> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rapidcert.co.nz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Templates & Questions
> Managing evaluation templates and question bank in RapidCert
# Templates & Questions
Templates define what questions contractors and suppliers answer. This guide covers template and question management.
## Understanding Templates
A template contains:
* Sections (groups of questions)
* Questions within each section
* Question ordering
* Required vs optional designations
## Template List
Navigate to **Templates** to see all templates.
### Template Information
The template list shows the following columns:
| Column | Description |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Template Name | The name of the template |
| Client Group | The client group the template belongs to |
| Details | Combined count of sections and questions |
| Customisations | Number of customisations applied |
| Pricing (incl. GST) | The price associated with this template |
| Last Modified | When the template was last updated |
| Active | Toggle to enable or disable the template |
| Actions | Edit, export, copy, or delete the template |
The template list displays only active templates. Deleted templates are removed from the active list.
The **Active** column shows a toggle that lets admins enable or disable templates. Disabled templates are not available for new evaluations.
## Exporting a template to CSV
Administrators and assessors can export a template's full structure to a CSV file for offline review. The export includes every question in the template along with its section, guidance, scoring configuration, attachment settings, and metadata.
To export a template:
1. Navigate to **Templates**
2. Find the template you want to export
3. Click the **Export CSV** icon (download icon) in the Actions column
4. The file downloads automatically once the export is ready
The export is disabled while another export is already in progress. All other export buttons are also disabled until the current export completes.
### CSV columns
The exported file contains the following columns:
| Column | Description |
| -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Template Name | The name of the template |
| Section | The section the question belongs to |
| Question | The question text shown to contractors/suppliers |
| Guidance | Combined assessor and contractor guidance summary |
| Template ID | The internal template identifier |
| Client | The client group the template belongs to |
| Active | Whether the template is currently active |
| Updated At | When the template was last updated |
| Section Order | The display order of the section |
| Section Description | The section description |
| Question Order | The display order of the question within its section |
| Custom Number | The template-specific question number, or the question bank name if not set |
| Question Type | The question input type (e.g. TEXTAREA, YES\_NO) |
| Required | Whether the question is required |
| Contractor Guidance | The help text shown to contractors/suppliers |
| Assessor Guidance | The guidance shown to assessors when reviewing answers |
| Scoring Type | The scoring method (e.g. PASS\_FAIL, NON\_SCORING) |
| Passing Score | The minimum score required to pass |
| Max Score | The maximum score available |
| Min Attachments | The minimum number of attachments required |
| Max Attachments | The maximum number of attachments allowed |
| Allow N/A | Whether the question can be answered as not applicable |
| Hidden From Report | Whether the question is excluded from the evaluation report |
| Validation | Any validation rules applied to the question |
| Question ID | The internal question identifier |
| Template Question ID | The internal template-question mapping identifier |
Sections are listed in their configured display order. Empty sections appear as a row with no question data. Questions not assigned to a section are grouped under **Unsectioned** at the end of the file.
The Export CSV action is available to administrators and assessors only. Viewers do not see this action.
## Creating a Template
Click **Create New Template** and enter basic details.
Create sections to organise your questions.
Add questions from the question bank or create new ones.
Set requirements, ordering, and visibility.
Review and activate the template for use.
## Template Configuration
### Basic Settings
When creating or editing a template, you can configure:
| Setting | Description |
| -------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Template Name | The name displayed to contractors and administrators |
| Description | Optional description of the template's purpose |
| Client | The client group this template belongs to (cannot be changed after creation) |
| Passing Percentage | The minimum score percentage (0-100) required for evaluation approval |
| Show Score on Certificate and Approval Email | Whether the evaluation score appears on the certificate PDF and in the approval email sent to contractors |
| Validity Period | How many months an approved evaluation remains valid (1-60 months) |
| Enable Conclusion Field | Whether the evaluation includes a conclusion field for the assessor |
| Require Conclusion | When enabled, assessors must complete the conclusion field before approving |
#### Conclusion Settings
The **Enable Conclusion Field** and **Require Conclusion** settings control whether assessors see and must complete a conclusion field when reviewing evaluations on this template. When **Enable Conclusion Field** is on, assessors can enter a free-text conclusion as part of their review. Enabling **Require Conclusion** makes this field mandatory before an evaluation can be approved.
### Certificate and Approval Email Score Visibility
The **Show Score on Certificate and Approval Email** setting controls whether the overall evaluation score percentage appears on the certificate PDF and in the approval email sent to contractors.
* When **enabled**, the score is displayed on both the certificate and the approval email
* When **disabled**, the score is hidden from both the certificate and the approval email
* The score is **always shown on the Full Report** regardless of this setting
This allows you to control whether contractors and third parties viewing the certificate or approval email see the numerical score, while ensuring the full report always contains complete assessment details.
To configure:
1. Open the template
2. Locate the **Show Score on Certificate and Approval Email** checkbox below the passing percentage field
3. Toggle on or off as required
4. Save the template
The score shown on certificates and approval emails is calculated using the same logic as the full evaluation report, ensuring consistency across all generated PDFs and notifications. Changes to this setting only affect certificates and approval emails generated after the change — existing certificates and previously sent emails are not modified.
### Pricing and Score Review Settings
The **Pricing** tab on a template allows configuration of:
| Setting | Description |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Price | The fee charged for evaluations using this template. Set to \$0 to make the accreditation free. |
| Score Review Enabled | Whether a score-based review step is available for this template |
| Review Name | The label shown to contractors for the review option |
| Review Price | The additional charge for the score review step. Must be greater than \$0 when score review is enabled. |
A standard price of $0 creates a free accreditation — contractors go through a no-charge confirmation flow with no billing address or Stripe redirect. If score review is enabled, the review price must be greater than $0 regardless of the standard price.
### Insurance requirements
Each template can specify which insurance types contractors/suppliers must hold and the minimum coverage amount for each. These requirements drive insurance visibility and validation across the platform — see [How insurance requirements work](/guides/key-concepts#how-insurance-requirements-work) for the full lifecycle.
#### Configuring insurance requirements
Navigate to **Templates** and open the template you want to configure.
The **Insurance Requirements** card appears below the template's sections and questions.
Click **Add Requirement**. Select an insurance type from the dropdown and enter the minimum coverage amount (in NZD). Only insurance types not already added to this template are available.
Save the template. The insurance requirements are stored and apply to all evaluations using this template.
Each requirement specifies:
| Field | Description |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Insurance Type | The type of insurance (e.g. Public Liability, Professional Indemnity) selected from the system-wide insurance types list |
| Minimum Coverage | The minimum coverage amount required (in NZD) |
You can edit or remove existing requirements using the edit and delete icons next to each row.
Insurance requirements are configured per template. When a company has evaluations under multiple templates, the system uses the **highest** minimum coverage amount if the same insurance type appears in more than one template.
Changes to insurance requirements on a template do not affect evaluations already in progress. They apply to new evaluations and to the insurance visibility for active certifications linked to this template.
## Editing Templates
### Modifying Content
1. Open the template
2. Make changes to sections or questions
3. Save changes
4. Changes apply to new evaluations only
Editing active templates doesn't affect evaluations already in progress.
## Managing Sections
### Adding a Section
1. Click **Add Section**
2. Enter section name
3. Add description (optional)
The new section is appended to the end of the template. Reorder sections using drag and drop after adding.
### Reordering Sections
Sections are reordered via **drag and drop** using the grip handle on each section row. Keyboard navigation is also supported — select a section and use **ArrowUp** / **ArrowDown** to move it. The new order is saved automatically.
## Question Bank
### Viewing Questions
Navigate to **Questions** to see all questions.
| Column | Description |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| (Checkbox) | Select questions for bulk actions |
| Internal Name | The internal label for the question |
| Client | The client the question belongs to |
| Number | Question reference number |
| Question | The question text shown to contractors |
| Configuration | Badges showing type, scoring settings, and other configuration |
| Usage | Templates that use this question |
| Actions | Edit or delete the question |
### Creating Questions
1. Click **Create Question**
2. Enter question text
3. Select question type
4. Configure options (for select types)
5. Add help text (optional)
6. Save
### Question Types
| Type | Use Case |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------- |
| Text | Short free-form responses |
| Text Area | Longer free-form responses |
| Yes/No | Binary questions |
| Select | Select one option from a list |
| Multi Select | Select multiple options from a list |
| File | Document submission |
| Date | Date selection |
| Number | Numeric input |
### Editing Questions
1. Find the question
2. Click to edit
3. Modify as needed
4. Save changes
Editing a question updates it everywhere it's used.
## Adding Questions to Templates
### From Question Bank
1. Open template
2. Navigate to target section
3. Click **Add Question**
4. Search/browse question bank
5. Select question(s)
6. Add to section
## Question Settings
Each question in a template has per-template settings that control how it behaves within that template:
| Setting | Description |
| -------- | -------------------------- |
| Required | Must be answered to submit |
| Optional | Can be skipped |
The following settings are configured on the question itself in the Question Bank and apply wherever the question is used — they are not per-template overrides:
| Setting | Description |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Help Text | Guidance for contractors, set on the question in the Question Bank |
| Hidden from Report | Excludes the question and its answer from the generated report, set on the question in the Question Bank |
### Hidden-from-report questions
The **Hidden from Report** toggle prevents a question and its answer from appearing in the final evaluation report. This is useful when you need to collect information that should not be visible in the report shared with third parties.
Common use cases:
* **Internal data collection** — gather operational data from contractors that is only needed for internal analysis
* **Sensitive information** — collect data that is required for assessment but should not appear in external-facing reports
Enabling **Hidden from Report** automatically forces the question to **non-scoring**. Hidden questions do not contribute to the evaluation score.
To enable:
1. Open the template and navigate to the question
2. Open the question settings
3. Toggle **Hidden from Report** on
4. Save
## Template directives & expectations
Directives are formal expectations or commitments that you can attach to a template. When a template has directives enabled, contractors must review and accept them before they can submit an evaluation. This ensures that contractors acknowledge key obligations before proceeding.
### Enabling directives on a template
1. Open the template
2. Navigate to the **Directives** tab
3. Toggle **Enable Directives & Expectations** on
4. Enter a **title** for the directives section (e.g. "Health & Safety Commitments")
5. Compose your directive content in the **HTML editor**
6. Attach any supporting files or links (optional)
7. Save
### Writing directive content
The directives content field is an HTML editor that supports rich formatting. You can:
* Write formatted text with headings, lists, and tables
* Add **hyperlinks** inline using the editor's link tool — useful for linking to external policies, legislation, or reference material
* Structure multiple obligations within a single directives section using headings or numbered lists
Use clear, specific language. If your directives cover multiple obligations, use numbered lists or headings to make each one distinct and easy to review.
### Attaching files and links
You can attach up to **20 assets** to a template's directives. Each asset is either a file or an external link:
| Asset type | Description |
| ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **File** | A downloadable document (e.g. PDF policy, compliance checklist) selected from your customer files. |
| **Link** | An external URL (e.g. link to legislation, an online policy portal). |
Each asset requires a **label** — this is the display text contractors see (e.g. "Download H\&S Policy PDF" or "View compliance guidelines").
#### Attaching a file
Files must be uploaded to **Settings > Files** before they can be attached to directives.
1. If you haven't already, navigate to **Settings** and select the **Files** tab, then upload the document
2. Return to the template's **Directives** tab
3. Use the **Add from customer files** dropdown to select the file — only files not already attached are shown
4. The file is added with an auto-generated label based on the filename. You can change the label if needed.
5. Save
The **Add from customer files** dropdown only shows files uploaded via **Settings > Files**. If the file you need isn't listed, upload it there first.
#### Attaching a link
1. In the **Directives** tab, enter the URL (must start with `http://` or `https://`)
2. Enter a descriptive label
3. Click **Add Link**
4. Save
Contractors see all attached assets alongside the directive content and can download files or follow links before accepting.
### How directives work
* Contractors see the full directives section (title, content, and assets) before the submission step
* Contractors must accept the directives as a whole before they can submit
* Acceptance is timestamped and the accepting user is recorded
* Assessors can view whether directives were accepted and when during their review
* The accept action is idempotent — if a contractor has already accepted, no change occurs
### Use cases
| Use case | Example |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Health & safety commitments | Attach your H\&S policy PDF and require contractors to acknowledge compliance |
| Compliance obligations | Link to relevant legislation and require confirmation of understanding |
| Terms of service | Include full terms in the HTML editor with a link to the latest version online |
| Site-specific requirements | Attach site induction documents that contractors must review before submitting |
Directives are configured per template. All evaluations using that template inherit the same directives. Changes to directives on a template do not affect evaluations already in progress.
## Importing and exporting questions
Question import and export are available via the Admin API only. There is no import or export UI in the admin dashboard at this time.
## Deleting Templates
To delete a template:
1. Navigate to **Templates**
2. Find the template you want to delete
3. Click the delete action
4. Confirm the deletion
Templates that are currently assigned as live templates to categories cannot be deleted. You must first unlink the template from all categories before deletion. The system will display an error message if the template is still in use.
When a template is deleted, it is removed from the active template list. Evaluations already in progress using that template are not affected.
## Best Practices
Write clear, unambiguous questions. Include help text for complex topics.
* Use consistent terminology
* Group related questions
* Test templates before use
* Review templates periodically
## Next Steps
Learn about managing contractor companies