Template Library

Template Library

What it is: Central templates.

Overview

Works out the smallest useful Template Library setup for the business in front of it, then builds it only when asked. The default output is a short recommendation, not a spreadsheet. Artifacts - CSV, SQL DDL, JSON Schema, Notion mapping - are produced on request, from one field list so they cannot drift apart.

Layer: Layer 7: Protect. Fits: Growth stage. Table code: n/a.

When to Use This Skill

• document template library
• template repository
• policy template store

Also use it when the user says "central templates", or describes the same process happening in a spreadsheet, a document or someone inboxes.

Do not use it for: payroll calculation, tax filing, or legal advice. This skill produces empty templates only - it never holds or processes real employee or customer data.

How It Works

Follow the shared execution contract. The module-specific rules below define only domain fields, decisions, calculations, and safety constraints.

Step 1 - Identify intent

Read the request and pick the intent before asking anything.

• "set up" or "build" or "create" -> the user wants artifacts; go to Step 2.
• "our process is ..." or "it is in a sheet" -> the user wants to move an existing process; capture it, then Step 2.
• "is this right" or "review" or "audit" -> the user wants a check, not a build; answer from what they share.
• "how do I ..." -> advice question; answer directly and offer the build only if it helps.

Ask only if this is the highest-value missing fact; otherwise proceed without an opener:

Q: Which documents do you write repeatedly?

Step 2 - Ask only what is missing

Skip anything the user already answered, in any earlier message. Ask the rest one at a time, and stop as soon as the remaining answers would not change the output.

• Templates - Which documents? / How many? / Used by one person or many?
• Structure - Fields fixed or variable? / Any required sections? / Standard naming?
• Ownership - Who approves changes? / Version kept? / Where published?
• Current process - Where do templates live now? / Email attachments or a drive? / Which version is current?
• Outcome - What do you need? / A library, a naming rule or a review cycle?

Never invent an answer. If the user does not know, record it as unknown and carry on.

Step 3 - Hold the internal context

Hold the answers in this shape. It stays internal - it is not shown to the user unless they ask, and it never carries a value the user did not give.

module: template-library
intent: null            # setup | advice | review | fix | build | convert | export
scale: null             # Starter | Growth | Scale, only if the answer changes it
areas:
  "Templates": null
  "Structure": null
  "Ownership": null
  "Current process": null
  "Outcome": null
requested_outputs: []   # csv | sql | json | notion | xlsx - requested formats only
confirmed_facts: []     # only what the user actually said
open_questions: []      # the unanswered ones, in the order worth asking

Step 4 - Recommend the smallest workflow

If an artifact was requested, build it after resolving essential missing facts. Otherwise give a short recommendation and offer the relevant artifact.

Recommended approach: Keep one current version per template with a named owner, and start the library with the documents people actually reuse.

Why this one: Template libraries sprawl when every variant is kept. Keep one current version and an explicit owner, and archive the rest.

Workflow: Template catalogued → Fields defined → Approved version → Published → Usage or update

Step 5 - Build only on request

Once the user asks for it, derive the fields from the confirmed context and emit the requested artifacts. For machine-readable text, keep prose outside the data; for files, provide a usable link. Report material validation failures or limitations separately.

A selected Notion output is rendered by notion-manual-import, so route the Notion step there. When the user selects Notion, hand that step to @notion-manual-import: it holds the CSV, the property mapping, the import steps and the verification checklist, and it renders the Field Reference below instead of defining a table of its own. Do not restate the mapping here and do not improvise the import steps. Manual CSV and mapping outputs need no connection. For requested workspace changes, follow the shared contract: verify actual tool access and the target before writing. A user saying "connected" is not tool evidence. Never ask for a Notion password or token.

For an Excel-compatible CSV, use UTF-8 with a byte order mark so Excel opens the text correctly. A CSV is not an .xlsx workbook; create .xlsx only when the user requests a workbook. A CSV carries no types, so after it, name the columns that need a number, date or currency format applied.

Template Name,Template Type,Module,Department,Owner,Last Updated,Content Link,Status,Template ID
Invoice Template,Checklist,Invoices & Billing,Delivery,Sneha Iyer,2026-01-15,https://example.com/template,Published,

CREATE TABLE template_library (
  template_name VARCHAR(255),
  template_type VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
  module VARCHAR(255),
  department VARCHAR(255),
  owner VARCHAR(255),
  last_updated DATE NOT NULL,
  content_link TEXT,
  status VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
  template_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
  created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW(),
  updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW()
);

CREATE INDEX idx_template_library_status ON template_library (status);

{
  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
  "title": "Template Library",
  "type": "object",
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "properties": {
      "Template Name": { "type": "string" },
      "Template Type": { "type": "string" },
      "Module": { "type": "string" },
      "Department": { "type": "string" },
      "Owner": { "type": "string" },
      "Last Updated": { "type": "string", "format": "date" },
      "Content Link": { "type": "string", "format": "uri" },
      "Status": { "type": "string" },
      "Template ID": { "type": "integer" }
  },
  "required": [
      "Template Type",
      "Last Updated",
      "Status"
  ]
}

| CSV column | Notion property | Set after import |
|---|---|---|
| Template Name | Title | Use as the database title |
| Template Type | Select (add options after import) | Convert to Select, add options: "Policy", "Process", "Checklist", "Contract", "Report", "Invoice" |
| Module | Text | Leave as Text |
| Department | Text | Leave as Text |
| Owner | Text | Leave as Text |
| Last Updated | Date | Convert to Date |
| Content Link | URL | Convert to URL |
| Status | Select (add options after import) | Convert to Select, add options: "Draft", "In Review", "Published", "Retired" |
| Template ID | Text (preserve source ID) | Keep imported IDs as Text; optionally add a separate Unique ID property |

The rows above are documentation examples only. Emit empty templates unless the user explicitly requests examples. Money stays currency, dates stay date, and anything pointing at another table stays relation.

Field Reference