Output templates

The Output templates tab holds the rules each kind of output is written to: how long it may be, what voice it takes, and for social posts what cards and video it carries. Editors pick a template by its name when they add an output to a story. The idea is explained in Templates, brand kits and checks; creating your first one end to end is in Create an output.

Who can use itCopy Anchor Link

Owners and admins (output_template:manage). Every role can read templates, because editors need them to add an output, but only those who manage them see this tab.

Read the listCopy Anchor Link

The list shows each template's Name, Type, Desk, whether it is Active or Inactive, and when it was Updated. Narrow it with the Type and Desk filters (All types, All desks); if nothing matches, Clear filters resets them.

An active template is offered when someone adds an output to a story. An inactive one is not.

Create a templateCopy Anchor Link

1. Choose New template.
2. On What kind of output?, pick a type: Web Article, X Post, Instagram Post, TikTok Post, Facebook Post, LinkedIn Post or Short-Form Video. The type fixes which rules the template holds and cannot be changed later.
3. Under Template rules, fill in the fields described below.
4. Choose Create template.

You see Template created. and the template appears in the list.

Fields every template hasCopy Anchor Link

• Name: how the template is listed. Editors pick it by this name. Required.
• Desk: leave it on All desks to offer the template on every story, or choose one newsdesk to offer it only there.
• Tone: one sentence describing the voice, in your own words, such as "Measured, wire-service neutral". Required, up to 2000 characters.
• House style notes: house style an output should follow, for example "AP style. Metric units. No exclamation marks." Up to 2000 characters.

Web ArticleCopy Anchor Link

• Minimum words and Maximum words: the shortest and longest the article may be. Whole numbers; the maximum must be at least the minimum.
• Include a byline and Default byline: turn the byline on and give a default, which is used when the story names no author. The default is required while bylines are on.
• Pick a featured image: whether generation picks a featured image for the article.
• Place images in the body: whether generation may place images in the body.

X, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn postsCopy Anchor Link

• Maximum characters: the longest the copy may be. A whole number of at least 1.
• Maximum hashtags: a whole number of 0 or more. 0 means no hashtags at all.

Short-Form VideoCopy Anchor Link

• Crop shapes: at least one of 9:16, 1:1 or 4:5. A video is rendered in each shape you pick.
• Minimum seconds and Maximum seconds: the video's length. The minimum is at least 5 seconds; the maximum is at most 20 and at least the minimum.
• Caption style: how captions are burned onto the video. Full-frame cards is the one choice.
• Brand kit: the look the video is rendered in. Leave it on Desk or org default to use the desk's kit, else the organization's. Kits are made under Brand kits.

Cards and video on a social postCopy Anchor Link

X, Instagram and TikTok templates have a Media card. LinkedIn and Facebook templates do not.

1. Turn on Posts carry cards and video. With it off, the card says "Posts from this template carry text only." Instagram and TikTok need at least one card or video in every post.
2. Choose a Card shape. Each platform takes its own shapes: X takes 3:4, 4:5, 1:1 or 9:16, Instagram 4:5 or 1:1, TikTok 9:16.
3. Choose Add card or video and pick a layout from Nuvelics layouts, Your layouts or Short-form video. Your own layouts are made under Social layouts.
4. For each card, set a min and max count; the model picks a count inside that range. A Photo card must have a minimum of 0.
5. Optionally set Without a suitable photo to name the layout used when the story has no good photo, and list Labels or Kickers the card must choose from.
6. Use Move up, Move down and Remove to order the plan. A plan takes one video, and the video must come from a Short-Form Video template.

A line under the plan states what a post will hold, and what the platform allows: X takes up to four images or one video, Instagram one card, one video or a carousel of at most ten, and TikTok one video or a photo set of up to 35, never both.

The Brand kit field on these templates is optional. Left as is, each story's cards take its newsdesk's kit, else the organization's; pick a kit to post in one identity whatever the desk.

Edit a templateCopy Anchor Link

1. Open the template from the list and choose Edit.
2. Change the rules and choose Save changes.

You see Template saved. The type does not change. If another person saved first you are told "This template changed since you loaded it - reload and try again."

Deactivate, activate or deleteCopy Anchor Link

From the Output template actions menu, or the template page:

• Deactivate retires the template from the add-an-output picker while keeping the outputs it produced readable (Template deactivated.). Activate brings it back (Template activated.).
• Delete removes it for good after you confirm; it cannot be undone (Template deleted.). A template that has already produced outputs cannot be deleted: "This template has already produced outputs, so it cannot be deleted. Deactivate it instead."

Other ways to manage templatesCopy Anchor Link

• CLI: nuvelics output-template.
• API: Output templates.
• An AI assistant can list templates with the Output tools.