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Smart document

How-to8 minPractitioner

Before you start

A Smart document step fills a template with data and saves the result as a file on a record. Use it to produce a contract PDF, a purchase order or an invoice at the moment a workflow reaches it.

When should I use Smart document?

Section titled “When should I use Smart document?”

Use it when the file must exist before the next step. You make the template first, under Document templates. A Send email step can then attach the file if you also put it in a file field.

Add a Smart document step

Section titled “Add a Smart document step”
  1. Click + and choose Smart document. It sits in the Communicate group.
  2. Under Template, choose the template.
  3. Under Fill the placeholders, give each placeholder a value. Use Insert data for fields.
  4. Under Save the file, type the Name. Beezr adds the file extension.
  5. Optional: turn on Also put it in a file field and choose Which field.
A Smart document step selected, showing the chosen template, its placeholders with values and the Save the file section.
    Template shows the type and the number of placeholders.
    Fill the placeholders takes one value for each ${name} in the template.
    Save the file names it and chooses where it goes.

What do the settings do?

Section titled “What do the settings do?”
SettingWhat it does
TemplateA document template. Shows Page template · makes a PDF, Word template or Excel template
Fill the placeholdersA value for each placeholder. A table placeholder takes a list
NameThe file’s name. The extension is added for you
Also put it in a file fieldWrites the file into a file field of the record, so later steps can use it
Attach it to a different recordUnder Advanced. Choose a module and a record key
Add a signatureUnder Advanced. Bookmark name in your Word file and Signature field

If the template gains a placeholder after you chose it, the step offers Add it. Remove placeholders you deleted from the template.

Worked example: a contract PDF

Section titled “Worked example: a contract PDF”

Layla chooses the Contract template. She fills ${contractNumber} and ${vendorName} with inserted fields, and the lines table with her contractLines list. Name is Contract. She switches on Also put it in a file field and picks the contract’s file field. A Send email step later attaches that field.

What should I watch for?

Section titled “What should I watch for?”
  • The file is always attached to a record, by default the one that started the workflow.
  • Add a signature in Word templates.
  • If you delete a template, choose another one in the step.

Check yourself

A Smart document step uses an HTML template. What file does it produce?
Show the answer

A PDF. HTML templates produce a PDF. Word and Excel templates keep their own format.

Youssef does not switch on "Also put it in a file field". Is the generated file attached to a record?
Show the answer

Yes, it is always attached to a record. The file is always attached to a record. The switch also writes it into a file field, so later steps such as Send email can use it.

What's next

Send emailSend a designed email from a workflow, with data from the record, tables that repeat over a list, buttons and attachments.Load dataLoad the records of a module into a named list, so later steps can read them, loop over them or save them in a batch.

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