Templates: System & Custom
ChatCrafterAI gives you two ways to work with templates: System Templates (pre-made by our team) and Custom Templates (made by you). This guide explains what each is, when to use them, and how to work with them.What’s the Difference?
Think of it like cooking:- System Templates = Proven recipes from a professional chef (ready to follow)
- Custom Templates = Your own recipes (created by you, exactly how you like)
System Templates (ChatCrafterAI Built-In)
What are they? Pre-made, professional templates created by ChatCrafterAI’s team. They’re based on patterns that work for thousands of businesses. Who Made Them? ChatCrafterAI’s designers and product team Can You Edit Them? No—they’re read-only. But you can copy them and customize the copy. What They Include:- Professional layout and flow
- Best practice conversation patterns
- Example components already configured
- All you need to get started
- General Assistant
- Customer Support Agent
- Sales Lead Generator
- E-Commerce Assistant
- Fitness Coach
- HR Support Agent
- And more…
- Browse available system templates
- Find one that matches your needs
- Click “Use This Template”
- System creates a copy for you
- Customize your copy with your content
- Save and use
- ✓ Save 60-80% of time vs building from scratch
- ✓ Proven conversation patterns that work
- ✓ Professional design
- ✓ Best practices built in
- ✓ Fast way to get your first agent live
- ✓ Good learning examples if you’re new
- Find the “E-Commerce Assistant” system template
- Click “Use This Template”
- Add your product names and prices
- Add your shipping policies
- Save
- Deploy to your website
- Start helping customers immediately
Custom Templates (You Create)
What are they? Templates built by you from scratch (or modified from a system template). 100% yours, designed exactly how you want. Who Makes Them? You do! Your team creates custom templates in the Rich Message Builder. Can You Edit Them? Yes—always. You own them completely. What You Need to Create Them:- Access to Rich Message Builder
- Clear idea of what you want
- 30 minutes to a few hours depending on complexity
- Patience for testing
- Your specialized sales qualification flow
- Your unique customer support process
- A niche industry agent (medical clinic scheduler, lawyer consultation, etc.)
- A multi-step process unique to your business
- Variations on system templates
- Open Rich Message Builder
- Start with blank canvas
- Add components (Quick Replies, Forms, etc.)
- Design flow logic (what happens when)
- Test in Chatlab
- Save as custom template
- Reuse across multiple agents
- ✓ Full control—design exactly what you want
- ✓ Specialized—perfect for your unique needs
- ✓ Reusable—save and use across agents
- ✓ Shareable—can share with team members
- ✓ Iterative—improve over time based on customer feedback
- Asks which doctor they want
- Asks their insurance type
- Shows available appointment times
- Confirms appointment
- Sends confirmation email
- Create custom template from scratch
- Design all 5 steps
- Save as “Medical Clinic Scheduler”
- Use it for all your clinic agents
- Update it if your process changes
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Aspect | System Template | Custom Template |
|---|---|---|
| Who Creates | ChatCrafterAI Team | You |
| Can Edit | No (copy only) | Yes (full control) |
| Design Time | 0 (already done) | 30 min to 2+ hours |
| Setup for Use | 15-20 min | 0 min (already done) |
| Customization Effort | Fill in your content | Built exactly as you want |
| Best For | Standard use cases | Unique/specialized needs |
| Learning Curve | See working examples | You decide what’s best |
| Improvements | ChatAI may update | You control updates |
| Visibility | Everyone sees them | Only you/your team |
| Examples | Sales Lead Form | Medical Scheduler |
When to Use Each
Use System Templates If:
- This is your first agent
- You want to get something live quickly
- Your needs match a standard use case
- You want to see how conversations should flow
- You’re learning how the builder works
- You have limited time
Use Custom Templates If:
- Your needs are specialized or unique
- No system template matches exactly
- You want full control over every detail
- You have a specific business process to follow
- You’re comfortable with the Rich Message Builder
- You want to reuse a design across multiple agents
System Templates in Detail
What’s Included in Each System Template
Every system template comes with: Example Components- Pre-configured Quick Replies, Forms, Carousels, etc.
- Ready-to-see examples of how to use each component
- You can delete and replace with your own
- Working example of conversation flow
- Shows how components connect
- You can copy, modify, or rebuild
- Professional conversation structure
- Proper welcome/goodbye messages
- Good error handling
- What to customize first
- What information you need
- Estimated time to customize
Popular System Templates Explained
General Assistant Template- Use for: Any general-purpose agent
- Includes: Welcome, quick menu, contact form, help options
- Customize: Menu items, company info, contact details
- Time: 15-20 minutes
- Use for: Help desk, FAQ agents, customer questions
- Includes: Issue categories, ticket form, FAQ lookup
- Customize: Your issue types, your FAQs, escalation rules
- Time: 20-30 minutes
- Use for: Generate and qualify leads, demo requests
- Includes: Lead capture form, pricing options, scheduling
- Customize: Your products/services, pricing, qualifying questions
- Time: 25-40 minutes
- Use for: Online stores, product inquiry, order help
- Includes: Product carousel, order tracker, return form
- Customize: Your products, policies, integrations
- Time: 30-45 minutes
- Use for: Schedule consultations, classes, appointments
- Includes: Calendar picker, confirmation, reminders
- Customize: Your calendar, confirmation message, time slots
- Time: 15-25 minutes
How to Use a System Template
Step 1: Browse
- Open Rich Message Builder
- Look for “Browse System Templates” section
- See cards showing each template
- Read title, description, time estimate
Step 2: Pick
- Click on a template that matches your needs
- Read more details
- See the preview
- Decide if it’s right for you
Step 3: Use
- Click “Use This Template” button
- System creates a copy
- Opens the copy in the builder
- Your copy is now ready to customize
Step 4: Customize Your Copy
Your copy is completely separate from the original system template.- Edit the name: “Sales Lead Form” → “Tech Sales Lead Form”
- Delete components you don’t need
- Add your company info, products, questions, etc.
- Modify the flow logic
- Add your branding
Step 5: Save
- Click “Save Template”
- Your customized version is saved
- You now own this version
- System template stays unchanged
Creating Custom Templates from Scratch
When You Might Do This:
Scenario 1: Your Needs Are Unique No system template comes close, so you design from scratch. Scenario 2: You Want to Master the Builder Build a custom template to learn how everything works. Scenario 3: You Build Something Awesome You start with a system template, make it amazing, and save it as a custom template to reuse.The Process:
-
Open Rich Message Builder
- Click “New Template”
- Choose “Start Blank” (not a system template)
-
Design in 4 Steps
- Quick Start tab: Name it, set domain
- Build tab: Add components
- Logic tab: Design flow
- Settings tab: Advanced config (optional)
-
Test
- Use Chatlab to test
- Click through every path
- Fix any issues
-
Save
- Click “Save Template”
- It’s now a custom template
- You can use it for multiple agents
-
Reuse
- Create new agents using this template
- Share with team members
- Update as needed
Best Practices
For System Templates:
- ✓ Use them as starting points, not final products
- ✓ Copy and customize, don’t use as-is
- ✓ Study them to learn conversation design
- ✓ Check multiple templates before choosing
- ✓ Remember: It’s a copy, you can modify freely
For Custom Templates:
- ✓ Start simple, add complexity gradually
- ✓ Test thoroughly before deploying
- ✓ Document what the template does
- ✓ Update based on how customers use it
- ✓ Share successful templates with your team
- ✓ Create variations for different use cases
Real-World Workflow
Example 1: Fast Path (System Template)
Example 2: Custom Path (Unique Need)
Example 3: Improvement Path (Copy → Customize → Save)
Sharing & Reusing Templates
Share a Custom Template with Your Team:
- Save template as public (in Settings tab)
- Team members can see and copy it
- Each person gets their own copy
- Changes you make don’t affect their copies
Reuse a Template Across Multiple Agents:
- Create/save a template
- When creating new agent: “Use Template”
- Pick your saved template
- Make bot-specific customizations
- Create multiple agents from same template
Getting Help
If You’re New:
- Start with a system template
- See how professionals design conversations
- Understand the patterns
- Then try creating custom templates
If You Want to Learn:
- Copy a system template
- Study its structure
- Modify small parts
- See how changes affect the flow
- Build confidence gradually
If You Get Stuck:
- Test in Chatlab to see what’s happening
- Review the Logic tab to understand flow
- Look at system template examples
- Read the “How to Create Templates” guide
Summary
| Want Quick Deployment? | Want Full Control? |
|---|---|
| Use System Template | Create Custom Template |
| Copy from our designs | Design your own flow |
| Fill in your content | Build exactly what you want |
| 20-40 minutes | 1-2 hours |
| Good for standard cases | Good for unique needs |