A template is the core delivery blueprint in Productized Services.
When a customer buys a linked WooCommerce product, the template drives project creation, onboarding behavior, task structure, assignment defaults, customer visibility, and timeline expectations.
This guide shows exactly how to build and launch a template using plugin features, without custom development.
What this article helps you achieve #
By the end, you will:
- Build one production-ready template from scratch
- Link it to the correct WooCommerce product
- Configure quantity behavior correctly for multi-quantity orders
- Set onboarding, tasks, and due dates with predictable outcomes
- Validate the full flow before going live
Before you start #
Prepare these first:
- One published WooCommerce service product
- One clear delivery outcome for that product
- The internal owner for this template
- A short welcome message you want clients to receive
Practical rule:
- Start with one template mapped to one service product and validate it end to end.
Where to build templates #
In wp-admin, open Productized Services template management and create a new template.
Core sections you will use:
- Template Title
- Linked Product
- Onboarding Form
- Template Tasks
- Project Due Date
- Messaging Settings
- Sidebar Settings (Status + Assignee)
Step 1: Create the template shell #
Set these first:
- Template Title: name it by service outcome, not internal nickname
- Status: keep as Draft while building
- Assignee: choose the owner responsible for moving projects forward
Why this matters:
- Status controls whether it should be treated as active production configuration.
- Assignee defines operational accountability from day one.
Step 2: Link the correct WooCommerce product #
In Linked Product, choose the exact product that should trigger this template.
Important behavior:
- A product cannot be linked to more than one active template at the same time.
- If conflict appears, set the other template to Draft or remove the product from that template.
This prevents ambiguous project-creation behavior.
Step 3: Choose multi-quantity order logic correctly #
In Multiple quantity order logic, pick one of these options:
- Create multiple projects
- If customer buys quantity 3, the system creates 3 separate projects.
- One project with repeated onboarding forms
- If customer buys quantity 3, the system creates 1 project with 3 onboarding iterations.
How to choose:
- Use multiple projects when each unit should be tracked independently.
- Use one project with repeated onboarding when delivery is managed as one container but needs repeated intake per unit.
Step 4: Configure onboarding behavior #
In Onboarding Form, decide whether onboarding is required and define what information is collected.
Best practice:
- Keep onboarding enabled for services that require client inputs before execution.
- Keep fields focused on launch-critical information only.
Technical usage note (no code needed):
- Onboarding settings in the template determine whether created projects require onboarding and which form is used.
Step 5: Set onboarding task timing (if onboarding is enabled) #
Configure onboarding task due timing in the onboarding area.
How timing works:
- Offsets are relative to onboarding completion.
- If onboarding is disabled, onboarding task timing is not used.
Keep this short and realistic to avoid stalled starts.
Step 6: Build template tasks in execution order #
Use Template Tasks to define the delivery workflow.
For each task, configure:
- Title
- Assignee (or Template default)
- Due date offset
- Visible to Customer (Yes/No)
- Sort order (using move up/down)
Important behavior:
- Tasks listed here are copied into projects created from this template.
- If no tasks exist yet, save the template first and then add tasks.
Step 7: Use visibility intentionally #
For each task, set Visible to Customer deliberately.
Recommended pattern:
- Customer-visible: milestone and progress checkpoints
- Internal-only: QA, coordination, implementation details
This keeps clients informed without exposing internal execution noise.
Step 8: Configure project-level due date #
In Project Due Date, set total project due timing (days/hours).
How it works:
- Project due date is calculated relative to onboarding completion.
- The template screen warns if a task due date exceeds the project due date.
Operational tip:
- Keep task due offsets within the project due boundary unless you intentionally plan exceptions.
Step 9: Add automated welcome message #
In Messaging Settings, enter the automated customer welcome message.
Use this message to confirm:
- Project is active
- What happens now
- What the client should do next
- Expected next update timing
Keep it short, specific, and professional.
Step 10: Save and verify post-save behavior #
After clicking Save changes, verify all of the following:
- Template details persist (title, status, assignee, linked product)
- Task list reflects your intended order and settings
- Onboarding settings persist correctly
- Quantity logic remains what you selected
Important behavior on updates:
- Saving a template updates the template configuration and synchronizes related project assignment/task structure behavior for that template.
For live templates, make controlled edits and retest immediately.
Step 11: Run a controlled test order #
Before making the template Active for production, place a test order for the linked product.
Validate this exact flow:
- Order creates project according to current trigger rules
- Correct template is applied
- Onboarding requirement appears when expected
- Task list appears in correct order
- Customer-visible tasks are correctly scoped
- Welcome message behavior is correct
- Project/timeline due dates look right
If any step fails, fix template configuration before scaling traffic.
Common mistakes and fixes #
Mistake: Linking a product already used by another active template #
Impact:
- Ambiguous or blocked setup
Fix:
- Keep one active template per product mapping
Mistake: Choosing the wrong quantity logic #
Impact:
- Unexpected number of projects or onboarding loops
Fix:
- Match logic to your service delivery model before go-live
Mistake: Overloading customer-visible tasks #
Impact:
- Client confusion and extra support messages
Fix:
- Keep customer-visible tasks milestone-focused
Mistake: Due dates conflict with each other #
Impact:
- Constant overdue noise and weak timeline trust
Fix:
- Align task offsets with project due date before launch
Mistake: Editing active templates without validation #
Impact:
- Live delivery inconsistency across projects
Fix:
- Use small controlled changes and always run a test order after edits
Launch checklist for one template #
- [ ] Template is complete and still in Draft during testing
- [ ] Linked product is correct and conflict-free
- [ ] Quantity logic matches business intent
- [ ] Onboarding fields are lean and actionable
- [ ] Task order, assignees, and visibility are correct
- [ ] Project due date and task due dates are coherent
- [ ] Welcome message is final and client-safe
- [ ] Full test order passes end to end
- [ ] Template is set Active only after validation
If all nine pass, your template is production-ready.
