The Pipeliner Templates add-in for Microsoft Office 365 Word and Excel allows you to embed Pipeliner fields within templates and then pull in the data from Pipeliner to complete the template outputting the result to Word, Excel or PDF. You might create a letter or form template using Word or order or quote templates using Excel.

You launch the template from the Documents tab of a record in Pipeliner and the add-in lets you save the completed file directly back to the Documents tab. You can preview templates and edit them directly within the “Use Template” screen. Users need to have either the OneDrive or Sharepoint Pipeliner integrations enabled in order to use “on-the-fly” editing.

This article details creating and using a template in O365 Word but there’s a short Excel example which follows and the methods used are the same.

Login to your Microsoft Office 365 account and open up a new document using Word.

You first need to find and enable the Add-in so click on the Insert menu and then choose "Add-ins". Search for “Pipeliner Templates” and click on "Add" to enable it.

NOTE: If Add-ins are managed by your IT team, ask one of your Admins to enable the "Pipeliner Templates” Add-in via the Admin Managed section.

Now on the menu bar in Word, you’ll see a “Pipeliner” button on the right hand side of the main menu after the “Help” button ⤵

Click on the Pipeliner menu button to open up the menu options:

The first time you select any of the buttons, you’ll be prompted to login to your Pipeliner user account ⤵

Click on the Tools menu and then select Document Templates ⤵

Within Manage Templates, you'll see a list of All Templates by default but can limit the view by selecting templates for a specific entity from the dropdown options ⤵

Select a template and click on the dropdown arrow on the right to "Edit" the template, “Download” a copy of the template via your browser, “Deactivate” the template so it will no longer be available for your users to select when they click on “Use Template” from the Documents tab of a record or “Delete” the template entirely ⤵

If you click on Edit, you'll be prompted to use one of the following integrations. Select the one that works in your environment ⤵

Your template will then open in Word. Click on "Open add-in" to open up the right hand panel (you may need to login) ⤵

Clicking on "Create or Update Template" will display all the fields currently added to your template. Click into the Search box to look for additional fields to add or remove existing fields if they are no longer required. When you have finished your changes, click on Next ⤵

Choose "Save changes in template into Pipeliner" to apply your edits ⤵

You can also choose to:

If you saved changes, you'll be notified that your template has been updated ⤵

From Tools>Document Templates, click on "Create Template" and choose the program you want to use to create your template ⤵

If prompted, select the integration to use ⤵

A new blank Word document will open. Click on the Pipeliner add-on button on the main menu and then Create or Update Template. Login if prompted. The first choice to make is the Entity on which your template will be based. Custom entities (Assets, in this example) are available to use as well as the system entities - Account, Contact, Lead, Opportunity, Project and Quote ⤵

All entities allow access to system fields such as Date and User details as well as information entered using Lookup fields and other related records by adding specific customisable tables fields The other available fields and related records depend on the entity you select. Choose:

NOTE: If you select an entity and begin creating your template, if you then decide to use a different entity, your template will be reset and you’ll need to start again ⤵

NOTE: you can paste existing tables, text etc into your new template and then add fields

This example is an Opportunity template ⤵

Fields may be added to the template by searching within the list of All fields or by selecting from within a dynamic set of relevant field groups. Previously added fields will display in a list.

Clicking on a field from the list in the panel will add it into your template at the current cursor position ⤵

Add in all the necessary fields to capture information from the Opportunity, Primary Account and Primary Contact. If you're using the Products & Services section within your Opportunities, you can include the grid of products by selecting the "Product Table" field from the Opportunities tab in your template. Other table fields that can be inserted and configured include Activities and related entities entered using Lookup fields on the Opportunity Form ⤵

Search for "table" in the Field Search box to see the tables available for your selected entity. Click on a table field to insert it into your template

Click on the Configure link to update the Table so it contains the fields you need to include in your template ⤵

If you want to add a field, insert a new column and add the column header (e.g. Colour in the example below) and then click into the empty cell in the row containing all the field placeholders and then select the field you want to insert from the right hand panel ⤵

Adjust your column widths, change font sizes etc until your table looks exactly how you want it.

If you use Sections within the Products & Services section in Pipeliner and have inserted the Product table field, you can also insert those same sections into your template - this is “ON” by default but you can switch it off using the toggle in the right hand panel for "Product Sections" ⤵

You can add as many of the table fields as you need into your template. The Decision Makers table shown in the example below is from a Lookup field on the Opportunity Form ⤵

Add/remove columns and click on Configure to add additional fields ⤵

Carry on inserting fields until you have added all that you want to use in your template and then click on "Next" ⤵

You can now “Save as new template into Pipeliner” which saves your template for accessing from records inside of the Pipeliner App or “Map Opportunity from Pipeliner” to select a contact from within your Pipeliner space immediately.

NOTE: The "Edit Fields" button takes you back to your field lists ⤵

If you choose “Save as new template into Pipeliner”, you’ll then be prompted to enter a name for your template.

Enter your name and then click on “Save to Pipeliner” ⤵

You’ll get a message that your template has been successfully saved and a reminder that, in order to access it, you’ll need to open up an Opportunity in Pipeliner and then click on the "Documents" tab ⤵

Once saved, when you click on the back arrow, you’ll now have an option to “Save Changes in Template into Pipeliner” which you’ll use to make changes to a template that you’ve already saved ⤵

NOTE: you also have options to "Rename Template in Pipeliner"; "Save as new template into Pipeliner" and "Map Opportunity from Pipeliner".

To use your template immediately, click on “Map Opportunity from Pipeliner”. The panel on the right will now display a list of all Opportunities from Pipeliner. Search for the Opportunity you want to use using the search bar or scroll through the list; select your Opportunity and click on Finish ⤵

You’ll then have the option to download either as a pdf or as a DOCX file. Pick the one you need and you’ll see your file in your browser download bar at the bottom of the screen in the format you chose ⤵

Click on the file to open it and you’ll see that all fields where there was data filled in for the Opportunity, Primary Contact and Account, Products and Decision Makers in Pipeliner have been filled in on your template ⤵

You can attach your completed document (or pdf) to the record in Pipeliner as normal.

NOTE: Unless you’ve moved it, you’ll find it in your "Downloads" folder.

To access your templates, you need to open up the right sort of record — for example, if it’s a Quote template, open up an Quote then click on the Documents tab and select "Use Template" ⤵

You’ll be able to select from All Active {Quote} templates ⤵

Select the template you want to use and then choose whether you want the file generated to be a pdf or a docx and also decide if all currency fields should be converted to values in your system’s base currency ⤵

Click on the “Preview” button - or the “Create Preview” link to see a preview of the completed file once the data has been populated from the Opportunity record you have open ⤵

Once your preview is loaded, you’ll be able to review it to make sure everything is correct before sending it out. If you need to make any changes, click on the “Edit” button and then choose to edit in either One Drive or Sharepoint (depending on the integration you're using) ⤵

This will launch the populated file in Word so you can make any necessary changes. Click on “Reload” to see an updated preview incorporating the changes you have made ⤵

NOTE: it may take a little while to launch the preview and to view any changes that you make

When your changes are complete, you can choose to “Attach” the completed file to the Documents tab, “Attach & Download” to both attach it and download a copy via your browser, “Attach & Send” to attach it and to launch an email with the file attached so you can send it to your Opportunity’s Primary Contact (for example) or “Download” to download via your browser only ⤵

Once your file is attached to the Documents tab, you can double click on it to preview again ⤵

NOTE: click the x in the top right corner to close the preview window.

Once your file is attached, you can click on the dropdown arrow on the right to “Create Email”, “Download” the file or “Delete” it from the Documents tab.

NOTE: you don’t have to preview a template - you can just Attach, Attach & Download, Attach & Send or Download without using either Preview option first.

This is a simple form which will pull in data from fields about an Opportunity and the Primary Account and Primary Contact linked to it. Make sure the "Pipeliner CRM Template Add-in" is enabled as detailed earlier in this article.

Open your Excel file or begin with a new blank worksheet and click on "Start Pipeliner Templates" ⤵

Select your Entity. This example uses Opportunity. Add in your Opportunity fields from the first tab and then click on the "Primary Account" tab to access "Account" fields (or search for your fields by name). Finally, do the same with your fields from the "Primary Contact" tab ⤵

NOTE: You can access the current date from the Miscellaneous tab.

When you’re finished, click on “Save as new template into Pipeliner” and add your template name. You’ll then be able to access it from an open Opportunity (as it’s an Opportunity template) within the Pipeliner app. To fill it with details of an Opportunity right now, click on “Map Opportunity from Pipeliner”, search for your Opportunity and click "Finish".

To use from an Opportunity, click on the "Documents" tab of an open Opportunity, select your template and then choose "Save" or "Save and Download".