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Create templates

Stories are a versatile format that can be authored as stand-alone narratives or saved and used more than once in the form of a template. Maintaining the format and style of a story for repeated usage can be an efficient workflow. A business may use stories as weekly reports or documentation for clients. A nonprofit or academic organization may use the same story format for stylistically similar stories on different topics. A teacher may want students to create reports or evaluations using the same standard format for ease of grading or consistency in length. One story template can be used by a variety of authors in an organization.

Story templates contain all of the available content blocks and features of the story builder, with one additional basic content block called Instructions.

Create a blank template

Use the following steps to create a blank story template:

  1. Go to the ArcGIS StoryMaps content page.

  2. Click the Create button, and then click Template.

    The template builder launches showing a new, blank template.

  3. Add blocks, text, and media to your template to reflect the narrative you want to tell.

  4. Use Instructions blocks to provide information about the template or instructions that only apply to authors using the template.

    1. Click the Add content button and select Instructions.

    2. Type information or relevant narrative text that will help other authors follow your template correctly.

    3. Move instructions within the story with the Drag to reorder button. To delete instructions, hover over the Instructions block and click the Delete button.

  5. Click Preview in the builder header to open preview mode.

    Note:

    Instructions are visible when previewing a template.

  6. Return to the builder by clicking Close preview on the preview toolbar.

  7. Click Publish to begin the publishing process.

Your story template is now published and ready to be shared or used. For more information, see Use templates.

Create from an existing story

Another way to create a template is to use an existing story and turn it into a template for others to use. This is useful for projects that do not begin as repeatable workflows but need to become templates after publishing.

Use the following steps to create a template from an existing story:

  1. Open the story you want to turn into a template.

  2. In the story header, click the More actions button.

  3. Select Save as template.

    The story template builder launches, and the message at the top indicates that you are working on a template. A duplicate of the story is created and saved as a story template. The word (Copy) has been added to the story title to indicate this is the new story template version.

  4. Add instructions to help authors who use this template.

    Instructions blocks will not appear when previewing a story or in published versions of the story. Only narrative text can be added to Instructions blocks.

    Note:

    You can include technical or narrative information in your instructions. Instructions are more noticeable to potential authors and may be prioritized when following the template. There is no limit on the number of Instructions blocks that can be included in a template.

  5. Click Preview in the builder header to open preview mode.

    Note:

    Instructions are visible when previewing a template.

  6. Return to the builder by clicking Close preview on the preview toolbar.

  7. Click Publish to begin the publishing process.

Your template is now published and ready to be shared or used. For more information, see Use templates.

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