How to create and manage contract templates

Before you start

• You need an agent or agency admin account on Openn.
• Templates are PDF-based. Have your contract documents ready in PDF format before creating a template.
• Decide whether this template should be available to you only (agent template) or to your entire agency (agency template — agency admins only).

Understanding template permissions

Permissions depend on your role:

• Agents can create, edit, duplicate, and delete their own templates. They can also view and duplicate templates created by their agency or by Openn.
• Agency admins have the same abilities as agents, plus they can create and edit templates for the entire agency, ensuring brand consistency.

Accessing the Contracts page

The Contracts page is your central hub for managing all templates.

1. Click your profile menu in the top navigation.
2. Select Contracts.
3. Open the Templates tab to view all available templates.

From here you can search, filter, create, edit, and organise all your templates.

Creating a new template

1. From the Templates tab, click Create template.
2. Add documents:
   • In the left panel, upload new documents from your computer (drag and drop or click to browse), or select from existing templates under My Templates, Agency Templates, or Openn Templates.
3. Arrange and order:
   • As you select or upload files, they appear in the right panel. Drag and drop the documents into the order you need for the final merged file.
4. Click Next.
5. Name and tag your template:
   • Enter a name for your template.
   • Add tags for Location (e.g. WA, QLD, NSW), Sales Method (e.g. Private Treaty, Auction), and Contract Type (e.g. Final Contract, Qualification, Other).
   • Tags help the system suggest relevant templates when you prepare a contract for a property.
   • Agency admins: select the Owner (agent or agency) for the template.
6. Click Next.
7. Add and edit fields:
   • You are taken to the field editor where you can place text fields, signature boxes, and data fields onto your document.
   • Drag fields from the left panel onto the document canvas, or click a field to activate it and then click on the document to place it.
   • Use the Preview tab to see how fields will look when populated with data.
8. Click Complete to save your template.

Your template is now available when preparing contracts for any property.

Best practice: modular templates

To maximise flexibility, create individual templates for each component of your contract package rather than one large template. This "modular" approach lets you mix and match documents for any scenario.

For example, create:

• One template for your core contract document.
• A separate template for each annexure or addendum.
• Different versions for variations (e.g. a contract with a finance clause and another without).

When preparing a contract, simply select and combine the templates you need.

Editing a template

1. From the Templates tab, find the template you want to edit.
2. Click the ... menu on the template row and select Edit.
3. Update the template name, tags, or owner as needed, then click Next.
4. Make changes to fields in the editor.
5. Click Complete to save.

Note: You can only edit templates you own. To modify an Openn or agency template, duplicate it first.

Duplicating a template

1. Click the ... menu on any template and select Duplicate.
2. The template is copied to your account. You can then rename, re-tag, and edit it as needed.

This is useful when you want to create a variation of an existing template without starting from scratch.

Deleting a template

1. Click the ... menu on your template and select Delete.
2. Confirm deletion.

Deleting a template does not affect any contracts already sent using that template.

Saved fields

The Saved fields feature lets you apply a pre-configured set of fields from a template to any document.

This is useful when your contract layout is always the same but the raw PDF varies (e.g. a conveyancer pre-fills certain details). Upload the new document, apply your saved fields from the template, and the fields are placed in the correct positions automatically.

1. Open a document in the field editor.
2. Click Saved fields in the toolbar.
3. Select the template whose field layout you want to apply.
4. Choose the starting page if documents differ in length.
5. Click Apply.

[Screenshot: Saved fields modal showing template selection and page options]

Tips

• Tag your templates consistently — Tags for location, sales method, and contract type ensure the right templates appear first when preparing a contract.
• Use agency templates for standard documents — If your agency uses the same contract format, have your agency admin create it once as an agency template.
• Co-listing agents can access each other's templates — When preparing a contract, co-listing agents can see and use the primary agent's templates.

FAQ

Q: Can I reorder documents inside an existing template?

A: Not directly. To change document order, duplicate the template, re-create it with the new order, and delete the original.

Q: What file formats are supported?

A: Only PDF files can be used for templates and documents.

Q: Will my template fields work on rotated pages?

A: Yes. If a page in your PDF is rotated, Openn detects this and offers you the option to reset the orientation or keep the rotation. Fields and signatures will display correctly in both cases.

Q: Can I use the same template for different states?

A: Yes, but be aware that contract fields vary by state. Consider creating state-specific templates with the appropriate location tags for the best experience.