> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.thread.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Creating Templates
> Learn how to build effective onboarding templates that scale your customer success operations
## What Are Templates?
Templates are reusable onboarding blueprints that define your customer journey from kickoff to go-live. They capture your proven processes and ensure every customer gets a consistent, high-quality experience.
## Why Templates Matter
Without templates, every CSM invents their own process. With templates:
* ✅ **Consistency** - Every customer follows proven best practices
* ✅ **Scalability** - Onboard 10x customers without 10x headcount
* ✅ **Knowledge capture** - Institutional knowledge lives in templates, not CSM heads
* ✅ **Continuous improvement** - Update templates based on learnings, improve all future customers
* ✅ **Predictability** - Set realistic expectations with data-backed timelines
Think of templates as your "onboarding playbook" - they codify what works and eliminate what doesn't.
***
## Creating Your First Template
### Step 1: Access Template Editor
1. Navigate to **Templates** in the main menu
2. Click **"Create New Template"**
3. You'll see the template configuration screen
### Step 2: Configure Template Metadata
Fill in the template basics:
| Field | Purpose | Example |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name** | Internal template identifier | "Standard SaaS Onboarding" |
| **Description** | What this template is for | "For mid-market SaaS customers with typical setup needs" |
| **Est. Duration** | Total weeks | 8 weeks |
| **Target Segment** | Who this template suits | "SMB, Mid-Market" |
Choose descriptive names that help CSMs quickly identify the right template for each customer type.
### Step 3: Add Milestones
Milestones are the phases of your onboarding journey. Common structures:
**Best for:** Self-serve products, simple setups
1. **Kickoff** (Week 1)
* Welcome email
* Get credentials
* Initial setup
2. **Configuration** (Week 2)
* Configure settings
* Import data
* Test functionality
3. **Launch** (Week 3)
* User training
* Go-live
* Post-launch check-in
**Best for:** Mid-market B2B SaaS
1. **Kickoff** (Week 1)
2. **Technical Setup** (Weeks 2-3)
3. **Integration & Testing** (Weeks 4-5)
4. **Training & Enablement** (Week 6)
5. **Pilot Launch** (Week 7)
6. **Full Rollout** (Week 8)
**Best for:** Complex enterprise implementations
1. **Project Kickoff** (Weeks 1-2)
2. **Discovery & Requirements** (Weeks 3-4)
3. **Architecture & Design** (Weeks 5-6)
4. **Development & Integration** (Weeks 7-9)
5. **UAT & Testing** (Weeks 10-11)
6. **Training** (Week 12)
7. **Staged Rollout** (Weeks 13-15)
8. **Post-Launch Support** (Week 16)
**To add a milestone:**
1. Click **"Add Milestone"** in the template editor
2. Enter milestone name (e.g., "Kickoff")
3. Set sequence number (1, 2, 3...)
4. Set estimated duration in days
5. Add dual descriptions:
* **"What we're doing"** - Internal team tasks
* **"What you're doing"** - Customer responsibilities
### Step 4: Add Actions to Milestones
Actions are the specific tasks within each milestone. For each action:
1. Click **"Add Action"** within a milestone
2. Select action type (Send Email, Request Docs, Collect Info, etc.)
3. Configure trigger rules (when does it execute?)
4. Set action content (email body, form fields, etc.)
5. Configure portal visibility (what customers see)
#### Action Configuration Fields
* **Label**: Short name (e.g., "Welcome Email")
* **Description**: Internal notes about purpose
* **Type**: Send Email, Request Docs, Collect Info, Schedule Meeting, Slack Message
**When should this action execute?**
* **Milestone Start (Immediate)**: As soon as milestone begins
* **Milestone Start (Delayed)**: X hours after milestone starts
* **Manual**: CSM must manually trigger
Example: Send welcome email immediately, follow-up 48 hours later
**Action type-specific content:**
**Send Email:**
* Subject line template
* Email body template
* Recipient configuration (to/cc/bcc)
* Variable placeholders ({{company_name}}, etc.)
**Request Docs:**
* Document types needed
* Optional vs required
* Instructions for customer
**Collect Info:**
* Form field definitions
* Field types and validation
* Intro text and instructions
**Schedule Meeting:**
* Meeting type
* Suggested duration
* Attendees list
**Slack Message:**
* Channel configuration
* Message template
* Formatting options
**Customer portal visibility:**
* **Hidden**: Only CSMs see this action
* **Visible**: Customers see it in their timeline
* **Interactive**: Customers can complete it (forms, docs)
**Portal settings:**
* Display label (what customers see)
* Status visibility (completed, pending, etc.)
* Section grouping (organize related actions)
### Step 5: Use Variables for Personalization
Thread supports dynamic variables that populate at execution time:
```markdown theme={null}
Subject: Welcome to {{company_name}}, {{primary_contact_name}}!
Hi {{primary_contact_name}},
I'm {{csm_name}}, your Customer Success Manager at our company.
I'm excited to partner with {{company_name}} on your {{arr}} implementation.
We closed your deal on {{close_date}}, so let's get started!
Looking forward to working together,
{{csm_name}}
{{csm_email}}
```
**Available variables:**
* `{{company_name}}` - Customer company
* `{{account_name}}` - Account display name
* `{{primary_contact_name}}` - Main point of contact
* `{{primary_contact_email}}` - Contact email
* `{{csm_name}}` - Assigned CSM full name
* `{{csm_email}}` - CSM email
* `{{arr}}` - Annual recurring revenue
* `{{close_date}}` - Deal close date
* `{{organization_name}}` - Your company name
Use variables liberally! They make templates reusable while keeping communications personal.
### Step 6: Save & Test Template
Before applying to real customers:
1. Click **"Save Template"**
2. Create a test account
3. Apply this template
4. Walk through the entire flow
5. Review AI-generated drafts
6. Check customer portal view
7. Iterate based on findings
Always test templates with a dummy account before rolling out to real customers!
***
## Template Design Principles
### 1. Start Simple, Add Complexity
Don't try to capture every edge case in v1.
**Good first template:**
* 3-5 milestones
* 2-4 actions per milestone
* Mix of emails, forms, and documents
* Standard timing (no complex delays)
**Avoid in v1:**
* 10+ milestones (too granular)
* Complex conditional logic
* Custom actions for rare scenarios
* Overly detailed instructions
You can always create specialized templates later!
### 2. Think Dual Perspective
Every milestone should clearly articulate:
**CSM side ("What we're doing"):**
* Technical setup steps
* Internal preparation tasks
* Behind-the-scenes work
* Quality checks
**Customer side ("What you're doing"):**
* Information they need to provide
* Decisions they need to make
* Actions they take in portal
* Expected time commitment
### 3. Use Delays Strategically
Don't bombard customers with actions all at once.
**Good delay strategy:**
```
Day 0: Welcome email (immediate)
Day 2: Technical requirements form (48hr delay)
Day 4: Follow-up call scheduling (96hr delay)
Day 7: Training resources (1 week delay)
```
**Bad delay strategy:**
```
Day 0: Welcome email + requirements form + meeting invite + document requests
(Too much at once - customers feel overwhelmed)
```
Space actions 24-72 hours apart to give customers time to respond between requests.
### 4. Make Actions Completable
Every action should have a clear completion criterion:
* ✅ **Email sent** - Marked complete manually by CSM
* ✅ **Form submitted** - Auto-complete when customer submits
* ✅ **Document uploaded** - Auto-complete when files received
* ✅ **Meeting held** - Marked complete by CSM after call
Avoid open-ended actions like "Customer success" or "General follow-up"
### 5. Balance Automation and Human Touch
Use AI for efficiency, but keep human connection:
**Automate:**
* Welcome emails
* Status updates
* Reminder emails
* Progress notifications
* Standard form requests
**Keep manual:**
* Kickoff calls
* Problem-solving discussions
* Executive business reviews
* Escalation handling
* Relationship building
***
## Common Template Patterns
### Welcome Sequence
**When:** Milestone 1 (Kickoff)
```
Action 1: Welcome Email (immediate)
Action 2: Getting Started Guide (link to portal)
Action 3: Schedule Kickoff Call (24hr delay)
Action 4: Pre-Kickoff Questionnaire (before call)
Action 5: Kickoff Meeting (manual)
Action 6: Post-Kickoff Summary (after call)
```
### Technical Setup Phase
**When:** Milestone 2-3
```
Action 1: Technical Requirements Form (immediate)
Action 2: Integration Credentials Request (after form submitted)
Action 3: Setup Instructions Email (48hr delay)
Action 4: Integration Testing Document (after setup complete)
Action 5: Setup Validation Meeting (manual)
```
### Training & Enablement
**When:** Milestone 4-5
```
Action 1: Training Schedule Email (immediate)
Action 2: Pre-Training Materials (48hr delay)
Action 3: Training Session 1 (manual)
Action 4: Training Homework (after session 1)
Action 5: Training Session 2 (manual)
Action 6: Certification Assessment (after session 2)
```
### Launch Checklist
**When:** Final milestone
```
Action 1: Pre-Launch Checklist (immediate)
Action 2: Launch Readiness Review (manual)
Action 3: Go-Live Communication (before launch)
Action 4: Launch Day (manual)
Action 5: Post-Launch Check-in (24hr delay)
Action 6: 30-Day Success Review (30 days delay)
```
***
## Template Versioning
Thread uses **immutable snapshots** for templates:
* When you apply a template to an account, the entire configuration is copied
* Changes to the template don't affect existing accounts
* Each account keeps its original template version
**Why this matters:**
**You improve your template:**
* Add a new action in Milestone 2
* Change email copy
* Adjust timing delays
**What happens:**
* ✅ New accounts get updated template
* ✅ Existing accounts keep original template
* ✅ No mid-flight disruption
* ✅ Consistency maintained
**You discover an issue:**
* Broken link in email
* Wrong form field type
* Missing crucial step
**What happens:**
* ✅ Fix the template
* ✅ New accounts get fixed version
* ❌ Existing accounts still have bug
* 🔧 Manually fix critical accounts
If you need to update live accounts, you'll need to manually edit actions in the Implementation Tab for each account.
***
## Next Steps
Deep dive into structuring milestones effectively
Complete guide to all five action types
Learn from proven templates that drive results
How to apply templates to customer accounts