How to create bulk templates

Bulk templates let you star a bulk action so your agency can rebuild it later in one click instead of recreating filters, message content, and settings by hand.

### Overview

- **What it is:** A bulk template is a bulk action you have starred with **Save Template**. Starred actions appear on the **Bulk Templates** page alongside sample templates that eCourtDate provides.
- **Why it matters:** Importing a template copies the name, type, action settings, and search filters into a new bulk action, so you skip the setup work on every repeat run.
- **Who uses it:** Agency administrators and staff who run the same outreach, event creation, or client update workflows more than once.
- **Expected outcomes:** Faster setup for repeat runs, consistent message content and filters, and a template list you can point a recurring action at.

### Prerequisites

- Access to **Bulk Actions** in the main navigation
- At least one saved bulk action to star (sample templates need no setup on your side)
- A **Send a Message** bulk action if you want the template card to show message content

### How-To Steps

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

1. Click **Bulk Actions** in the main navigation.
2. Open the bulk action you want to reuse.
3. Enter a clear **Bulk Action Name**, because that name is the only label the template card shows.
4. Click **Save Template** in the button group next to the client count.
5. Confirm the button now reads **Remove Template**, which means the action is starred.

You can also star an action without opening it. On the **Bulk Actions** list, click the button in the **Template** column of that row. The button shows a star once the action is saved as a template.

#### Step 2: Open the Bulk Templates page

1. Click **Bulk Actions** in the main navigation.
2. Click the **Bulk Templates** tab.
3. Review your starred actions under the **Saved Templates** count at the top of the page.
4. Scroll to the **Sample Templates** count to see the examples eCourtDate ships with the platform.
5. Click **Load more** if you have more saved templates than the page shows.

#### Step 3: Import a template

1. Locate the card for the template you want to reuse.
2. Click **Import** on that card.
3. Wait for eCourtDate to create the new bulk action and open it.
4. Review the copied name, type, message content, and search filters.
5. Click **Save** to keep any edits you make.
6. Click **Live Run** to run the action now, or **Schedule Run** to set it for later.

#### Step 4: Preview or copy template message content

1. Find a template card that displays a message body.
2. Click **Preview** to open the message in the preview tool.
3. Click **Copy** to copy the message text to your clipboard.

#### Step 5: Point a recurring action at a template

1. Go to **Bulk Actions** > **Recurring Actions**.
2. Open or create a recurring action.
3. Select your template from the **Action Template** list, which only lists starred bulk actions.

#### Step 6: Remove a template

1. Click the template name on its card to open the source bulk action.
2. Click **Remove Template**.
3. Confirm the button now reads **Save Template** and the card no longer appears under **Saved Templates**.

### What to Expect

Clicking **Save Template** saves the bulk action immediately, so it shows up on the **Bulk Templates** page right away with no name or description prompt. **Import** creates a brand new bulk action in **draft** status and opens it for you, and the new copy is not itself starred. Nothing runs until you click **Live Run** or **Schedule Run** on that new action. Sample templates are the same for every agency and are not linked to any bulk action in your account, so their cards have no clickable name.

### Best Practices

- Rename the bulk action before you star it, since the card shows only that name.
- Check the client count at the top of the imported action before you run it, because the copy carries the original search filters.
- Click **Preview** on a message template to check merge tags before importing it.
- Star one clean bulk action per recurring workflow so the **Action Template** list stays short and clear.
- Click **Remove Template** on actions you no longer reuse instead of leaving stale cards on the page.

### Frequently Asked Questions

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

A: There is no separate template name. The card shows the **Bulk Action Name** of the action you starred, so rename the bulk action to rename the template.

**Q: Does Import run the bulk action?**

A: No. **Import** copies the template into a new bulk action in **draft** status and opens it. You still click **Live Run** or **Schedule Run** yourself.

**Q: What are Sample Templates?**

A: Sample templates are pre-built examples eCourtDate provides. They use the same **Import** button, but they are not tied to any bulk action in your agency.

**Q: How do I stop an action from appearing as a template?**

A: Open the bulk action and click **Remove Template**, or click the button in the **Template** column on the **Bulk Actions** list.

**Q: Why does a template card show no message?**

A: The card only renders the English message content saved on the action. A template built from a type other than **Send a Message** has no message body, so it shows no **Preview** or **Copy** buttons.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** A bulk action you starred is missing from the Bulk Templates page.

**Symptoms:** The **Saved Templates** count does not include the action, or no **Saved Templates** section appears at all.

**Solution:** Open the bulk action and check that the button reads **Remove Template**. If it reads **Save Template**, the star was cleared, so click it again. The page loads saved templates in batches, so click **Load more** if you have a long list.

**Issue:** An imported bulk action targets the wrong records.

**Symptoms:** The count above the action reads **No Clients**, or the "of" total does not match the audience you expect.

**Solution:** **Import** copies the search filters from the template. Adjust the search filters in the left column, then confirm the client count before you click **Live Run**.

### Related Articles

- [How Bulk Actions Work](/how-bulk-actions-work)
- [How to save and reuse bulk action templates](/how-to-save-and-reuse-bulk-action-templates)
- [How to Create and Import Bulk Action Templates](/how-to-create-and-import-bulk-action-templates)
- [How to create recurring actions](/how-to-create-recurring-actions)
- [How to Send a Mass Message using Bulk Actions](/how-to-send-a-mass-message-using-bulk-actions)