Overview

Templates are the foundation of Fileloom. They combine HTML structure, CSS styling, and Handlebars placeholders to create dynamic, reusable PDF documents.

What is a Template?

A template is a saved document design that you can use repeatedly with different data. Instead of sending raw HTML with every API request, you:

Create a template once in the dashboard
Reference it by ID in API requests
Pass only the dynamic data

{
  "templateId": "tpl_invoice_v2",
  "templateData": {
    "invoiceNumber": "INV-2024-001",
    "customerName": "Acme Corp",
    "total": 1250.00
  }
}

Template Components

Every template consists of:

Component	Description
HTML	Document structure with Handlebars placeholders
CSS	Styling (colors, fonts, layout)
Settings	Paper size, margins, orientation
Test Data	Sample JSON for previewing

Template vs Raw HTML

Approach	Best For
Templates	Repeated documents (invoices, reports), team collaboration, version control
Raw HTML	One-off documents, dynamic layouts, programmatic generation

Use templates for any document you’ll generate more than once. They’re faster (no HTML transfer), easier to maintain, and support versioning.

Creating Your First Template

Open Template Editor

Go to Templates → Create Template in the dashboard.

Write HTML

Create your document structure with Handlebars placeholders:

    <div class="invoice">
      <h1>Invoice #{{invoiceNumber}}</h1>
      <p>Customer: {{customer.name}}</p>
      <p>Total: {{currency total "USD"}}</p>
    </div>

Add CSS

Style your document in the CSS tab:

    .invoice {
      font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif;
      padding: 40px;
    }
    h1 { color: #333; }

Test with Data

Enter sample JSON in the Test Data tab:

    {
      "invoiceNumber": "INV-001",
      "customer": { "name": "Acme Corp" },
      "total": 1250.00
    }

Preview and Publish

Check the live preview, then click Publish to make it available via API.

Handlebars Basics

Fileloom uses Handlebars for dynamic content:

{{! Output a variable }}
{{variableName}}

{{! Access nested properties }}
{{customer.address.city}}

{{! Use helpers for formatting }}
{{currency amount "USD"}}
{{formatDate date "MMMM D, YYYY"}}

{{! Conditionals }}
{{#if isPaid}}Paid{{else}}Unpaid{{/if}}

{{! Loops }}
{{#each items}}
  <li>{{this.name}}: {{currency this.price "USD"}}</li>
{{/each}}

See Handlebars Basics for complete syntax guide.

Built-in Helpers

Fileloom includes 70+ helpers for common operations:

Text & String

uppercase, lowercase, truncate, replace

Numbers & Currency

currency, formatNumber, percentage

Dates & Time

formatDate, formatTime, addDays, now

Math & Logic

add, multiply, round, gt, lt, and, or

Using Templates via API

Reference your template by ID:

curl -X POST https://api.fileloom.io/v1/pdf/generate \
  -H "X-API-Key: fl_your_api_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "templateId": "tpl_abc123xyz",
    "templateData": {
      "invoiceNumber": "INV-2024-001",
      "items": [
        {"name": "Widget", "price": 29.99}
      ]
    }
  }'

Find template IDs in the dashboard templates list or template editor.

Next Steps

Handlebars Basics

Learn template syntax in depth

Starter Templates

Browse 50+ ready-to-use templates

Helpers Reference

Explore all 70+ built-in helpers

Best Practices

Tips for production templates

Getting Started

Dashboard

Template Editor

API Reference

Templates

Helpers

Integrations

Webhooks

Billing

Code Examples

Resources

What is a Template?

Template Components

Template vs Raw HTML

Creating Your First Template

Handlebars Basics

Built-in Helpers

Text & String

Numbers & Currency

Dates & Time

Math & Logic

Using Templates via API

Next Steps

Handlebars Basics

Starter Templates

Helpers Reference

Best Practices

​What is a Template?

​Template Components

​Template vs Raw HTML

​Creating Your First Template

​Handlebars Basics

​Built-in Helpers

Text & String

Numbers & Currency

Dates & Time

Math & Logic

​Using Templates via API

​Next Steps

Handlebars Basics

Starter Templates

Helpers Reference

Best Practices

What is a Template?

Template Components

Template vs Raw HTML

Creating Your First Template

Handlebars Basics

Built-in Helpers

Using Templates via API

Next Steps