Contract templates are reusable versions of the agreements you send clients. Draft once, reuse forever.
Start from a Cradled template
The fastest way to get going is to clone one of Cradled's starter templates — a Birth Doula Agreement and a Postpartum Doula Support Agreement. In Contracts → Templates, pick a Cradled starter template and clone it to make your own editable copy, then adjust the language to fit your practice.
Write your own
Go to Contracts → Templates → New template. The editor is a rich text area:
- Format with bold, italic, headings, and 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:
| Placeholder | What 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 sent |
Type them inline in your contract body, for example:
This agreement is between {{client_name}} and {{cp_name}}, sent on {{date}}.
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 for templates you're still writing.
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
Deleting a template doesn't affect contracts you've already sent; those keep their snapshotted copy. Deletion is immediate, so double-check before you remove one.