> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://guides.mangoapps.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://guides.mangoapps.com/user-guide/departments/department-templates.md).

# Department Templates

### Overview

Templates allow for **consistent and efficient creation** of projects, groups, and departments across the network. **Department Templates** can be created by intranet/network admins or users with permission to create departments.

Templates let creators **predefine tags, categories, permissions, admins, and modules**, ensuring standardization. Users can further modify these details when creating new items.

***

#### Access the Template Creation Page

From the **Departments module** (User portal), select **Department Tools > Create Template**.

<figure><img src="https://1570117564-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LjKTG8tJVFEuapHmLNC%2Fuploads%2FurrQzR3QIBExx68iwWM7%2F03-09-2025-10-29-59.png?alt=media&amp;token=446bc2c7-7cb5-4ac1-9ce0-6f1746c8424a" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="warning" %}
Only network/intranet admins or users with department creation rights can create templates.
{% endhint %}

***

#### Enter Department Details

As with creating a Department normally, fill in the important Department details:

* **Name** (mandatory, 100 characters max).
* **Short Description** (optional, 2000 characters max).
* **Photo** (optional, recommended 250x250px).
* **Categories** (optional, category selection only).
* **Permissions**: Public or Private (with optional setting to allow non-members to post).
* **Admins**: Template creator is added by default, and additional admins can be specified.
* **Hashtags**: Optional.

Click **Save & Continue** to configure modules.

***

#### Configure Modules

Enable or disable modules such as **Learn, News Feed, Members, Files, Posts, Trackers, Calendar, Wikis, Chats, Pages, Media Center, Ideas, Ballots**.&#x20;

By default, the enabled modules are: News Feed, Members, Files, Posts, Trackers, Calendar, Wikis, Chats, Pages).

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Tasks are not available** in department templates.
{% endhint %}

***

#### Finalize and Save

Click **Save & Exit** to create the department template.

Templates will now appear in the **All Department Templates** filter within the Departments module.

***

### Ownership Rules for Templates

When creating a department from a template, the creator can decide whether the new space is owned by:

* **The template creator** (default): Template creator becomes admin, current creator is not added.
* **Themselves (the creator)**: Current creator becomes admin, template owner is not added.

Any additional admins specified in the template are automatically added.

***

### Editing a Department Template

To edit a group template after it has been created, authorized users must first navigate to the **Departments module** in the **User Portal** and locate the template. Once found, the user needs to click the **“Join”** button, which allows them to access the template as if it were a standard group workspace.

<figure><img src="https://1570117564-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LjKTG8tJVFEuapHmLNC%2Fuploads%2FjdmVTVJES8OdvyXy2p9T%2F03-09-2025-10-53-34.png?alt=media&amp;token=9d5dace9-c61f-42b6-b26c-1cd2b912de08" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

After joining, users can open the **Admin Tools dropdown menu** and make edits to details such as the name, description, permissions, categories, hashtags, or modules. All changes are saved directly to the template and will apply only to **new departments** created from it, leaving any existing departments unaffected.