How to save and reuse bulk action templates

Saving a bulk action as a template keeps its action type, action settings, and saved search ready to reuse, so a job your agency repeats starts from a configuration you already trust.

### Overview

- **What it does:** **Save Template** stars a bulk action. Starred bulk actions appear under **Saved Templates** on the **Bulk Templates** tab and in the **Action Template** dropdown on a recurring action
- **Why it matters:** **Import** copies the template's 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 run the same bulk action more than once, such as a monthly reminder or a weekly assignment
- **Expected outcome:** A short list of starred bulk actions your agency can import on demand, or attach to a recurring action that runs on a schedule

### Prerequisites

- An eCourtDate staging or production agency account
- The `create_bulk_actions` and `update_bulk_actions` permissions, or super admin access
- The `create_recurring_actions` permission if you plan to run a template on a schedule
- At least one saved bulk action to star as a template
- Access to the agency and region that holds the bulk action, because the template list is read from the agency and region you are signed into

### 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 **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 to a star and a **Template saved** message appears.

#### Step 3: Import a template into a new bulk action

1. Click **Bulk Actions** in the top navigation bar.
2. Click the **Bulk Templates** tab.
3. Review the **Saved Templates** group, where each card shows the template name, a badge with its action type, and an **Import** button.
4. Click **Load more** under the group to load the next 20 saved templates.
5. Click **Import** on the template you want to reuse.
6. Rename the new bulk action in **Bulk Action Name**, because **Import** copies the template name exactly.
7. Click **Search** in the **Search Clients** card to load the clients that match today.

#### Step 4: Run the imported bulk action

1. Confirm the client count above the results list is what you expect.
2. Click **Send Test** on a draft **Send a Message** bulk action to send a copy to a **Test Phone** or **Test Email** first.
3. Click **Live Run** to run the action now.
4. Click **Schedule Run** instead to pick a **Scheduled Date** and **Scheduled Time**.

On a bulk action with **Simulate Mode** checked, the run button reads **Simulate Run** rather than **Live Run**.

#### Step 5: Reuse a template on a recurring schedule

1. Click **Bulk Actions** in the top navigation bar.
2. Click the **Recurring Actions** tab.
3. Enter a **Name** in the **Create Recurring Action** card.
4. Select your template in the **Action Template** dropdown, which lists starred bulk actions only.
5. Enter a **Schedule Time**.
6. Click **Create** to open the new recurring action.
7. Select a **Frequency**, which starts on monthly.
8. Select **Active** in the **Status** field, because a new recurring action starts as inactive.
9. Click **Save**.

#### Step 6: Review what a recurring template has produced

1. Click the edit icon of the recurring action in the **Recurring Actions** list.
2. Review the **Ran Actions** card, headed by the number of bulk actions this schedule has created.
3. Click a name in that list to open that run.
4. Click **Run One-Time Action** on the linked bulk action card to create and run a copy right now.

#### Step 7: Update or remove a template

1. Click the edit icon of the starred bulk action in the **Bulk Actions** list.
2. Change the settings you want future imports to carry.
3. Click **Save**.
4. Click **Remove Template** when the configuration is no longer worth keeping.

### 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 next import carries, and it leaves bulk actions you imported earlier untouched. Clicking **Remove Template** unstars the bulk action and leaves it in your **Bulk Actions** list.

**Import** creates a new bulk action in draft status with the template's name, action type, action settings, and saved search. The new bulk action is not starred, and the original is unchanged. The client results are not copied, so the saved search runs again when you click **Search** and reflects your current data.

**Saved Templates** is read from the agency and region you are signed into, and it leaves out archived and trashed bulk actions. **Sample Templates** below it comes from eCourtDate, so every agency sees the same set. A recurring action reads the same starred list, so a bulk action has to be saved as a template before it can be selected as an **Action Template**.

### 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** or **Copy** on a message template card to read or reuse the message body before you import it.
- 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: Which bulk actions appear in the Action Template dropdown on a recurring action?**

A: Only starred ones. The field text under the dropdown reads "Must be saved as a template first," so click **Save Template** on the bulk action before you create the recurring action.

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

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

**Q: How do I remove 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 or archive control.

**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 reuse a template in another agency?**

A: No. **Saved Templates** 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 **Save Template** button is missing on a bulk action.

**Symptoms:** The page shows **PDF**, **Tools**, **Save**, and **Close**, but no run or template buttons above the results list.

**Solution:**

1. Check the top of the page for an archived or trashed banner, because those buttons are hidden on an archived or trashed bulk action.
2. Click **Tools** > **Restore** to bring the bulk action back.
3. Reload the page and click **Save Template**.

**Issue:** A starred bulk action is missing from **Saved Templates**.

**Symptoms:** The **Bulk Templates** tab 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. Check whether the bulk action was archived or trashed, because the template list leaves both out.

**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**.

### Related Articles

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