Template variables: the settings form for your template

A template package turns a few answers into a finished site. The template block of pgb.package.json defines the form that Studio shows. This is the same form people use in Start a project from a template.

The template block

• framework: the kind of project the template is. Use one of the supported values; the upload check lists them if yours is not accepted.
• entry: the main file, as a relative path, for example index.html.
• variables: the fields.
• groups (optional): sections of the form, each with a title and the vars it holds.
• conditions (optional): show a field only when another has a value, such as { "if": { "var": "show_pricing", "equals": true }, "show": ["pricing_note"] }.
• locked_paths (optional): files protected by default, such as src/core/**.

Field types

text, richtext, number, color, image, file, url, email, phone, select, multiselect, boolean, collection and date.

Each field can have:

• label, help and placeholder (up to 200 characters).
• required (true or false).
• default.
• min and max for numbers, and max for text length.
• options: for select and multiselect, one to 100 distinct choices.
• item: for collection, the fields of each list item. Collections cannot be nested and hold up to 50 items.

Variable names are lower-case letters, digits and underscores, starting with a letter, up to 40 characters. Names that look like secrets (containing words such as secret, password, token or key) are refused: secrets never go in variables.

Example

The PGB Business Website template groups its fields as Business, Look, Content and Contact. It has fields such as business_name (a required text), primary_color (a color), logo (an image), sections (a multiselect), show_pricing (a boolean) and services (a collection of name, description and price).

How values reach your files

Studio writes the answers to pgb.config.json and replaces {{ variable_name }} placeholders in your files with the values. Files matching locked_paths are skipped by that substitution and are read-only in the editor until the owner unlocks them.

Good to know

• Studio and the Marketplace both validate your block on upload. A mistake gives a message naming the field.
• A good default for every field makes the preview look finished on first open.
• You can build the form from a finished project with Publish as a template in Studio. See Export a project or publish it as a template.