You can create a Conga Template at any point in the process of designing a solution. The Conga Trigger shown below has been proven to work well and reduce the number of iterations and refinements.

Gather materials & requirements to identify fields and repeating data.

  • Gather requirements from stakeholders.
  • Use existing documents as source material.
  • Identify the objects and data fields you need from Salesforce.
  • Identify repeating data, such as line items, and calculations.
  • Mockup a template with static text and placeholders for merge fields.

This step sets the stage for a successful template. You have a list of all the fields you need and the objects where they are stored.

Create a report or SOQL query to retrieve only the information you've identified as essential to the template. Targeted reports or queries are faster and more efficient than broader ones. At the end of this stage, you'll have a good idea of how you want to format and arrange the information on the template document. You'll also know what software you'll use to create the template. If the solution requires more than one template, you will know that, too.

Create or identify existing reports and queries, if needed.

  • Create or select one or more existing reports or queries to gather the information for your solution template.
  • Optimized reports and queries will consume less resources and load more quickly.
  • You can create reports and queries manually, or by using Solution Manager.
  • For solutions that require data contained in the Master Object only, no report or query may be needed.

After you've identified or created your reports and queries, build your solution and include the reports or queries in the button URL. You may find it more helpful to build your solution to view the field data that is already available through the Master Object. Then, circle back to create a report or query to gather the data you need.

Build your solution, either manually or by using Solution Manager.

  • Build your solution using Solution Manager, a Solution Pack, or manually.
  • Include the appropriate reports or queries.
  • If using Solution Manager, select a sample record to load data into the Template Builder.

Use Template Builder to create templates.

  • The Template Builder makes it easier to add merge fields to a template document.
  • You can add lists or tables of repeating data.
  • Add appearance parameters (picture switches) to format dates, numbers, and currency field data.
  • Use the document software to style and format the template document.
  • More information: The Template Builder. Display data in Template Builder.

You can also use a template from one of the Template Libraries. Use the Conga Template Manager to store templates.

  • The Conga Template Manager is a custom object that makes storing templates easy.
  • Store document templates in the Conga Template Manager.
  • Store HTML email templates in the Conga Email Template Manager.
  • (Optional) Add the templates to your solution or let users select templates at runtime.
  • You can add template IDs to a button URL using Solution Manager or manually.
  • Parameters let you select one or more templates automatically whenever the solution runs.
  • You can specify a group of templates from which users can select during the merge process.
  • You can also let users select a template during the merge process.
  • For advanced solutions, you can add logic to automatically select templates based on conditions.
  • More information: Streamlining Template Selection.