# Working with templates Templates turn Canvas into a repeatable workflow tool. Save any Canvas document as a template to give your team a consistent starting point for content they produce regularly, with content types, field labels, and editorial instructions already in place. Templates involve three roles: the person who sets up the template (usually a team lead or developer), the writer who uses it to start new documents, and the reviewer or Studio editor who sends the finished content to Studio. The setup happens once; everything else is repeatable. ## What are Canvas templates? Any Canvas document can be saved as a template. Templates are reusable starting points for new documents. When someone creates a new document from a template, the template's content, structure, and configuration carry over into the new document. Templates are especially useful when paired with field labels. A template with a content type and field labels pre-configured gives writers a schema-aware starting point: they can see what fields are expected and start filling in content immediately, without needing to set up the content type or apply labels themselves. ![A Sanity content studio interface showing a read-only "Article template" with input fields and an open dropdown menu with document options.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/3do82whm/next/d3966c7d2c85b41b6712840d846b9dd034a30301-2824x1564.png) ## Creating a template ### Saving a document as a template To create a template, open any Canvas document and save it as a template from the document menu. The document's content, content type, field labels, and content inclusion states are all preserved in the template. ### Setting a content type on a template If your template has a content type set, that content type carries over to every document created from it. Writers start with structure already in place, even if they don't have access to the target Studio. ### Pre-configuring field labels Templates can include available field labels for a content type. If your writers only need to fill in certain fields (for example, title, body, and excerpt, but not SEO metadata or internal tags), you can set up the template with only the relevant labels visible. This scopes the template to the writer's task and reduces noise from fields they don't need to touch. ### Adding instructions Because excluded content doesn't flow to Studio, it's a natural place for editorial instructions inside a template. You can add guidance for specific fields (for example, "Write a 2-3 sentence summary for social sharing" under an excerpt field label) and mark it as excluded. Writers see the instructions as they work, but the instructions never end up in Studio. ![A digital marketing campaign template in Canvas showing sections for outline, blog post, and social media ideas with AI instruction prompts embedded into the template](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/3do82whm/next/2361c47bf07154c78a5dccf27a371fcc7e63b4a7-3022x1604.png) ## Starting from a template ### What carries over When you create a new document from a template, the following carry over: - Notes - Content type (if set) - Field labels visible in the document - Content marked as excluded (including editorial instructions) - Any pre-filled content in the template ### Adding or removing field labels after creation Documents created from templates are fully editable. Writers can add field labels that weren't included in the template, remove labels they don't need, or change the content type entirely. The template provides a starting point, not a constraint. ### Creating and updating Studio documents from templates Documents created from templates work exactly like any other Canvas document when it comes to sending content to Studio. Writers with Studio access can create new Studio documents or update existing ones. The same field labeling, inclusion, and conflict-handling behaviors apply. ## Templates for teams without Studio access Templates enable schema-aware editing for writers who don't have direct Studio access. Because the content type and field labels are saved to the Canvas document, a team lead or developer can set up a template with the right structure, and writers can use it without needing to connect to Studio themselves. This addresses teams where writers focus on content creation and don't need to interact with the CMS directly. Writers see the structure, follow the guidance, and fill in the content. Someone with Studio access reviews and sends it to Studio when it's ready. ## Managing templates Templates are accessible from the document sidebar alongside your existing documents. Templates created by anyone in your organization are available to all members. You can browse, filter, and select templates when creating a new document. ![Sanity Canvas interface displaying the "Templates" section with predefined templates for Welcome, Marketing campaign, and Documentation article.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/3do82whm/next/e8f11256ab39f2de0c828542ac669ed215b293e9-1505x363.png)