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.
How do I open 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.
How do I create 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.
How do I set 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 do new entities inherit the template’s fields?
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.
How do I edit or delete a template?
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 are templates saved?
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.
How do templates work with AI Chat?
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.