Template Basics

Summary

Standard AIA templates are the basis of your draft documents, and comprise the AIA text only. These are stored in the Template Library under the AIA Templates tab, where you can search and filter through the templates. There are a variety of tools you can use to find the right templates for your project. You can also create a custom template for your agreements. 

Selecting a template

In the Template Library tab, you can use the search bar to perform a keyword search through the templates and/or use the filters on the left sidebar to narrow down the list of templates to choose from. You can also use two “wizards” to assist you in selecting the right template:

• Help Me Select an AIA Template, which helps you select a template by answering a series of progressively more detailed questions that filter the available set of AIA templates.
• Side by Side Comparison, which lets you select up to three templates to compare.

Previewing a template

All standard AIA templates are accompanied by a Preview option. Clicking Preview displays the complete AIA template in PDF format, which can be useful when selecting the right AIA template for your specific needs.

Adding a template to your favorites

If you frequently use a particular template, you can add it to your Favorite Templates sub-tab for easy access. 

To add a template to your favorites:

1. In the Template Library tab, locate the desired template on either the AIA Templates or Custom Templates sub-tab.
2. Click the More Actions link and select Add to Favorites from the popup menu. 
3. Type a name for the template as you want it to appear in your favorites and click OK. 
4. The template will now be readily available on the Favorite Templates sub-tab.

To save time in future projects, you can create your own custom template using either the offline or online editor. The custom template feature is available for A, B, C, and E series documents.

Note: When you perform a variance check on a draft document generated from a custom template, the Variance Checker will compare your draft to the standard AIA text and identify all variances, whether you made the changes in the custom template or subsequently in your draft.

Creating a custom template for offline editing 

You can create your own custom template for offline editing by downloading a standard AIA template, making your standard edits in Microsoft Word, and importing your edited draft into your custom template library.

To import an offline custom template:

1. In the Template Library tab, go to the Custom Templates sub-tab and click the Import Template button.
2. On the Import Template popup, click Choose File.
3. Browse to your offline custom template or an existing working draft and click Open. 
4. Click OK on the Import Template popup. Your template is added to your custom template library. 

Custom templates created in Word will show in your custom template library with a Word icon. Drafts from these offline custom templates will be created automatically in Word format. We recommend working offline until you are ready to finalize the document.

Creating a custom template with the Online Editor

You can create your own custom template in the Online Editor by changing the text in an existing template or in a draft document and then saving your edited document for reuse in your projects.

Creating a custom template from a standard template:

1. In the Template Library, go to the AIA Templates sub-tab and locate the template you want to customize.
2. Right click the More Actions link and select Customize Template from the popup menu. The Customize as Template dialog is displayed.
3. Type a new name for the template or leave the default name unchanged and click OK.
4. When the confirmation message “Do you want to open the custom template in Online Editor?” is displayed, click OK.
5. The template is displayed in the Online Editor with all project data removed from the fillpoints. You can make any edits you require.
6. After you have completed your edits, select Save to save the template on the Custom Templates tab without changing its name or Save As to save it with a new name.

Creating a custom template from a draft:

1. On the Projects tab, select the project containing the document you want to use as a template.
2. Locate the desired draft document, point your cursor at the More Actions link from the popup menu, and select the Customize as Template option. The Customize as Template dialog is displayed.
3. Type a name for the new template or leave the default name unchanged. You can also enter a note in the Comments box, if desired.
4. Click OK. Your draft is saved as a template on the Custom Templates sub-tab in the Template Library. When you create a Custom Template from a draft, the software will remove project data from the fillpoints.
5. Go to the Custom Templates sub-tab in the Template Library to access your new custom template.