A template is a reusable set of fields you define once so that every new entity starts with the same structure. If every table in your schema should have an id, a created_at, and an updated_at, you do not want to add them by hand each time - you set up a template, mark it active, and Schemity fills those fields in for you on every new entity.
Opening the Template manager
Click Open Template manager in the control bar to open the ERD template drawer. It has two views: the list of templates, and the detail view of a single template’s fields.
Creating a template
- In the Template manager, click Add template (or the
+button). - In the Create new template dialog, give it a Name (required) and an optional Color.
- Open the new template’s detail view and add the fields it should contain.
Template fields are ordinary fields: each has a name, data type (with length, precision, and scale), nullable and unique flags, a default value, and a key type such as primary key. See Entities & Fields for what each property means.
You can create as many templates as you like - for example a Base template with id and timestamps, and a Tenant template that also adds a tenant_id.
Choosing the active template
Only one template is active at a time. In the template list, click the checkmark next to a template to make it active; click it again to deselect. The active template is marked with the checkmark and a highlighted row.
If no template is active, new entities start empty.
How new entities inherit the template
While a template is active, every new entity you create automatically receives a copy of the template’s fields - names, types, defaults, nullable and unique flags, and the primary key. You can then add entity-specific fields on top, or remove any you do not need.
A few details worth knowing:
- It applies to new entities only. Editing or deleting a template never changes entities you already created.
- Foreign keys are not carried over from a template (the fields are meant to be a generic starting structure).
- The template’s color is not applied to the entity; the entity keeps its own color.
Editing and deleting templates
From the template list you can Edit a template’s name and color, manage its fields in the detail view (add, edit, delete), or Delete the template entirely. Deleting a template removes only the template - entities that were created from it keep their fields.
Where templates live
Templates are saved per connection, inside the same JSON file as the rest of that diagram (under a templates section). They travel with the diagram, so anyone who opens it gets the same templates. Note that templates belong to the main diagram; entities shown inside a context view are read-only there.
Templates and AI
If you use AI Chat, the active template also guides the AI: entities it generates follow the same baseline structure, so AI-drafted tables stay consistent with the rest of your schema.
Next
Connect your entities with Relationships.