In a Guide theme, there is one page template each for article, section, and category by default. You can create up to 100 additional page templates each for articles, sections, and categories.
This means that you can create alternate versions of templates to use for your articles, sections, and categories. You can change the look and feel based on content. You can apply or change the page template when you create or edit an article, section, or category.
You cannot create additional templates for any other page type in your theme. You must be a Guide admin to create multiple templates.
When you create additional custom templates for a theme, you can only select those templates if the theme you created them for is live. In other words, the theme must be active before you can select the custom templates associated with that theme.
Adding multiple templates using the theme editor
- In Guide, click the Customize design icon (
) in the sidebar.
Your themes appear on the Themes page.
- On the theme you want to edit, click Customize.
- Click Edit code.
- In the Files area, click Add new, then select the template that you want to
add.
- Under Template for, select the type of template you'd like to create.
You can create article, section, and category templates only. You can create up 100 additional templates for each type.
- Enter a Template name.
- Under Start from, select an existing template to copy and use as a starting
point.
You can select blank template if you don't want to start from another template.
- Click Create template.
The new template opens for you.
- Edit your template and click Save as you go.
- To preview your template, click Preview, then click Templates at the top
of the preview and select the template you want to preview.
For more information, see Previewing your theme while editing theme code.
When you are ready, you can apply your template to a new article or new category or section. You can also change the template on an existing article, section, or category.
Adding multiple templates in downloaded themes
If you download and work on themes locally, you can add multiple templates to the themes. The workflow consists of creating a predefined folder in a theme's templates folder, then adding .hbs template files to the folder.
To learn more about working on themes locally, see Working on a theme locally.
To add a template to an downloaded theme
- Depending on the type of template you want to add (article, section, or category),
create any of the following folders in the templates folder of the downloaded
theme:
- article_pages
- section_pages
- category_pages
As in the Guide theme editor, you can only create article, section, and category templates.
- Add an .hbs template file in the new folder.
You can name the file anything you want. The name must be 25 characters or less, and snake_case.
Tip: To save time, copy an existing .hbs file into the folder to use as a starting point for the new template. - Edit and save the template.
- If you need to add more templates of the same type, add them to the same folder.
- When you're done, zip the theme and import it into Guide.
Use Guide to preview the new template.
17 comments
Sarah Sabater
Is there is there a way to modify the template so that agents can view the labels?
0
Annamarie Jackson
How many sections can I add to a category? I notice that when I add a section within a section, Zendesk does not display the section titles within the sections, which is, to be frank, not useful. How can I show a list of sections within a section so that users know they're there?
3
Augusto Silva
Hey @...,
If your theme has been customized before the release of sub-sections, you might need to edit it to show sub-sections or switch to the latest version of the Copenhagen Theme. You can find more information here: https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360021269734-Displaying-subsections-in-your-help-center
0
Annamarie Jackson
Thanks, Augusto, I will look into this. This sounds like just what we need!
0
Jeongah Seo
Dear Zendesk team,
I need a confirmation from your side regarding multi template.
Currently, I am using 'Professional' package for help center.
If I upgrade to enterprise, then is it possible to create a template with a check box and a combo box?
I want to insert a widget that can be selected by the user into the body of the article.
If possible, could you share the sample code?
0
Bry Fitzgerald
0
Jeongah Seo
Dear Zendesk team,
Thank you for the answer first.
I thought I could add check boxes and combo boxes as customized templates, when I upgraded the package to the enterprise. Can I understand that HTML can do this, but it's not guaranteed?
I have one additional question. If I upgrade to the enterprise, I understand that customized template is available, but what kind of customization is available?
0
Dane
Yes, HTML can be used. However, there can be some risks on allowing unsafe HTML on your page.
All the customization available is discussed in Creating custom pages in the help center.
0
BREANNE BROCK
Hello Zendesk!
Is it possible to create more than 10 section templates? Can this functionality be added to my account?
0
Dave Dyson
Ten is the limit right now -- could you post your use case to our Feedback on Help Center (Guide) topic, using this template to format your feedback?
0
BREANNE BROCK
Hello - happy to hear the template maximum has been extended to 100 instead of 10. On a related note, is there a way to be notified that articles we follow are updated?
0
Matt Simpson
OK, I may be missing something...I created a new template, coded the way I want it to look, when I go to create a new article and change template drop down shouldn't it load the template that I made? it isn't making anything change on the new article
0
Gorka Cardona-Lauridsen
Matt Simpson I'm not sure exactly when you expect the template to load.
The new template should load when the page is being rendered to end users provided that the new article is published with the template configured from the dropdown as you describe. You can test that by 1) setting the template, 2)publishing the article (changes), 3) Clicking the link under "Publication status":
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If it does not render the article with the configured article template, you should contact our support.
0
Gorka Cardona-Lauridsen
Hi All,
We are looking to talk to people that have code customized a Help Center theme or tried and failed to code-customize a theme.
If you are up for sharing your feedback through a 30 min video interview, please sign up and answer 3 short survey questions at the end of the form. We would love to hear from you!
Sign up here.
Looking forward to talking to you!
Gorka Cardona-Lauridsen
Sr. Product Manager, Zendesk Guide
0
Michelle Izatt
Does anyone have a code Snippet to add the Submit button to comments? It was deleted from article on our custom theme.
0
Christopher Kennedy
You can add a fresh copy of the default Copenhagen theme your Help Center. This will allow you to retrieve any code related to comment submission that was been removed.
0
Jane M Langschied
Feedback: Low-code adoption: Enhance Templates so that coding is not necessary, but optional.
This would enhance our ability flexibility and minimize the need for specialists to code what is essentially a formatted piece of paper.
1