> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.realmacsoftware.com/elements-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.realmacsoftware.com/elements-docs/elements-language/template/what-are-templates.md). # What are Templates? Ship ready-made page sections users can insert from the Templates browser {% hint style="info" %} **Templates** here means ready-made page sections users insert from the Templates browser — for a component's `templates/` directory see [Component Templates](/elements-docs/elements-language/component/templates.md). {% endhint %} Templates are pre-built page sections — a hero, a feature grid, a menu bar — assembled from components with all their property values already dialled in. An Element Pack can ship them alongside its components, and users insert them from the Templates browser to get a finished, styled section in one drop instead of assembling it component by component. Unlike components, templates are not hand-coded. You build the section on the canvas in Elements, then save it into your pack — Elements serialises the whole arrangement for you. That's why the [Element Pack overview](/elements-docs/elements-language/element-pack/what-is-an-element-pack.md) recommends creating templates (like resources and themes) inside the Elements app rather than in an editor. ## Where Templates Live in a Pack A pack that ships templates carries two things at its root: a `templates/` directory of template folders, and a `templates.json` manifest describing how they appear in the browser. This is the real layout of the open-source Core Pack: ``` Core.elementsdevpack/ ├── info.json ├── templates.json # Manifest: the tree shown in the Templates browser └── templates/ ├── 10DFAB6B-4F4F-408B-8EB4-4D8DA58E7988/ # One folder per template, named by its identifier │ └── template.json # Serialised snapshot of the section └── 0577D11D-F3CA-43BD-84A5-923A35F7782B/ ├── template.json └── 04D32224-016A-4D8F-A063-E09D37DFC9E9.svg # A resource bundled with this template ``` ## The templates.json Manifest `templates.json` defines the folder tree users see in the Templates browser. It is a nested structure of nodes, where every node has a `title`, a unique `identifier`, a `kind` of either `{"folder": {}}` or `{"item": {}}`, a `children` array, and an `expanded` flag. Folder nodes have `"item": null`; item nodes carry an `item` object whose `itemIdentifier` names the matching folder inside `templates/`. Here is one branch of the Core Pack's manifest, trimmed to a single child: ```json { "title": "Hero Sections", "identifier": "5A0D029E-9272-4DF7-8AEA-5E9AFC70D0C6", "kind": { "folder": {} }, "item": null, "expanded": false, "children": [ { "title": "Simple", "identifier": "849B4497-7FE4-4D68-8D23-791DC41EE5B5", "kind": { "item": {} }, "expanded": false, "item": { "kind": "prefab", "itemIdentifier": "10DFAB6B-4F4F-408B-8EB4-4D8DA58E7988", "id": "EE9577BE-239F-4B8D-AC95-BB961283C1E6" }, "children": [] } ] } ``` Follow that `itemIdentifier` and you land on `templates/10DFAB6B-4F4F-408B-8EB4-4D8DA58E7988/template.json` — the "Simple" hero itself. ## Inside template.json Each `template.json` is a machine-generated snapshot of the section as it stood when it was saved: its `title` and `identifier`, a `_rootNode`, and an `_allNodes` map holding every component instance in the section — each node records which component it is (its `elementId`, such as `com.realmacsoftware.flex`), its parent, and the full set of property values the designer chose. Alongside those sit `_globals`, `_customComponents`, and a `_resources` array. These files are written by Elements when you save a template; treat them as generated output, not something to author or edit by hand. ## Generate LLM Descriptions for AI Template names and categories do not always give an AI enough information to choose between similar variants. An LLM description adds context about a template's purpose, layout, notable features, and responsive behaviour so the Elements AI Assistant and connected MCP clients can select a more appropriate template. Elements can generate or refresh these descriptions across an entire Template DevPack: 1. Add an API key in **Settings > AI > API Keys**. 2. Open the **Templates** tab. 3. Find the heading for your Template DevPack. 4. Right-click the heading and choose **Update Template LLM Descriptions**.
The Templates browser context menu with Update Template LLM Descriptions selected

Right-click the Template DevPack heading and choose Update Template LLM Descriptions.

5. Leave Elements running while the AI reviews the templates and updates their descriptions. The command processes every template in the DevPack one at a time. This can take quite a while for a large library, so leave Elements open until the progress window completes.
Elements showing progress while it generates LLM descriptions for templates

Elements shows which template it is processing and the overall progress. Large Template DevPacks may take quite a while to finish.

Review the resulting DevPack changes before shipping an update. This lets you keep concise names in the Templates browser while giving AI clients richer information for finding and applying the right template. Elements manages the generated metadata, so you do not need to hand-author private description fields inside `templates.json` or each `template.json`. {% hint style="info" %} If **Update Template LLM Descriptions** is not in the context menu, the installed Elements build does not yet include this feature. Update to a newer build when one is available. {% endhint %} ## Templates and Resources Templates are self-contained. If a section uses an image or an SVG, the file is bundled inside the template's own folder — named by its resource identifier — and catalogued in the `_resources` array of `template.json`, which records metadata such as the resource's `identifier`, `name`, and type. The Core Pack's "List Item" template, for example, ships a `check.svg` right beside its `template.json`, so the section renders complete wherever it is inserted. ## Templates-Only Packs A pack doesn't need components at all. The "Core Templates v2" pack ships nothing but a `templates/` directory, its `templates.json`, and a `resources.json` — its `info.json` simply declares `"categories": ["templates"]`. If your product is a library of ready-made sections, this is all the structure you need. ## Related Documentation * [What is an Element Pack?](/elements-docs/elements-language/element-pack/what-is-an-element-pack.md) * [What are Resources?](/elements-docs/elements-language/resource/what-are-resources.md) * [What is a Component?](/elements-docs/elements-language/component/components.md) * [Component Templates](/elements-docs/elements-language/component/templates.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://docs.realmacsoftware.com/elements-docs/elements-language/template/what-are-templates.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.