You create templates in Tallyfy by clicking +Create, then selecting from three options: start from scratch, use AI assistance, or upload an existing document. Templates are reusable blueprints - think of them like cookie cutters for your business processes.
Here’s the thing about templates: they’re deceptively powerful. You build them once, then launch them hundreds of times.
A solid template can cut your process time by 40% or more (we’ve tracked this across 500+ companies). No more explaining the same steps repeatedly to new team members. No more forgotten tasks because someone skipped a step. Everything just… works.
Creating a thoughtful template takes maybe 30 minutes upfront. The payoff? Every future use of that process runs smoother.
Only “Standard” members (if an Admin allows them) or “Administrator” members can create new templates. Members with a “Light” role can’t create templates - they can only run processes from existing ones.
Want to create your first template? Here’s how:
Tallyfy gives you three ways to make a new template:
Starting from scratch means you get a blank canvas - total control over every step, every field, every automation rule. Perfect when your process is unique or has specific quirks that AI might miss.
This is maximum flexibility territory.
To create a template from scratch:
Not sure where to start? Let Tallyfy AI do the heavy lifting. Just describe your process - even roughly - and the AI generates a working template in seconds.
Here’s what actually happens: when you use Tallyfy AI (or upload a document), the AI doesn’t just copy what you give it. Instead, it thinks about optimization. It’ll rephrase confusing steps, cut redundant info, restructure things to work better digitally. You’re getting a template designed for actual execution, not a carbon copy of your input.
Smart, right?
The secret to great AI templates? Be specific. Instead of “employee onboarding,” try “onboard a remote software developer including laptop setup, account access, and first-week training.” The AI loves details.
To create a template with Tallyfy AI:
Got a Word doc or PDF with your process already written out? Perfect. Upload it, and Tallyfy AI transforms it into a living, trackable workflow. Those SOPs collecting dust in shared drives? They’re about to become actually useful.
Like the AI option, document uploads get the optimization treatment. The AI reads your document, then rebuilds it for digital execution - cleaning up redundancies, restructuring for clarity, making it work the way Tallyfy works. It’s not making a photocopy; it’s creating something better.
This bridges the gap between static docs and dynamic workflows.
File types that work great:
.doc, .docx).pdf)Ready to convert that document? Here’s how:
Sometimes you need every word, every comma, exactly as written - no AI interpretation allowed. Think compliance docs, legal requirements, audited SOPs. Tallyfy doesn’t have a one-click “exact import” button, but there’s a workaround. You’ll use AI to convert your document to clean HTML first, then paste that into Tallyfy.
Takes a few extra steps, but you get word-for-word accuracy.
Why bother with exact import?
Steps for Exact Import:
Convert Source to HTML: Use an AI tool (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini - whatever you prefer) to convert your document into clean HTML. You’ll need a very specific prompt that tells the AI not to get creative.
Example AI Prompt:
I will upload a PDF of a process (SOP). Your job is to exactly convert every part of the file without changing anything at all into HTML. You must not change any content - it must remain like-for-like. You must cleanly convert tables into HTML tables. You can include the first header in the document if there is one but you don't need to add headers for every page in the document - just the first page. You must use proper semantic headings such as h1, h2, h3, h4, etc. as you see them in the document itself. You must not add any styling or CSS at all unless bold or italic is strictly necessary and occurs in the original document. Ignore all colors in the original document. If you see images in the original document, ignore those but leave a placeholder and caption to indicate where the image would go. All your output must be HTML markup that is clean and structured.Enable HTML Mode in Tallyfy: Go to Settings > Organization in Tallyfy and check that HTML editor mode is enabled for content editing. With HTML mode, you can also create advanced features like mailto: links with variables
Paste HTML into Tallyfy: Create a new template From scratch. Switch the Tallyfy editor to HTML mode, then paste only the <body> content from the AI’s output. Skip the <head> and <html> tags - you don’t need those
Review and Save: Check how it looks in Tallyfy. Should be an exact mirror of your original document. Hit save.
There you go - a word-for-word template that keeps your compliance team happy.
Video demonstration:
Want to see this in action? Here’s the exact import process:
Got your template created? Nice. Time to make it work exactly how you need it. Learn how to edit and customize your template - add steps, set up automation rules, create form fields.
Once you’ve got a few templates built, organizing them into folders keeps everything tidy.
Tutorials > Create your first template