> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://katalyz.crisp.help/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).

# Starting from a template

Templates are pre-built rooms your team has already designed and approved. Starting from a template is the fastest way to send a polished room — you skip the blank page and focus on personalizing.

## When to use a template

Pick a template when you're sending a room for a **recurring use case**:

- A sales proposal
- A mutual action plan (kickoff, onboarding)
- A quarterly business review (QBR)
- A renewal
- An RFP response

If it's a one-off, highly custom deal, starting **from scratch** or **duplicating** an existing room may be faster.

## Create a room from a template

1. On your dashboard, click **+ New room**.
2. Select **From a template**.
3. Pick the template that fits the moment.
4. Give the new room a title — this is what your buyer will see.
5. Click **Create**.

Katalyz copies the template's structure, widgets, and branding into your new room. Nothing is linked — if the template is updated later, your existing rooms aren't affected.

## What gets copied, what doesn't

**Copied from the template:**
- **Pages** and their order
- **Sections** within each page
- All **widgets** and their content
- **Task assignees** (who owns what)
- Per-room branding overrides
- Default language

**Not copied** (these start fresh for each new room):
- Participants
- Activity history
- Comments
- Task **progress** (completion state resets — everything comes in as "not done")

## Personalize before you send

A template is a starting point, not a finished room. Most personalization happens automatically — here's what you get for free, and what's left to you:

**Automatic:**
- Welcome message, titles, and any copy using `$` variables resolve to real values as soon as you fill in the relevant fields (buyer's name, company, deal value, etc.) — see [Using variables in text](https://katalyz.crisp.help/en/article/using-variables-in-text-e33ha8/)
- The buyer's logo is pulled automatically via our **Brandfetch** integration (if you use co-branding) — see [Per-room theme](https://katalyz.crisp.help/en/article/per-room-theme-1hv9i4t/)

**Your job:**
- Add buyer-specific context — their **challenges**, **meeting notes**, quotes from your discovery call
- Swap generic references for specific **customer stories, use cases, client references, blog posts** that resonate with this buyer's situation
- Review and adjust pricing, dates, and any numbers that need to match this specific deal

## Creating and managing templates

**Admins** and **Pro** users can create templates three ways:

- **From scratch** — build directly from a blank canvas
- **By duplicating** an existing template and editing from there
- **By saving an existing room** as a template

The third approach is usually easiest — take a room that already works well and save it as a template. Learn how in [Saving a room as a template](https://katalyz.crisp.help/en/article/saving-a-room-as-a-template-55rls8/).

## Related articles
- [What is a template?](https://katalyz.crisp.help/en/article/what-is-a-template-16a5tal/)
- [Creating a room](→ 02-rooms/01-creating-rooms/01-creating-a-room)
- [Duplicating a room](https://katalyz.crisp.help/en/article/duplicating-a-room-obatjq/)