Document kinds
Every template has a kind. The kind has nothing to do with what the document says — it decides one thing only: what happens to the document once it is created. There are four.
1. The four kinds
One record that everyone keeps updating together.
e.g. a contact sheet, a case record
Filled in and submitted — usually again and again.
e.g. an intake form, an order form
Signed, then confirmed by you and locked.
e.g. a contract, a consent form
You write one copy; every client reads the same one.
e.g. announcements, a price list
2. Two things the kind does not decide
Who can fill it in
That depends on which inputs the document carries, not on its kind. A client can fill in only the inputs you put there — text boxes, checkboxes, dates, uploads, signatures — and nothing else; your team can change the whole document at any time. If you want a client to fill something in, add an input. Changing the kind will not do it.
How many copies there are
Any kind can have as many copies as you like. "Usually one" is a habit, not a limit.
3. How to pick
- Clients fill in a fresh copy each time → Form (when in doubt, pick this)
- One record that keeps being updated → Data
- Needs a signature, and no changes after → Agreement
- Everyone should see the same copy → Publication
4. Changing your mind later
You can change a template's kind at any time from its menu. Documents already created keep the kind they were made with.
A single document can change kind on its own too, from its menu — except that nothing can be turned into a Publication.