Create and Distribute Workbook Templates

For group distribution, the administrator must enable the security group for sharing in Drive.

Any Worksheets user can create and distribute templates.

Convert the workbook to a template:

In the workbook, select

File

Convert to Template

Select the

Got it!

check box, then click

Convert

(Optional) Distribute the template:

To individuals	Type user names in the Distribute to Individuals area of the Distribute dialog.
To groups	Type security group names in the Distribute to Groups area of the Distribute dialog. Worksheets supports template distribution only for unconstrained security groups.
To unspecified people with a link	Click the Link Distribution Off toggle to turn link-based distribution on. Copy the link and share it with your recipients.

Distribution is similar to sharing, except that recipients run the template to create their own workbook, and the permission levels edit, comment, and view aren't applicable.

(Optional) Add a description for the template by clicking Template Settings at the top right of the template.

You can distribute a template immediately after converting it as described above, or:

From Drive by selecting the template and then clicking

Distribute Template

From the template by navigating to

File

Manage Distribution

or by clicking

Manage Distribution

to the right of the Available to Run toggle.

After you distribute a template, the recipient runs the template to create a workbook. From Drive, the recipient selects to open the template, and a dialog guides them to click

Run Template

to create a workbook. If the template uses live data, the associated Workday report runs, formulas calculate, and the workbook is created based on the recipient's level of access to Workday data. If the recipient has limited or no access to the report, an error occurs for those reports areas and subsequent formulas.

You can edit a template just as you would a workbook, but you need to prevent users from running the template while you're editing. To do this, click the toggle at the top of the template so it displays

Not Available to Run

. In this state, you can edit the template, and users that you distributed the template to can't run it. Any changes that you make to the template don't automatically propagate to any shared templates. When you're done editing, click the toggle to display

Available to Run

. Users that you previously distributed the template to must run the template again to see your updates.

Just as you can share workbooks, you can share templates, giving edit, comment, or view permission. But only the author of the template can control the

Available to Run

setting that allows editing to occur; editors rely on the author to make it unavailable to run, so that they can edit it.