Templates

Templates let you define a standard structure for new SharePoint sites - including which document libraries and folders to create. When a site is provisioned using a template, it's ready to use immediately with consistent organization built in.

What Is a Template?

A template is a pre-defined site configuration that specifies:

• Document Libraries - Named storage areas within the site (SharePoint sites can have multiple libraries, similar to top-level folders)
• Folders - Subfolders created within each library
• Security Policy - An optional default security policy to apply when the template is used

For example, a "Software Project" template might create:

📁 Planning
   📂 Requirements
   📂 Architecture
   📂 Roadmap
📁 Development
   📂 Code Reviews
   📂 Tech Docs
📁 Deliverables
   📂 Releases
   📂 Client Reports

Every site created from this template gets this structure automatically - saving time and ensuring consistency.

Viewing Your Templates

Go to Templates in the left sidebar. You'll see a grid of all templates your workspace has created, showing:

• Template name
• Description
• Libraries defined (the document libraries it creates)
• Linked policy (if a default policy is set)

Creating a Template

1. Click New Template
2. Fill in the Name and (optionally) a Description to explain what this template is for
3. Optionally, link a Security Policy — this policy will be applied automatically when the template is used
4. Configure the two tiers of structure:

Basic tab — folders created in the default Documents library, applied to every site regardless of whether Enhanced SharePoint Features are enabled:

• Type a folder name and press Enter (or click Add) to add it
• These folders appear in the site's default Documents library

Enhanced tab — named document libraries, applied only when Enhanced SharePoint Features are enabled:

• Click Add Library, enter the library name (e.g., "Project Files")
• Optionally add a description
• Add subfolders within the library
• Add more libraries by clicking Add Library again
• Advanced SP settings (access control, versioning, content types, views) are configured in the template editor after creation

5. Click Create Template

Editing a Template

1. Click on a template to open it
2. Click Edit
3. Make your changes (name, description, libraries, folders, policy)
4. Click Save

Note: Editing a template does not affect sites that were already created using it. Templates are applied only at the time of site creation.

Deleting a Template

1. Click on a template
2. Click Delete
3. Confirm the deletion

Deleting a template doesn't affect any sites that were already built from it.

Using Templates During Provisioning

Templates can be applied in two ways:

During Admin Direct Provisioning

When creating a site directly from the Sites page, you can select a template in the New Site dialog.

During Request Approval

When approving a site request, you can assign or change a template before clicking Approve. Even if the requester didn't select a template, you can apply one during approval.

During User Requests (Portal)

End users can optionally select a template when submitting a site request through the portal. They'll see a list of available templates with names and descriptions.

The Template Marketplace

Tenaxis includes a curated Template Marketplace with pre-built templates for common use cases. You can install any marketplace template into your workspace and use or customize it.

Browsing the Marketplace

1. Go to Templates
2. Click the Marketplace tab
3. Browse available templates by category

Each marketplace template shows:

• Name and Description
• Category (e.g., Project Management, HR, Finance, IT)
• Libraries included - what structure it creates

Installing a Marketplace Template

1. Find the template you want
2. Click on it to see the full details
3. Click Install
4. The template is copied into your workspace and appears in your Templates list

Once installed, you can:

• Use it as-is for site creation
• Edit it to match your organization's specific needs
• Link it to a custom security policy

Template Examples

Here are some common templates you might find in the marketplace or create yourself:

HR Department Site

📁 Policies & Procedures
   📂 Employee Handbook
   📂 Benefits
   📂 Onboarding
📁 Recruiting
   📂 Job Descriptions
   📂 Interview Guides
📁 Performance Management
   📂 Review Templates
   📂 Development Plans

Recommended policy: Internal Only

Client Project Site

📁 Discovery
   📂 Research
   📂 Briefs
📁 Design
   📂 Assets
   📂 Mockups
   📂 Approved Designs
📁 Delivery
   📂 Final Files
   📂 Invoices
   📂 Contracts

Recommended policy: Project Team (for external collaborators)

Finance Team Site

📁 Budgets
   📂 Annual Budgets
   📂 Forecasts
📁 Reports
   📂 Monthly Reports
   📂 Quarterly Reports
   📂 Year-End Reports
📁 Invoices
   📂 Incoming
   📂 Outgoing
   📂 Approved

Recommended policy: Strict - HR / Legal

Basic vs Enhanced templates

Every template holds two explicit configurations side-by-side:

This means you design both experiences up front. The Basic tab is the fallback for tenants that haven't enabled Enhanced Features yet — it keeps sites organised from day one without requiring extra permissions.

Upgrading a site from Basic to Enhanced

If your tenant enables Enhanced SharePoint Features after some sites were already provisioned, those sites show an amber "Upgrade to Enhanced Features" banner on their detail page. Clicking Re-apply with Enhanced Features re-runs the template against that site in enhanced mode:

• Named libraries and all SP configuration are applied on top of the existing structure
• The existing Documents folders are never touched or deleted — your users' files are safe
• Once complete, the banner disappears

Tip: If you have many sites to upgrade, use the Bulk → Apply Template action from the Sites list to queue upgrades for multiple sites at once.

SharePoint Configuration (requires Enhanced SharePoint Features)

When Enhanced SharePoint Features is enabled on your tenant (Settings → Enhanced SharePoint Features), templates can include additional configuration that is applied when the template is used on a site.

Navigation

Define which Quick Launch (left sidebar) items are visible to users. Only the items you list will be shown; all others are removed.

Example: setting Documenten as the only navigation item means users will see only the Documents library link in the SharePoint sidebar. Leave navigation empty to keep SharePoint's default sidebar intact.

Regional Settings

Set the locale and timezone for every site provisioned with this template, so dates and times display correctly for your users from day one.

Library Access Control (per library)

Control who can access each document library, independently of the site-level sharing settings.

When access is set to owners_only or visitorsAllowed is false, Tenaxis breaks permission inheritance on the library and applies the configured role assignments. If both fields are left at their defaults, the library inherits site-level permissions (no extra SharePoint calls).

Library Views (per library)

Set the default column layout and sort order that users see when they open the library in SharePoint.

If columns are provided, the default view is reset and rebuilt with exactly those columns. If sortBy is set, the view query is updated with an <OrderBy> element. Leave both empty to keep SharePoint's default view.

Versioning (per library)

Control document version history on each library.

Content Types (per library)

Define metadata schemas that users fill in when uploading a document. Each content type is created on the site and added to the library automatically.

Field types supported: Text, Note (multi-line), DateTime, Choice (dropdown), Number, Boolean, User (person picker).

Fields marked as required must be filled before a document can be saved to the library. You can also set a Default value on any field — SharePoint will pre-fill the field with this value so users don't have to type it manually for every document.

Example use case: A legal firm defines a "Legal Document" content type with required fields MatterNumber, ClientName, and ConfidentialityLevel. Every document uploaded to that library must include this metadata, making all documents searchable and filterable by matter.

Tips for Good Templates

• Name libraries clearly - People will use these names every day, so make them self-explanatory
• Don't over-engineer - Start simple. You can always add more structure later. Too many nested folders can confuse users
• Link a policy - Almost every template should have a default policy linked. This ensures newly created sites aren't left unprotected
• Use descriptions - Add a description to your template explaining who it's for and what kind of content belongs there. This helps requesters choose the right template