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Quick Start - Finalize: Creating a Template

  • Updated


Overview

Templates streamline agreements and workflows by ensuring compliance with company policies. Templates enable companies to maintain consistency with internal policies and language, with each template serving as the foundation for creating an agreement.

 

Covered in this guide:

  • Accessing the Template page
  • Creating a Template
    • Token Mapping 
    • Configuration 

Getting Started

Only Administrators can create templates. Approvers, Reviewers, and Drafters can be added as default collaborators or, have tasks assigned when an agreement is drafted from a specific template. 
Review User Roles and Permissions: HERE

Template Types

Determine the type of Template that works best for your agreement creations: 

Draft Templates (Our Paper):

  • Create workflows using pre-approved company language
  • Example: Modify an MNDA or Order Form for specific counterparties or transactions.

Request Templates:

  • Allow users to submit requests for Legal Approval.
  • Example: IT manager requests approval for a non-approved tool.

Intake Templates (Third-Party Paper):

  • Configure a template for an approval workflow and allow users to upload a third-party MNDA
  • Example: Set up a workflow to review an outside software vendor's terms and conditions.
  •  

Signature Only: 

  • Agreements that have been reviewed and are Ready for Signature already.
  • Example: Agreements ready to be sent out for Signature as a first step. 

Learn more about where to edit an existing template or template types: HERE


Access the Templates Page

1. Select the Templates tab from the top navigation bar.

Create a New Template

2. Choose + ADD A TEMPLATE in the top right.

  • Template Types available:  
    • Our Paper (Draft Templates)
    • Third-Party paper 
    • Signature only

Choose Next to proceed

    

*Image above shows the Finalize Types available for creation

* Image above shows the options available for Our Paper templates
 

Creating Draft Templates

1. Review your document for template upload

  • Review and format the document
  • Accept all track changes
  • Remove comments
  • Ensure document structure meets company standards
  • The document must be a Microsoft Word document (.docx)

2. Applying Tokens

  • Add tokens to automate workflow
  • Tokens are placeholders that create user-provided data specific to each agreement
  • Example:
    • #[COUNTERPARTY_NAME]# → “LinkSquares, Inc.”
    • #[EFFECTIVE_DATE]# → “6/6/2024”

Important Token Rules:

  • Format: #[TOKEN_NAME]# (all caps, no spaces, starts with:  #[ ends with ]#, if a space is needed use an underscore _)
  • Compatible with Clause Library for inserting pre-approved clauses

Signature Token:

Signature tokens in Finalize agreements allow for the automatic placement of signature and initial fields within your documents. When placeholder tokens are inserted directly into the document text, the system recognizes and converts them into the correct signing fields.

Benefits of Signature Tokens:

  • Faster document preparation
  • Fewer manual errors
  • Consistent field placement across documents

Signature Token Examples:

  • #[SIGN::SIGNATURE_1]# – Automatically places a signature field for Signer 1
  • #[SIGN::NAME_1]# – Automatically places a name field for Signer 1
  • #[SIGN::TITLE_1]# – Automatically places a title field for Signer 1
  • #[SIGN::INITIALS_2]# – Automatically places initials for Signer 2

Important Notes for Signature Tokens:

  • Tokens are case-sensitive; they must be typed exactly as specified
  • Include #[ at the beginning and ]# at the end of the token
  • Set the font color to white to prevent tokens from appearing visibly in the final signed document
  • If tokens are misspelled or left incomplete, the system will skip them during field generation

3. Upload the document by drag/drop or using the upload window


 

 

Token Mapping & Configuration 

Review Tokens and Type mapping for Template configuration. 
This feature is helpful when you are ready to create an agreement. Tokens are placed in the template document for predetermined answers. This page will determine if the token is required and how the question should be answered.

  1. Finalize detects and displays all tokens after file upload
  2. Edit and replace the file, or replace the file altogether
  3. Drag and drop tokens to reorder
  4. Map the token type 
  5. Toggle the field if the question is required

 

Data Type Mapping

  • Text Field: Short text (e.g., counterparty name, 80-character limit)
  • Text Area: Longer text (e.g., clause descriptions, 10,000-character limit)
  • Date: Select date using a calendar
  • Clause: Map to saved clauses in the Clause Library
  • Single/Multiple Selection: Allow one or multiple responses
     

Template Details

Add:

  • Name
  • Description
  • Agreement type
  • Agreement status
  • Tags

* The image above shows the Template Details page during the template creation wizard

Who's Involved

Decide whether users must take action on the agreement by adding tasks, assigning agreement owners, and including collaborators. 

* The image above shows the Tasks, Owner, and Collaborators section of the template creation wizard

High-Level Detail Fields

 

1. Drag the detail fields in the order that works best for your company's workflow

2. Map the question/answer to Analyze once the agreement is completed

    To learn more about template mapping to Analyze: HERE

3. Toggle if the question is required

4. Add additional high-level questions

 

Determine Access Levels

Access levels can customize your Template to the workflow requirements.

  • Emails: Enabled, users can email any agreement, with this template
  • PDF-only Salesforce Agreements: Enabled, Salesforce users can only view the agreements in a PDF format. Restricting modifications
  • Access Rules: Enabled, you can Restrict or Allow Access to specific users
    Signature Request Permissions: Enabled as custom, this template can accept signatures from specific users. The default will apply signature rules that are located in Settings. 

Note: We do not track version changes when a template has been updated. The only information we track is the last updated date and the last person to make updates.

 

This is one example of a Template workflow, templates can also include Dynamic Language and further mapping from Finalize to Analyze. To learn much more about Templates and their benefits 
take a look at our full article HERE

 

 

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