> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://support.elevationadvisor.com/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# Working with Templates

Templates in Elevation Advisor are one of the fastest ways to build proposals without sacrificing accuracy or control. They give you a strong starting point for any section, whether you're building [beds](https://support.elevationadvisor.com/en-us/article/beds-begin-here-if-you-are-just-getting-started-with-sections-147cu76/), patios, or [custom features](https://support.elevationadvisor.com/en-us/article/custom-section-1515wqh/), and help you create polished, professional proposals in record time.

### Why Templates Matter
Templates are all about working smarter. Instead of rebuilding the same section from scratch every time, you can save a version you like and reuse it with just a few clicks. This means:
* **Lightning-fast proposals**: Drop in a fully built section instantly
* **Improved accuracy**: Preloaded materials, labor, and equipment reduce the chance of errors
* **Consistent pricing**: Standardized install times and costs across your team
* **Complete flexibility**: Every template is editable once added, adjust anything you need

Whether you're a solo operator or managing a growing team, templates help you scale your process while keeping quality high.

**Real-World Examples**
Templates are especially useful for the types of work you repeat often, but they’re also powerful for handling variation. For example:
* Beds with Bark Mulch
* Beds with Rock Mulch
* Paver Patio – 2-Person Crew
* Paver Patio – 3-Person Crew
You can even create templates that include only the basic materials, like soil or base course, so your team can add custom materials later. Or, you can leave in measurements if you want to use the template for a recurring job type. It’s completely up to you.

| Any equipment included in your template will have its usage days updated to match the section it's added to

### How to Create a Template
To create a template from a section:
1. Scroll to the bottom of any section
2. Click **Save As Template**
3. Give it a clear, descriptive name (e.g., “Beds with Rock - 3 Crew”)

If the name you are using for your template is the same as an existing template, Elevation Advisor will prompt you with a warning before overwriting the original.
![Figure 1: Overwriting existing template.](https://elevation-knowledgebase.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Proposals/Creating_Proposals/Images/Save_Template_14.png =300x262)


| ✅ Pro Tip: Before saving, you’ll usually want to click Clear Measurements at the top of the section. This gives you a clean starting point for future use. But in some cases, like recurring layouts, you may want to leave the measurements in. It’s your call.


### Template Folders
If you have many templates, you may want to use our **Folders** feature to keep them organized. Instead of a long list of all your templates, you can create separate dropdown menus by category. This is especially helpful if you offer many variations on different landscape features you build. For example, you may have a Fire Pits folder, a Walkways folder, a Patios folder, etc.

To create a folder, click the blue Add Folder button and name your folder. To add existing templates to your folder, drag and drop the templates from their dropdown menus into the new folder. Your folders will be saved for use on future proposals.

### How to Add a Template to Your Proposal
When building a proposal, you can access your saved templates in the template library.

**Dropdown Arrows on Section Buttons and Folders**
* If your template was built using a standard section layout (like Beds or Patios), it will appear as a dropdown under that section
* This lets you quickly choose between different versions of the same section type
* Folders work the same way, giving you drop down access to anything you added to the folder in the past

![Figure 2: Adding a template to your Proposal.](https://elevation-knowledgebase.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Proposals/Creating_Proposals/Images/Add_Template_15.png =400x154)

Once inserted, templates behave like any other section, you can edit materials, adjust labor, change equipment, or rewrite the description. You’re never locked in.

Once you’ve created a template, you can edit, save, or delete it directly from the Template Library Sidebar.

### Editing an existing template:
1. Open any proposal and click the Edit button to the right of a Landscape Work Area.
2. This opens the Template Library Sidebar, where all saved templates are listed. 
3. Click the Edit button next to the template you want to update.
4. The Template Editor will appear. Make any necessary changes to materials, labor, equipment, or notes.
![Figure 3: Edit button for Templates](https://elevation-knowledgebase.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Proposals/Creating_Proposals/Images/Edit_Template_16.png =450x169)


There are two save options for Templates:
* **Save and Add to Proposal**: This updates the template and inserts it into the current proposal.
* **Save Without Adding**: Updates the template but keeps your current proposal unchanged.

Choose the option that fits your workflow.

### Renaming Rows and Organizing Them Into Groups
Templates now bend to your language instead of the other way around. The row headers down the left side of a Materials table and the group headings above them are both yours to rename.


**Renaming a row header**
Double-click any row header in a Materials table, type the name you want, and press **Enter**. Press **Esc** to back out without saving. If you leave it blank, the row keeps the name it had, so a row is never left with nothing to identify it.

![Figure 4: Renaming a row header in place.](https://elevation-knowledgebase.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Templates/Images/Templates_Row_Header_Rename.png =760x122)


You can also set a row header from the item edit sidebar. Open a row and you'll find a **Row Header** field near the top. That's the place to name a row you added straight from your catalog, since those come in with an empty header.

![Figure 5: The Row Header field at the top of the item edit sidebar.](https://elevation-knowledgebase.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Templates/Images/Templates_Row_Header_Field.png =380x193)


Row headers are for you and your crew. They're internal, so nothing you type here shows up on the client's proposal.

| ✅ Renaming a row no longer breaks anything. **Revert To Default Calculations** still works on a renamed row, because the row remembers what it started as underneath the label you gave it. Call your Base Course row "3/4 Minus" if that's what your crew calls it.


**Grouping rows**
Long materials lists get easier to read when related rows sit under a heading. An irrigation section, for example, reads better as Pipe, Heads/Nozzles, and Drip System than as forty rows in a single stack.

Groups are set up in the **Template Editor**, since they're a structural decision you make once and reuse. Open a template for editing, and on a Materials table you'll see:

* **Add Group**: click it, type a name, press Enter. The new group starts empty and waits for rows.
* **Rename a group**: double-click the group heading, type the new name, press Enter.
* **Reorder groups**: use the **↑** and **↓** arrows next to the heading.
* **Delete a group**: click **Delete** next to the heading and confirm. Your rows are not deleted, they move to Misc.

![Figure 6: Add Group, and new groups with their reorder arrows and Delete.](https://elevation-knowledgebase.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Templates/Images/Templates_Groups_Added.png =640x340)


To fill a group, drag rows into it. You can drag between groups, into a brand new empty group, and back out to Misc.

![Figure 7: Rows dragged into Pipe & Fittings, with an empty group and the rest in Misc.](https://elevation-knowledgebase.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Templates/Images/Templates_Groups_Filled.png =640x347)


| ℹ️ **Misc** is the catch-all heading. Any row that isn't in a group shows up there, so nothing ever disappears from the table. Misc isn't a real group, so it has no rename or delete controls.


Groups are optional on every section type, not just irrigation. A section without any groups looks exactly as it always has, so adding this costs you nothing until you decide to use it.

Once a template with groups is added to a proposal, the groups show up there too. You just can't add, rename, or delete them from the proposal itself, that stays in the Template Editor so your live proposals stay clean.

|| ⚠️ On a **Plants** section, the Plants group can't be renamed or deleted. That group name feeds your plant count, so Elevation Advisor keeps it locked to protect the math.


### How to Delete a Template
To remove a template from your library:
1. Open the Template Library Sidebar by clicking the Edit button next to any Landscape Work Area.
2. Locate the template you want to delete.
3. Click the Trash Can icon next to the template name.

||| ⚠️ Deleted templates cannot be recovered, so use this option carefully.

Templates give you the best of both worlds: a fast, consistent starting point and the freedom to customize every detail. Whether you're building your first proposal or your hundredth, they help you move faster, stay accurate, and deliver a better experience for your clients.