Create a contract template

Reusable contract with placeholders for client name, fees, dates. Draft once, send many times.

Contract templates are reusable versions of the agreements you send clients. Draft once, reuse forever.

Where to create one

Contracts → Templates → New template.

Building a template

The editor is a rich text area where you write your contract. You can:

  • Format with bold, italic, headings, lists.
  • Insert placeholders that auto-fill when the contract is sent.
  • Link to external policies (cancellation, privacy, etc.).

Placeholders

Placeholders let a single template work for every client. Available placeholders:

PlaceholderWhat it becomes
{{client_name}}The client's full name
{{cp_name}}Your display name
{{cp_title}}Your professional title
{{total_fee}}The total fee you set when sending
{{date}}The date the contract is signed

Type them inline in your contract body — e.g., "This agreement is between and , signed on ."

When you send the contract, Cradled replaces every {{placeholder}} with the real value before the client sees it.

Active vs. draft status

Templates can be Draft (hidden from the send-contract flow) or Active (available when sending). Toggle status from the template list.

Use draft status for templates you're still writing or seasonal versions you're not currently using.

Duplicating a template

Click Duplicate on any template to make a copy. Useful when you want to create a variant — e.g., a shorter version for add-on services that reuses most of your main contract's language.

Editing a template

Edits don't affect contracts you've already sent. Each sent contract snapshots the template at the time of sending.

Deleting a template

You can delete a template without affecting contracts you've already sent — those keep their snapshotted copy. You cannot delete a template that's actively in a draft contract though; first send or cancel the draft.

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