# Managing Binder Templates

Binder templates allow quick creation of new binders from a configured template. When users create the new binder, Vault copies the binder template structure and uses that copy as the starting structure for the new binder. If the template includes planned documents, Vault also creates new documents within the binder. This process allows for more consistent creation of complex binder structures. Binder templates are associated with a specific document type, like binders themselves.

## Accessing Template Management {#access}

You can manage binder templates in **Business Admin > Templates > Documents & Binders**.

<div class="note-border alert-info">
  <div class="alert alert-info" role="alert">
    <div><i class="far fa-info-circle"></i></div>
    <div class="alert-text">
      <p><strong>Note</strong>: You cannot add components to or copy or enable binder templates with 50,000 nodes.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>



## How to Create Templates

To create a binder template:

  1. From the **Document & Binder Templates** page, navigate to the appropriate level in the document type hierarchy for the new template.
  2. In the templates pane, click **Create > Binder Template**.
  3. Enter the **Label**. When users create a binder from a template, they will see this value in the list of available templates. This field is limited to 100 characters.
  4. Optional: Modify the **Name**. This value does not appear to end users, but is used through the Vault API.
  5. Set the **Status** field. If disabled, users cannot see the template when creating binders.
  6. eTMF Only: If you're creating a binder template within a standard binder document type, set the [**Filing Model**](/en/lr/30260/).
  7. eTMF Only: Select the **Enable Dynamic View** checkbox to make the template available in the [legacy TMF Viewer tab](/en/lr/33022/).
  8. Click **Save** to create the template with an empty structure.
  9. In the **Binder Structure** section, click **Edit** to begin modifying the binder structure. The binder template structure can contain a maximum of 50,000 nodes.
  10. Add, move, or delete sections as needed at any level in the binder hierarchy. This process is the same as [editing a binder](/en/lr/4422/). When renaming a binder section, the name is limited to 255 characters. 
  11. eTMF Only: If you're creating a binder template within a standard binder document type, use the **Hierarchy Mapping** field on the binder section to associate each section with a specific _Artifact_ linked to the model selected in _Filing Model_. Learn [more](/en/lr/30260/).
  12. Optional: Add [planned documents](/en/lr/8439/).
  13. When finished, click **Done Editing** to exit edit mode.

### Templates for Auto-Filing Binders

Vault files documents into [binders configured for auto-filing](/en/lr/32360/) based on filing rules that you define for each section of the binder. You can create templates for binders that are configured for auto-filing:

  1. Ensure that the **Enable Dynamic Filing** checkbox is set from **Admin > Settings > General Settings > Binder Options**.
  2. Create a binder template and select which sections should auto-file using the **Set Filing Rules** action from the **Actions** menu.
  3. Set the **Allow automatic document filing into this section** checkbox. This permits Vault to auto-file documents to this section.
  4. Select **Any document type** or **Selected document type** to control what document types Vault will file to this section. If you choose **Selected document type**, you must also specify the document type to be auto-filed.
  5. Select fields that define the filing rules for the documents. Only objects and picklist fields are available for selection. When users create binders using this template, they will provide values for these fields when defining the filing rules. For example, if you select the _Product_ field, a user will be able to select a _Product_ value, "Cholecap" for instance, to match documents on.
  6. Optional: Select **Propagate fields and values to subsections** to apply provided field values to subsections. For example, if a user selects "Cholecap" for the _Product_ field when defining filing rules for a section, Vault applies "Cholecap" to the filing rules of all subsections.

## How to Edit Templates {#edit}

To edit a template:

  1. Change the status of a template directly from the template list by selecting **Set to Active** or **Set to Disabled** in the **Actions** menu.
  2. Click on a template name from the list.
  3. Click **Edit** in either the template details section or the binder structure section.
  4. Make any necessary changes. You can update the template label, name, status, or binder structure. You can also [add planned documents](/en/lr/8439/).
  5. Click **Save**. The updated template is immediately available to users, but the changes do not affect documents created before the update.

## How to Move Templates {#move}

Moving a binder means selecting a new document type for it and removing its association with the current document type. To move a binder template:

  1. Select the **Move** option from the template list **Actions** menu.
  2. In the dialog, select a new document type for the binder template.
  3. Click **OK** to move the template to the new document type.

## How to Copy Templates {#copy}

Copying binder templates creates a duplicate which you can associate with a different document type. Once copied, the templates are entirely separate. Changes you make to one template do not affect the other. To copy a binder template:

  1. Select the **Save As** option from the template list **Actions** menu.
  2. In the dialog, select the document type for the copied template.
  3. Click **OK** to create a new instance of the template.

## How to Disable and Delete Templates {#disableDelete}

Deleting a template permanently removes it from the Vault and deletes the binder structure. Disabling makes the template temporarily unavailable to users creating new binders. Setting the disabled template back to **Active** makes it available again. Neither action affects binders created from the template.

To delete a template:

  * From the template list panel, select **Delete** from the **Actions** menu.
  * From the template details page, click **Delete**.

To disable a template:

  * From the template list panel, select **Set to Disabled** from the **Actions** menu.
  * From the template detail page, click **Edit**, change the status and click **Save**.

## Audit Trail {#audit}

The audit trail for a binder created from a binder template includes an event that lists the binder template used: '_Binder created from template_ "_`<template name>`_".' For example, '_Binder created from template_ "_WonderDrug Binder Template_".'



## Configuring Templates for the TMF Viewer {#tmfviewertemplates}

The [TMF Viewer](/en/lr/33022/) allows users to manage a TMF by browsing [dynamically organized content](/en/lr/4502/) and switching between multiple configured hierarchies, represented by binder templates.

eTMF Vaults include specialized binder templates with the default document types _Study Level File_, _Study Country Level File_, or _Study Site Level File_. Note that these document types may have been renamed in your Vault. To make one of these binder templates available in the TMF Viewer, it must meet the following criteria:

  * _Status_ must be "Active."
  * _Filing Model_ must be selected.
  * _Filing Model_ cannot be "Binder Section to Document Type" or "Vault Clinical Docs."
  * _Enable Dynamic View_ setting must be checked.

To make a general binder template (not one of the specialized templates described above) available in the TMF Viewer, it must meet the following criteria:

  * _Status_ must be "Active."
  * _Enable Dynamic View_ setting must be checked.

Note that the _Platform Dynamic Filing_ feature must be enabled by Veeva Support for the eTMF Vault in order for the _Enable Dynamic View_ setting to be available on the general (non-specialized) binder templates. The TMF Viewer will show documents in the binder nodes based on the specified filing criteria for those nodes.