---
title: "Create & share templates"
slug: "/help/demos/edit/structure/templates"
last_updated: "2026-04-15T19:57:02Z"
zendesk_id: 32008270485267
zendesk_url: "https://help.walnut.io/hc/en-us/articles/32008270485267-Create-Demos-Part-2-Create-Share-Templates"
locale: "en-us"
category: "Getting Started"
section: "Editing & Customization Basics"
product: "demos"
topic: "edit/structure"
displayed_sidebar: "demosSidebar"
sidebar_position: 2
pagination_prev: "help/demos/getting-started/chrome-extension-tutorial"
pagination_next: "help/demos/getting-started/edit-captured-content"
---

## **Overview**

Templates are the foundation of demo creation in Walnut.

They give you a reusable starting point for capturing screens, structuring your story, applying edits, collaborating with teammates, and creating demo instances later. Once your template is ready, you can use it to publish and share demos without rebuilding the same experience from scratch.

This guide walks through the core template workflows in Walnut, including how to create templates, edit them, organize them, collaborate on them, and manage common library actions.

:::note

Templates are designed to be reusable. A strong template helps your team move faster, stay more consistent, and create tailored demo instances without duplicating work.

:::

---

## **Create Templates**

There are two main ways to start a template in Walnut:

-   Create a template from your own captured screens
-   Start from a Walnut mockup and replace the default media with your own content

Many teams use a mix of both depending on the story they want to build.

:::tip[Best practice]

Use captured screens when you want a more interactive, editable experience. Use mockup-based screens when you need a polished static visual that cannot be captured cleanly with the extension.

:::

---

### **Create a Template from Your Own Captures**

This is the most direct way to build a template when you want to capture your own product flow and edit it in Walnut.

1.  Navigate to **My Library**, click **New**, and select **Template**.
    
    ![Screenshot showing how to create a new template from My Library in Walnut.](pathname:///images/495f5c419f8c7bfa.png)
    
1.  Name the template and optionally add a tag.
2.  Click **Done**.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the new template setup screen in Walnut.](pathname:///images/4d4ab1e4778afa48.png)
    
1.  Add a short description if helpful.
2.  Click **Capture with Walnut** to open the capture extension and begin capturing screens.

Once captured, your screens open in the template editor and are ready for guides, variables, edits, and additional structure.

---

### **Create a Template from a Walnut Mockup**

Walnut mockups can be a fast way to create a polished screen layout when you want to place static media into a desktop or mobile frame.

![Screenshot showing available Walnut mockup options.](pathname:///images/91fcdd9410324338.png)

To create a new template using a Walnut mockup:

1.  Navigate to **My Library**, click **New**, and select **Template**.
    
    ![Screenshot showing how to create a new template from My Library in Walnut.](pathname:///images/495f5c419f8c7bfa.png)
    
1.  Name the template and optionally add a tag.
2.  Click **Done**.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the new template setup screen before importing mockups.](pathname:///images/4d4ab1e4778afa48.png)
    
1.  Click **Import from Templates**.
2.  Open the **Screens Library** and select the mockup you want.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the Screens Library in Walnut.](pathname:///images/f5c32f4530a8a537.png)
    
1.  Choose the screen or screens you want to add, then click **Done**.
2.  Select whether you want to start from scratch or use generated starter guides.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the guide creation prompt after importing screens into a template.](pathname:///images/e70850e3a3d0a22f.png)
    
1.  Click the imported screen to open the edit toolbar.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the template edit toolbar in Walnut.](pathname:///images/b9c76de646b0d079.png)
    
1.  Click **Change Media** to replace the default mockup image with your own media.

You can also insert Walnut mockups into an existing template.

1.  Open the existing template and click **Insert screen** from the left pane.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the Insert screen option in the Walnut template editor.](pathname:///images/9e3a72abf6cf39c2.png)
    
1.  Open the **Screens Library**.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the Screens Library option when inserting screens into an existing template.](pathname:///images/f5c32f4530a8a537.png)
    
1.  Select the mockup screen or screens and click **Done**.
2.  Click the imported screen to open the edit toolbar.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the edit toolbar for an imported mockup screen in Walnut.](pathname:///images/b9c76de646b0d079.png)
    
1.  Click **Change Media** to replace the mockup with your own image or media.

---

## **Edit Templates**

To edit a template, open it from **My Library** or its folder location.

Once inside the editor, you can update screens, add guides, manage variables, open settings, preview the experience, and create demo instances from the template.

![Screenshot showing the Walnut template editor header and layout.](pathname:///images/47d568e3b61aaef8.png)

:::note

The editor is where most template work happens. It is worth getting familiar with the layout, especially the side panes, toolbar actions, preview, and publishing controls.

:::

---

## **Options in the Settings Pane**

The **Settings** pane controls template-level behaviors and appearance.

Depending on your setup, this pane may include sections such as:

-   **General**
-   **Guides**
-   **Custom Code**
-   **Display Options**

These settings can affect interaction behavior, demo styling, guide presentation, and viewer-facing display behavior.

:::tip[Important]

Settings labels and available options may vary slightly based on your workspace setup and product updates. Use the screenshots and linked articles as reference points, but confirm the current labels in your editor.

:::

---

## **The Right-Click Menu**

The right-click menu gives you fast access to common element-level actions while editing a template.

![Screenshot showing the right-click menu in the Walnut editor.](pathname:///images/ef7bbdd0e9e5bbc8.png)

Common actions may include:

-   **Duplicate element**
-   **Hide element**
-   **Reset changes**
-   **Blur element**
-   **Edit source**
-   **Select parent element**
-   **Pin to element**
-   **Delete**

### **Select Parent Element**

1.  Right-click the element and select **Select Parent Element**.
2.  Walnut moves selection to the next higher-level parent element.
3.  Apply your edits at that level.

### **Pin to Element**

Use pinning to keep an element positioned relative to another element.

1.  Right-click the element and select **Pin to Element**.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the element pinning interface in Walnut.](pathname:///images/715975da8bc7d264.png)
    
1.  Select the location to pin the element.
2.  Click **Done**.

### **Release Pinning or Delete an Element**

To remove pinning, choose **Release pinning**. To remove the element entirely, right-click and choose **Delete**.

---

## **Add Collaborators**

Collaborators let other users access, review, or edit the template depending on their permissions.

1.  From **My Library** or the template location, open the **three-dot menu** and select **Add collaborators**.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the Add collaborators option in Walnut.](pathname:///images/ac620431d1246383.png)
    
1.  Add the relevant users or groups and assign access.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the collaborator access setup panel in Walnut.](pathname:///images/823d5c3bb411a4bc.png)
    
1.  Click **Add**.

---

## **Use Multi-Edit**

Multi-edit allows teammates to work inside the same template together in real time.

This can make collaboration faster and reduce handoff delays when multiple people are contributing to the same build.

---

## **Manage Tags**

Tags help organize templates and make them easier to filter, group, and find later.

1.  From **My Library**, open the **three-dot menu** and select **Manage tags**.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the Manage tags option in Walnut.](pathname:///images/af9bf6ffaa08b5aa.png)
    
1.  Select one or more existing tags or create a new one.

---

## **Add Sections**

Sections help organize screens inside a template so your story is easier to manage and navigate.

1.  Open the template in edit mode.
2.  Go to the bottom of the left pane and click **\+ Add**.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the Add button in the screens pane of the Walnut editor.](pathname:///images/7f9173bce5241347.png)
    
1.  Select **Add Section**.
2.  Add screens or import screens from another template.
3.  Click **Done**.

---

## **Library Actions**

Walnut gives you several ways to organize and manage templates in your library.

### **Move Templates**

1.  Open the **three-dot menu** for the template.
2.  Select **Move to**.
3.  Select the destination folder or create a new one.

### **Duplicate Templates**

1.  Open the **three-dot menu**.
2.  Select **Duplicate**.
3.  Choose where to store the duplicate and confirm.

### **Rename Templates**

1.  Open the **three-dot menu**.
2.  Select **Rename**.
3.  Enter the new name and save.

### **Archive Templates**

Templates are archived rather than permanently deleted in the main library flow.

1.  Navigate to the template location.
2.  Open the **three-dot menu** and select **Archive**.

### **Restore Archived Templates**

1.  From Home or Library, filter by **Archived**.
2.  Open the **three-dot menu** for the template and select **Restore**.

### **Add Templates to Favorites**

1.  Open the library where the template is located.
2.  Mark the template as a favorite.
3.  Use the **Favorites** filter when needed.

![Screenshot showing favorite templates filtering in Walnut.](pathname:///images/ba0c25c7b8460906.png)

---

## **Track Template Details**

Walnut includes template-level details that help teams understand ownership, edits, and collaboration history.

1.  Click the template to open the side panel.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the template details side panel in Walnut.](pathname:///images/3617b4f01d954611.png)
    
1.  Review the available tabs, which may include:
    -   **Details:** creator, last modified info, demos using the template, description
    -   **Edits:** changes made with guides, variables, and other editing tools
    -   **Comments:** comments left by collaborators

---

## **Find & Replace Text**

Find & Replace helps locate repeated text across a template, including text that may be difficult to edit directly in the front-end view.

If needed, you can undo recent changes with **Command + Z** on Mac or **Ctrl + Z** on Windows.

1.  Click the **Find & Replace** icon in the right-hand toolbar.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the Find and Replace icon in the Walnut editor.](pathname:///images/6c4782084f055710.png)
    
1.  Enter the text you want to find and press **Enter**.
2.  Review the results in the **Screens** tab.
3.  Enter the replacement text and click **Replace All** when ready.

---

## **Replace Demo Screens**

If you want to keep the structure of a template but swap in different screens, you can remove the existing screens and import new ones from another template.

1.  Open the template with the screens you want to replace.
2.  Delete the old screens.
3.  Use the left pane to add or import new screens.
    
    ![Screenshot showing how to add screens in the Walnut editor.](pathname:///images/7042a636babf38a2.png)
    
1.  Use **Import from template** to select the replacement screens.
    
    ![Screenshot showing the import screens from template flow in Walnut.](pathname:///images/40a93298130640c2.png)
    
1.  Select the source template and choose the screens to import.
2.  Click **Done**.
3.  Preview the template and confirm guides and links still behave as expected.

---

## **Summary**

:::note

-   Templates are the core build layer in Walnut and make it easier to reuse, refine, and scale demo content.
-   You can start templates from your own captures or from Walnut mockups depending on the type of experience you want to create.
-   The editor, settings pane, right-click menu, and library actions all support faster iteration and cleaner template management.
-   Collaboration tools like shared access, comments, and multi-edit make templates easier to maintain across teams.

:::

:::note[Final Takeaway]

A well-structured template does more than save time. It creates a stronger foundation for personalization, collaboration, and scalable demo creation across your team.

:::