Creating Custom Templates

Custom templates let you build audit configurations tailored to your specific needs. Instead of using a pre-built template as-is, you can select exactly which blocks to include, configure the report type, set branding, and save the template for repeated use.

When to Create a Custom Template

Custom templates are useful when:

• You serve a niche industry with specific audit requirements not covered by pre-built templates
• Your engagement scope is narrow — you only audit certain areas for certain clients
• You want a branded template with specific colors, logos, and footer text baked in
• You run recurring audits for the same client and want consistency across reports
• You want different depth levels — a quick assessment template and a deep-dive template

Creating a Template Step by Step

Step 1: Start the Template

1. Navigate to Audits > Templates in the sidebar.
2. Click Create Template.
3. Enter a template name — use something descriptive like “SaaS Full Audit” or “Q1 Sales Review.”
4. Add an optional description explaining when and how to use this template.

Step 2: Select Blocks

The block selector shows all available audit blocks organized by section:

• General — Portal settings, user management, GDPR, data hygiene, integrations, naming conventions
• Sales — Pipelines, deal stages, sequences, quotes, meetings, forecasting
• Marketing — Forms, CTAs, emails, landing pages, SEO, social
• Automation — Workflows, enrollment, branching, suppression, re-enrollment
• Service — Tickets, knowledge base, surveys, SLAs
• Reporting — Dashboards, custom reports, attribution, analytics

For each block, you can:

• Include — The block will be evaluated and scored in audits using this template
• Exclude — The block will not appear in the audit

Click each block to toggle its inclusion. You can also use Select All or Deselect All at the section level.

Step 3: Configure Report Type

Choose between two report types:

Type	Description	Best For
SIMPLE	Streamlined output with key findings, scores, and top-level insights	Quick assessments, initial client conversations, executive presentations
ADVANCED	Full detail with every data point, granular scores, and comprehensive insights	Deep-dive audits, detailed improvement planning, technical teams

The report type affects how much detail appears in the generated report. Both types use the same underlying data and scoring — the difference is in presentation depth.

Step 4: Set Branding

Configure the default branding for reports generated from this template:

• Primary color — The main accent color
• Secondary color — Supporting color for backgrounds and borders
• Font family — The typeface for the report
• Company logo URL — Your logo
• Client logo URL — Optionally bake in a specific client’s logo (useful for client-specific templates)
• Footer text — Default footer content

Branding set here serves as the default when using this template. It can still be overridden at the individual audit level.

Step 5: Mark Premium Requirements

If your template includes blocks that require specific plan features, mark the template’s premium requirements:

• Premium blocks — Some data points require higher API access or specific HubSpot hub subscriptions
• Custom domain — If the template is intended for use with custom domain reports (Ultimate plan)
• Advanced AI insights — If the template expects full AI insight generation

Marking premium requirements ensures users see clear messaging if their plan does not support all features in the template.

Step 6: Save the Template

1. Review your configuration — blocks, report type, branding, and premium requirements.
2. Click Save Template.
3. The template appears in your Custom Templates list, ready to use for any audit.

Starting from a Clone

Instead of building from scratch, you can clone an existing template (pre-built or custom) and modify it:

1. Find the template to clone in Audits > Templates.
2. Click Clone.
3. A new template is created with all the same settings.
4. Modify the name, blocks, report type, branding, or premium requirements as needed.
5. Save the modified version.

Cloning is the fastest way to create variations — for example, a “Full Audit” and a “Quick Scan” version of the same configuration.

Template Organization

As you create multiple templates, keep them organized:

• Use clear names — Include the client name, industry, or scope in the template name
• Add descriptions — Note when to use each template and what makes it different from similar templates
• Archive unused templates — Keep your template list manageable by removing templates you no longer use (see Managing Templates)