With Ezus, you can use reusable templates to create personalized travel documents without rebuilding the layout for every project. The template provides the presentation, while the information entered in Ezus supplies the content.
This article focuses on Slides documents and HTML webpages. Invoices, detailed quotes, and other document types follow separate workflows.
1. What is a document template?
A document template is the reusable starting point for your documents. It defines how information should be presented: the layout, text formatting, images, and placement of content.
You can use the same template for different projects while keeping a consistent presentation.
To understand how this works, distinguish between the template, the source information, and the generated document.
Element | What it represents | Example |
Template | The reusable design and configuration. | A proposal layout with a cover, a program presentation, and accommodation information. |
Source information | The information the template is configured to retrieve from Ezus. | The project title, the program descriptions, or information about an accommodation. |
Generated document | The result created using the selected template and the relevant information. | A proposal prepared for a particular customer and project. |
Static content and variables
A template can contain two different types of content.
Static content is entered directly in the template. It remains the same unless you edit it. For example, a heading such as “What you can do on the ground” can be static text.
Variables identify information that Ezus should retrieve when generating the document. Instead of typing a project title into every proposal, you insert the variable that retrieves that information.
To Learn more see our article ✍️ Getting started with variables, which explains how to recognize variables, where to find them, and how to choose the right one.
💡 Use static content for wording that should remain the same across your documents. Use a variable when the information should come from Ezus and may differ between projects.
2. Should I use Slides or HTML?
Ezus offers two main formats for presenting your project information: Slides / Proposals and HTML / Web Pages. Both use information from Ezus to generate personalized travel documents, but they offer different possibilities depending on how you want to present and share your proposal.
| Slides / Proposals | HTML / Web Pages |
Format | Slide-based document using the Google Slides editing environment | Responsive webpage accessible through a link |
Editing | Fully editable using Google Slides tools | Generating a Web Page does not require HTML knowledge, but modifying the template requires HTML/CSS |
Export | Exportable to PowerPoint and PDF | Can include a PDF export option |
Sharing | Can also be shared online | Shared online through a link |
Design | Visual, page-based layout available in Portrait and Landscape | More modern, responsive and dynamic, with greater flexibility for design and animations |
Content & layout | Content needs to fit within fixed pages, so text length can affect the layout | Content and layout can adapt more dynamically to different screen sizes |
Internet connection | Exported files can be accessed offline | Requires an internet connection |
Best suited for | Editable presentations, PowerPoint/PDF outputs and fixed-page layouts | Dynamic and responsive online travel proposals |
💡 Choose Slides when you need an editable document, PowerPoint/PDF output or a presentation based on fixed pages. Choose HTML when you want a more dynamic and responsive online experience for your customer.
3. How does the template connect to my project?
Your generated document combines information from different areas of Ezus with the variables and configuration defined in your template.
A useful way to understand the process is:
Project / Builder → Catalogue → Template & Variables → Generated Document
Project / Builder
Start by checking the information entered in your Project / Builder.
Make sure the relevant project information is complete, including the texts, destinations and other information you expect to display in the document.
Catalogue
Some information used in your documents comes from items stored in your Catalogue.
If information related to an accommodation, transport, activity or another catalogue item is missing from the generated document, check that the information exists correctly in the corresponding catalogue item.
Template and variables
The template determines which information is retrieved and how it is displayed.
Variables connect the template with information stored in Ezus. However, not every variable refers to the same source or level of information.
A variable may refer to the project as a whole, a particular day, a supplier or a product within the program. Other variables relate to the customer, travelers, user or account.
💡 In general, our templates retrieve Steps, Accommodations and Transports with their titles and long descriptions from the Program, rather than directly from the Supplier or Product level.
👉 Related article: Getting started with variables
3.1 When information is missing from your document
Before modifying your template, check:
Is the information correctly entered in the Project / Builder?
Are the relevant texts, destinations and other project information filled in?
Does the information exist correctly in the Catalogue?
Is the template using the correct variable or custom field for that information?
After correcting the source information, have you regenerated the document and checked the result?
⚠️ A document generated from an incomplete test project is not enough to determine whether the template works correctly. Always check the source information before changing or replacing a variable.
For more detailed troubleshooting, see Slides Troubleshooting and Webpages Troubleshooting
What should I read next?
Continue with Generate and check a document on Ezus to create your first output from an existing template.
For more detail about selecting and using variables, read Getting started with variables.