Skip to content

How Templates Work

This guide explains the core concepts behind TemplateTo and how the template rendering workflow operates.

What is a Template?

A template is a reusable document design that combines a fixed layout with dynamic data. When you render a template, TemplateTo replaces variables with your data to produce a personalized document.

Templates can output:

  • PDF documents - Invoices, contracts, reports, certificates
  • Images (PNG/JPEG) - Social media graphics, thumbnails, Open Graph images
  • Plain text (TXT) - Email content, data exports, simple text documents

The Rendering Workflow

flowchart LR
    A[**1. Design Template**<br/>Create layout with<br/>placeholders] --> B[**2. Send Data**<br/>Call API with<br/>JSON data]
    B --> C[**3. Receive Document**<br/>Get PDF or<br/>image back]

    style A fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#1976d2,stroke-width:2px
    style B fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#f57c00,stroke-width:2px
    style C fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#388e3c,stroke-width:2px
  1. Design your template in the visual editor with placeholders for dynamic content
  2. Call the API with your data (JSON format)
  3. Receive the generated document (PDF or image) in the response

Example

Template with variable: 

Hello {{customerName}}, your order total is {{total}}.

API request data: 

{
  "customerName": "Acme Corp",
  "total": "$150.00"
}

Generated output: 

Hello Acme Corp, your order total is $150.00.

Key Concepts

Elements

Elements are the building blocks of your template. TemplateTo provides:

  • Layout elements - Columns, containers for organizing content
  • Basic elements - Text, images, tables, headers, page breaks
  • Advanced elements - Custom HTML for complex layouts
  • Logic elements - Conditional content based on your data

Variables

Variables are placeholders that get replaced with real data at render time. Use double curly braces: {{variableName}}

Variables can be:

  • Simple values: {{customerName}}
  • Nested objects: {{customer.address.city}}
  • Array items in loops: {{item.description}}

Themes

Themes let you share CSS styling across multiple templates. Define colors, fonts, and spacing once, then apply to any template.

Liquid Templating

TemplateTo uses Liquid for advanced templating features:

  • Filters - Transform data: {{ price | format_number: "C" }}
  • Conditionals - Show/hide content: {% if showDiscount %}...{% endif %}
  • Loops - Repeat for arrays: {% for item in items %}...{% endfor %}

Output Formats

PDF Documents

Best for:

  • Printable documents (invoices, contracts)
  • Multi-page content
  • Documents requiring headers, footers, and page numbers
  • Password-protected files

Images (PNG/JPEG)

Best for:

  • Social media graphics
  • Email headers and thumbnails
  • Open Graph images for link previews
  • Anywhere you need web-displayable content

PNG supports transparency, JPEG offers smaller file sizes.

Plain Text (TXT)

Best for:

  • Email body content
  • Data exports and reports
  • SMS or notification content
  • Any scenario where you need text without formatting

Integration Options

REST API

For developers who want full control. Make HTTP requests to render documents programmatically.

curl -X POST "https://api.templateto.com/render/pdf/your-template-id" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: your-api-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"customerName": "Acme Corp"}'

No-Code Platforms

Connect TemplateTo with Zapier or N8N to automate document generation without writing code.

What's Next?