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Build documents with Document Builder Templates

Use Document Builder Templates to assemble documents from reusable sections and text options. You can add employee data, choose content for each section, and apply a Document Template for branding and layout.

Who can use this?

HR Admins who create and generate documents in Salesforce.

Create a Document Builder Template​

  1. In HR Admin, find Document Builder Templates under Other.

    Document Builder Templates under Other in HR Admin

  2. Click New.

    New action for a Document Builder Template

  3. Enter a name, such as Reference Letter DE or Performance Review Template.

    Name field for a Document Builder Template

  4. Click New to create a section.

  5. Give each section a numerical position, such as 1 for an introduction, 2 for the main content, and 3 for the closing.

    Sections and their numerical positions

  6. Select a section.

    Selected section in a Document Builder Template

  7. Click New to add a text template.

  8. Enter an option name, such as Appraisal.

    New text template for a section

  9. Add plain text, rich text, or supported employee merge fields.

  10. Save the text template. Add more options when a section needs selectable variants, such as Outstanding, Good, or Satisfactory review text.

Content editor for a text template

Add merge fields​

Use these employee values in template content:

Merge fieldValue
{employee_name}Full name.
{first_name}First name.
{last_name}Last name.
{start_date}Employment start date.
{end_date}Employment end date, when present.
{employee_number}Employee ID.
{department}Department name.
{job_title}Current position.
{manager_name}Direct manager.
{salary}Salary information when permissions allow access.
{workload}Work schedule details.
{$Label.flair__Afternoon}A custom label for multilingual content.

Use curly braces for plain-text fields. Rich-text fields may use different syntax.

Generate a document​

Choose a template and employee​

  1. In the App Launcher (⋮⋮ grid icon), search for Document Builder Documents.

  2. Open Document Builder Documents.

  3. Click New.

    Document Builder Documents in the App Launcher

  4. Under Select an Option, search for and select a Document Builder Template.

  5. Select the employee or employees who will receive the document.

  6. Save the record. The template sections appear in Document Builder.

Template and employee selected for a Document Builder Document

Assemble and export the document​

  1. For a section, click the information icon to review its HelpText or content instructions.

  2. In the left sidebar, select a text option for each section. The selected content appears in the preview on the right.

  3. Optional: Edit the selected content. Switching to another option discards these manual edits.

    Selected text options in a Document Builder Document

  4. Click Export and Save Document. The file is saved under Documents for the employee in the Employee Hub.

  5. Optional: Download a PDF for printing.

Export and Save Document action

Apply a Document Template layout​

Use a Document Template when the generated content needs a branded layout.

  1. Go to Staff and Docs → Document Templates.

  2. Click Create Document Templates.

    Create Document Templates action

  3. For the template object, select Document Builder.

    Document Builder selected as the template object

  4. In the source file, add [result] for plain text or [~~result] to preserve formatting.

    Result placeholder in a source document

  5. Upload the source file with its branding and layout.

    Branded source file uploaded to a Document Template

  6. Map the placeholder to Result.

    Result placeholder mapped to the Result field

  7. Click Preview.

    Preview action on a Document Template

  8. Select the Document Builder Document to use.

    Document Builder Document selected for preview

  9. Generate the document. The result uses the uploaded branding and the selected modular content.

Generated document with its branded layout

Connect Document Builder to other processes​

  • Use a workflow to trigger document generation.
  • Combine the generated document with an e-signature process.
  • Use an approval flow to review the document.

Troubleshooting​

A template does not appear in Document Builder​

  • Confirm that the template is saved.
  • Confirm that each section has at least one text option.
  • Remove special characters from the template name.

Merge fields do not populate​

  • Match the field name exactly, including capitalization.
  • Confirm that the employee record contains the value.
  • Confirm that you have permission to view the field.

Formatting changes in the result​

  • Use rich-text fields for complex formatting.
  • Test the output in another browser.
  • Apply a Document Template when the document needs a consistent layout.