When working in Microsoft Word to build your template, there are a few different areas where you interact with Builder: the Builder ribbon and the Word Designer (which appears differently depending on which step of the template development process you're on—the view when you first launch the Builder Word add-in and the view when you're automating a specific template).

When you first sign in to the Actionstep Builder add-in for Microsoft Word, you have a few options for how you want to proceed:

A. Choose an existing template to edit: Click this option to review a list of existing templates and select one for editing. When you view the list, individual templates are grouped under their respective catalogs/matter types. Use the Search box at the top of the list to quickly find a specific template.

B. Create a new template: Click this option to create a new DOCX template and start automating it. When doing this, you can choose which catalog (or Base model) you want to associate the template with. If the document you are in already contains your basic template text, you can use Initial content from current document as the basis for the template you are building.  Finally, if you’ve already created an app for templates like this, you can select it from the User access via app drop-down list. If you need to create a new app, leave (new) selected.

C. Go to the online Designer: This option launches the Online Workspace for Builder, which provides a holistic view into your component and template development system.

NOTE:  Once a template has been added to Builder, all interaction you have with the template is managed through the Word Designer and Builder ribbon. This includes using the Builder ribbon to 1) open the Builder copy of the template to edit it, 2) save your changes, and 3) close it. Even though you're working in a Microsoft Word window, any changes you make—including to the template file itself—are saved to and stored in Builder (as long as you use the Save option in the Builder ribbon). You can also save the file you're working on to your hard drive (by using Word's Save option), but you're simply creating a back-up of the file.

Once you have opened your template for editing, the right-side pane lists variables, templates, and formulas, depending on which options you’ve selected above the list.

A. Shows your Builder workspace name (this typically matches your Actionstep orgkey) as well as the name of the template you are currently editing. To save changes to this template to Builder, click Save in the Builder ribbon.

B. Shows additional options for working with the template:

• AI Assisted: Allows you to use AI to identify names, dates, amounts, and other information in selected Word text that can be converted into automated fields. AI can also convert existing placeholders, merge fields, and conditional text into Builder template syntax, helping you create automated documents more quickly.

• Insert IF: Provides in-depth options for making text within the template conditional or optional. As you build your conditional statement, you can view a Syntax Preview to help you ensure the condition is set up correctly.

• Matched: Displays a list below of the different conditional or list statements you've used in the template. You can then use instruction-level options (Find current, Go, Highlight) to view and interact with these instructions within the template text. For example, you can click in an opening list instruction in the template text and click Find current, and Builder will show you the matching instruction in the right-side pane. Highlight will highlight the opening and closing instructions for a list or condition in the template text, while clicking Go will move your cursor to the exact instruction in the template text. (To close the Matched list, click the X next to Find current.) Refresh updates the list to include any changes that have been made since the list was first displayed.

C. Shows options for working with your variables, including a search box to search for existing variables you can use in the template. You can also enter a new variable name in this search box and click Create to create it, format it, and insert it into the template. Finally, you can use the filter to select and show just specific types of components (i.e., variables, formulas, etc.).

D. Use this to review the list of variables, templates, and formulas available for use in this template:

• If the component is an object model, click the right arrow to expand the model and view its variables.
  
• To insert components into the template, click the three dots next to the component name and choose from the available options.
  Which options appear depends on the type of item you are inserting:

  • Insert content to document inserts the selected item at the template’s current cursor position. 

    TIP:  You can also double-click the variable to insert just the variable at the cursor position in your document. If you are inserting a variable used in an Actionstep object model, drag the variable from this list to the template.

  • Insert content with formatting inserts the variable using the formatting you select.
  • Insert list to Document inserts the component so that users can provide multiple answers to create a list. When using this option, you can choose how the list will be punctuated.
  • Insert [item] with if statements to Document inserts the variable or list conditionally.
  • Edit variable lets you edit the properties variable. (You must select a specific variable for this option to appear.)
  • Delete variable deletes the variable. (You must select a specific variable for this option to appear.)

On the Builder ribbon, you have the following additional options:

E. Use the Sign In / Sign Out options to sign in or out of Builder. Use Open side pane to display the Word Designer pane.

F. Variables section:

• Click New Variable to create and add a basic new variable to the template. (To further customize the variable beyond what’s available in the initial New Variable window, edit it in the Online Workspace.)
• Click Format All to colorize all the Builder variable and instruction fields in the template.
• Click Refresh to update the Word Designer with any changes you've made separately in the Online Workspace. This is a good way to sync your changes if you're working in both places.
• Click Go To Field to navigate to a specific variable field in the template. This is useful when you receive template errors and need help finding which field has the error. You can type the field number referenced in the error message and Builder will take you to that field in the template.

G. Template section:

• Click Save to save your Builder-related changes. Changes you save are updated in Builder.
• Click New to create a new Builder template.
• Click Open to edit an existing Builder template.

H. Click Help, which launches the Help Center in a new internet browser window.

Updated October 27, 2026 22:13