> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://learn.withessential.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://learn.withessential.com/field-operations/assets/recurring-service-templates-and-template-groups.md). # Recurring service templates and template groups Recurring service templates let you define a standard set of services once and reuse them, instead of rebuilding the same schedules on every asset group. They live under Settings, Recurring Service Templates — the Recurring Services page. ## Create and manage template groups Select **Add Template** to create a template group. Give the group a name, choose the **Asset Group Type** it applies to, pick an automation type (None, Automated Outreach, or Manual), and optionally turn on **Apply by Default**. Apply by Default automatically selects the template group when you create a new asset group of that type, so its services come along without extra clicks. The **Asset Group Type** choices appear alphabetically by name. Select a group header to expand it. Inside the group, **Add Recurring Service** creates a template for one service. Each template carries its **Visit Type**, frequency, **Recurring Mode** choice, due-date rounding, optional asset filter, and answer to **Can Trigger Automation?** Setting that control to **No** makes the read-only template list show **Flexible**. Use the template's edit and delete controls to change or remove it. To filter by a dropdown attribute, select **Add Filter**, choose the attribute, then choose one of its configured options under **Select value...**. Dropdown attributes use **Equal** automatically. Select **Save** to keep the filter; to change its value later, reopen the recurring service and select the saved value. ## The business-wide Recurring Mode setting The **Recurring Mode** card at the top of the same settings page sets the default mode — **Service Completion driven** or **Due Date driven** — preselected whenever someone adds a recurring service or template. The **Allow mode selection on individual services** toggle below the modes controls whether the mode selector appears; switch it off to hide the mode selector everywhere, forcing the default on schedules created from scratch from then on; existing recurring services and templates keep the mode they were saved with. A schedule created from an existing template — individually or as part of a template group — also keeps that template's own saved mode rather than switching to the newly forced default. Changes apply after you select **Save**. When existing recurring services are in the other mode, selecting **Save** opens a **Migrate existing recurring services?** dialog showing how many schedules differ from the selected default. Choose **Save & update services** to save the settings and switch those schedules — and your recurring service templates — to the default mode in one step, or **Save settings only** to leave existing schedules and templates exactly as they are. No due date moves at migration time — each schedule keeps its current next due date and simply starts following the new mode from its next completed service. The delete icon on a template group opens **Delete Template Group** and warns that deleting the group and all of its templates cannot be undone. Review the group before confirming. ### Schedule coverage When a group has a template with an asset filter, expanding the group shows a **Schedule coverage** line: how many of the business's assets of that type — across every live asset group — match at least one filtered template, and — if some match none — the values those assets carry in the filtered field, most common first (for example `“Purple K” ×8`, `no value ×3`). Nothing is blocked: an asset that matches no filtered template simply does not get those schedules. Use the list to decide what to do — correct the asset values, or add the spelling to the template's asset filter and re-apply the template. The same line appears when you add a ready-made report to an asset type that already has assets. ## Apply templates to an asset group When you add recurring services to an asset group and at least one template group for that asset group type isn't already on the group, you get an 'Add Recurring Services' dialog whose Template dropdown lists those unused template groups; choosing a group creates one recurring service for every template in it at once. Picking 'Create from scratch (no template)' from that dropdown instead opens the single 'Add Recurring Service' dialog — and because an unused template group still exists, that dialog offers its own Template dropdown of the individual templates from it, so you can pick one to fill that single schedule in for you, or choose 'Create from scratch' there to skip templates entirely. If no template group applies to the asset group's type at all — or every one is already added to the group — the single 'Add Recurring Service' dialog opens directly, with no Template dropdown; fill in the schedule from scratch. On an asset group, a group's services display together under the group name and collapse into a single summary. Editing only **Last Service or Installation Date** or **Last Due Date** keeps the services grouped and linked to the template. Changing service parameters, such as frequency, recurring mode, or the asset filter, customizes the group and shows its services individually instead. ## Update asset groups already using a template Editing a template can also update the services already created from it. When you save a change to a template that asset groups are using, Essential shows how many asset groups are affected. You can save the template only, update only the services that still match the template (services you customized afterward keep their changes), or update all services created from the template. If at least one existing service is affected and every existing service is in the same matching state, the prompt shows one update action for those existing services instead of both update choices. An **Add to *****N***** asset groups that don't have this service yet** action can still appear separately when some asset groups use the template group but are missing the service. Services that are updated have their upcoming due dates recalculated shortly after the template change. Adding a new template to a template group that asset groups already use prompts you to add the new recurring service to those asset groups as well. If no asset group uses the template group, adding the template does not show that follow-up prompt. Deleting a template asks whether to keep its existing services on their asset groups—the default—or delete those services with the template. If no existing services were created from that template, deletion affects only the template and does not show those follow-up choices. > **Where to find it:** Settings, Recurring Service Templates (under the **Asset Groups and Services** group). Templates are applied later from the Template dropdown in the Add Recurring Service dialog on an asset group. ## Related guides * [Setting up a recurring service in depth: frequency, automation, rounding, and the asset filter](/field-operations/assets/setting-up-a-recurring-service-in-depth-frequency-automation-rounding-and-the-asset-filter.md) * [Asset groups and assets: terminology and screen labels](/field-operations/assets/assets-vs-asset-groups-vs-asset-items-the-terminology.md) * [Deleting an asset group (and what it removes)](/field-operations/assets/deleting-an-asset-group-and-what-it-removes.md) * [What an asset group page shows](/field-operations/assets/what-an-asset-group-page-shows.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. 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