click **Remove Template**.
4. Confirm the button now reads **Save Template**.

### What to Expect

The star is a flag on the bulk action itself, not a separate copy. Editing the starred bulk action changes what the template imports next time, and removing the star leaves the bulk action in your **Bulk Actions** list.

**Import** creates a new bulk action in draft status that copies the template's name, action type, action settings, and saved search. The new bulk action is not starred, and the original is untouched.

The client results are not copied. The saved search runs again when you click **Search**, so the imported bulk action reflects your current data.

**Saved Templates** is scoped to the agency and region you are signed into, and it leaves out archived and trashed bulk actions. **Sample Templates** comes from eCourtDate, so every agency sees the same set.

### Best Practices

- Name the bulk action carefully before you star it, because the template card shows only that name and an action type badge.
- Star a small number of bulk actions. The **Bulk Templates** tab has no search box and no filters, so a long list is slow to scan.
- Click **Preview** before you import a message template so you can read the full message and check its merge tags.
- Rename the imported bulk action right away, or you will have two bulk actions with the same name in your list.
- Click **Remove Template** on the source bulk action once a configuration is out of date, because the **Bulk Templates** tab has no delete control.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Where do I name a template?**

A: You do not name it separately. **Save Template** is a toggle with no prompt, so the template uses the bulk action's **Bulk Action Name**. Rename the bulk action if you want the card to read differently.

**Q: What is the difference between Saved Templates and Sample Templates?**

A: **Saved Templates** are your agency's own bulk actions that someone starred. **Sample Templates** are pre-built message templates eCourtDate publishes, and every agency sees the same set.

**Q: Can other staff in my agency import a template I saved?**

A: Yes. **Saved Templates** lists every starred bulk action in the agency and region you are signed into, so anyone signed in there sees it and anyone with `create_bulk_actions` can import it.

**Q: Does importing a template change the original?**

A: No. **Import** creates a separate bulk action and leaves the original bulk action and its star exactly as they were.

**Q: How do I delete a template?**

A: Open the starred bulk action and click **Remove Template**, or click the star in the **Template** column on the **Bulk Actions** list. The **Bulk Templates** tab has no delete action.

**Q: Does a template store the clients from the original run?**

A: No. It stores the saved search from the **Search Clients** card. Click **Search** on the imported bulk action to load the clients that match now.

**Q: Can I share a template with another agency?**

A: No. The **Saved Templates** list is read from the agency and region you are signed into, so star the bulk action separately in each agency and region that needs it.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The **Saved Templates** group is missing from the **Bulk Templates** tab.

**Symptoms:** The page shows only **Sample Templates**.

**Solution:**

1. Open the **Bulk Actions** list and check the **Template** column for a starred row.
2. Confirm you are signed into the agency and region where you starred the bulk action.
3. Click **Save Template** on the bulk action you expected to see.

**Issue:** A starred bulk action stopped appearing under **Saved Templates**.

**Symptoms:** The bulk action still exists, but its card is gone from the **Bulk Templates** tab.

**Solution:**

1. Check whether the bulk action was archived or trashed, because the template list leaves both out.
2. Restore the bulk action from the **Bulk Actions** list.
3. Reload the **Bulk Templates** tab.

**Issue:** An imported bulk action matches the wrong clients.

**Symptoms:** The client count after **Search** is much higher or lower than you expected.

**Solution:**

1. Review every field in the **Search Clients** card, including any limit carried over from the template's saved search.
2. Click **Search** again to reload the results.
3. Click **Send Test** on a **Send a Message** bulk action to check the wording before you click **Live Run**.

> **Important:** If you continue to experience issues after following these troubleshooting steps, sign in to eCourtDate, click the help button in the bottom right corner of the screen, and choose **New support ticket**.

### Related Articles

- [How Bulk Actions Work](/how-bulk-actions-work)
- [How to Send a Mass Message using Bulk Actions](/how-to-send-a-mass-message-using-bulk-actions)
- [How to Schedule Recurring Bulk Actions](/how-to-schedule-recurring-bulk-actions)
- [How to Create Events via Bulk Actions](/how-to-create-events-via-bulk-actions)
- [How to Update Clients via Bulk Actions](/how-to-update-clients-via-bulk-actions)