Managing Templates, Defaults & Editor Controls

Centralized signature governance in TeamSigs is managed from the Templates module (/templates). Workspace Administrators can build, customize, clone, and assign master signature templates to enforce uniform corporate branding across all outbound emails.

Template Lifecycle: Creating, Editing & Cloning

From the Templates dashboard (/templates), administrators can maintain multiple layouts to accommodate different subsidiaries, departments, or campaign initiatives.

1. Creating a Master Template

1. Navigate to Templates in the primary navigation bar.
2. Click Create Template in the upper-right corner.
3. Choose to start from a curated baseline layout (Clean, Corporate, Minimal, Modern) or open a blank HTML canvas.
4. Provide a descriptive Template Name (e.g., Sales & Business Development 2026).

2. Editing an Existing Template

1. On the /templates index, locate the target template card.
2. Click Edit to launch the Template Editor (/editor?template_id={id}).
3. Adjust the HTML markup, style parameters, or variable tokens.
4. Click Save Changes to commit updates. All employees mapped to this template immediately see the updated design when accessing /my-signature.

3. Cloning a Template

1. On the /templates index, click the Clone action icon on any template card.
2. The system duplicates the HTML layout, variable definitions, and corporate metadata into a new record with the suffix (Copy).
3. Cloning provides a safe sandbox for testing structural layout changes or running seasonal marketing banner campaigns without modifying the live signature currently used by team members.

The Official Default Template

Every TeamSigs organization designates exactly one template as the Official Default.

• Automatic Fallback: Any employee added to the directory without an explicitly specified template (template_id = NULL) automatically inherits the Official Default layout.
• Visual Identification: In the template roster and team member lists, the active default is marked with the Official Default badge.
• Changing the Default: To designate a different template as the primary default, open its action menu on /templates and select Set as Official Default. The previous default is downgraded to a standard custom template.

Deletion Safety & Automatic Reassignment

To eliminate the risk of orphaned employees or missing signatures:

• Deletion Protection on the Default: The active Official Default template cannot be deleted until another template is explicitly assigned as the new default.
• Automatic Reassignment: When a custom template is deleted, the backend database executes an atomic reassignment query:

  UPDATE team_members 
  SET template_id = NULL 
  WHERE domain_id = :domain_id 
    AND template_id = :deleted_template_id;

  All team members previously bound to the deleted template are automatically reset to template_id = NULL, safely inheriting the organization's Official Default template. No employee is ever left without an active signature.

Live Preview Controls in the Template Editor

Testing how a template compiles across diverse employee profiles requires real-time data binding. The Template Editor provides high-performance preview controls:

1. Asynchronous Member Search Combobox

Instead of dumping thousands of employee records directly into the browser payload, TeamSigs uses an asynchronous typeahead combobox powered by TomSelect:

• Endpoint: /?action=team_search_preview
• Query Optimization: As the administrator types a minimum of 2 characters into the search field, an asynchronous JSON request searches across employee names and email addresses.
• Data Hydration: Selecting an employee profile instantly populates the preview canvas with that employee's exact name, job title, phone number, and custom fields, allowing immediate visual verification of spacing and alignment.

2. Fast-Action "Use My Info" Button

To preview the template against personal administrative credentials without searching:

• Click the Use My Info button (#btn-preview-my-data) adjacent to the search combobox.
• The editor immediately injects the logged-in administrator's profile data into the preview compiler.

Corporate Variable Persistence (templates.template_data)

The Template Editor separates organizational branding from individual employee data through the 3-tier variable governance engine:

1. Locked Corporate Variables ({{variable*}})

Variables designated with a trailing asterisk (e.g., {{company_name*}}, {{website*}}, {{company_logo_url*}}, {{disclaimer*}}) represent organization-wide parameters:

• Configuration: Edited strictly in the left sidebar under the Template Values drawer.
• Persistence: Serialized and saved directly into the templates.template_data JSON column in the database:

  {
    "company_name": "Acme Technologies Inc.",
    "website": "https://acme.com",
    "company_logo_url": "https://cdn.acme.com/logo.png",
    "disclaimer": "Confidential: intended solely for addressee."
  }

• Directory Isolation: Locked corporate variables are never displayed in the Add Member modal, Edit Member modal, or generated CSV import templates.

2. Dynamic Brand Colors ({{color:...}})

Brand color tokens (e.g., {{color:primary}}, {{color:accent}}) render as interactive color pickers within the sidebar:

• Administrators can enter hex codes (e.g., #0f172a, #2563eb) or utilize the visual palette picker.
• Color selections are saved alongside corporate parameters inside templates.template_data and automatically injected into CSS inline styles across the signature HTML.