Copying a Template Master Style

It is true that once you select a default template for your entire site, any changes you make to the settings of that template will be applied to all pages on your site. You can, however, make a copy of a template style, create unique settings to that copy, and then assign the copy of that template style to different pages on your site. You can, for example, use the Cloudbase 2.0 template on different pages, but the template looks differently because there are two different templates. This article explains the concept of the master template, how to select a default template, how to copy a template style, and how to assign different templates to different pages.

What is a Master Template?

Selecting a Default Template

Copying a Template Style

Assigning Different Template Styles to Different Pages

What is a Master Template?

You may have noticed that, if you install a new template into your Template Manager, occasionally it may be marked with a "Master" icon.

The master template style is the default settings for that template. You can make the template the default template for your entire site and have the settings be the same for all pages on that site, or you can make a copy of the master template in order to use the same template on different pages, but configure the template differently. You can generally copy the master template style as many times as you'd like.

Selecting a Default Template

To select a default template for your site, move the golden star icon in the "Default" column inside your Template Manager.

This will mean that this template will be used on all pages of your site unless you copy the template or select a different template to feature on different pages. Read more to learn how to copy a template style.

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Copying a Template Style

To copy a template style, select the template style that you d like to copy by clicking on the box next to the template's name, and then clicking on the "Duplicate" button in toolbar. For the purpose of this article, we will make a copy of the Cloudbase 2.0 template.

A blue message should appear and a copy of the template will appear in the list of template styles. To create settings for the copied template style, click on the name of the copied style.

Use the options available for that specific template to edit the template. It may appear that the items are not accessible. But you simply have to check the box next to the item you'd like to modify, and then make your change. This will overwrite any setting in your master template style. For the purpose of this article, we will turn off the main body position. You may also want to change the "Style Name". This is useful if you have several copies of the same template, and you want to stay organized. Be sure to save the template after you change settings.

Returning to the Template Manager you'll see your renamed copy of the template style

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Assigning Different Template Styles to Different Pages

Once you've copied the master template and created and saved the settings you'd like, you can assign that template to one or more pages specifically. To do this, open the template style, click on the "Assignments" tab, and then select the menu items that you'd like to feature the copy of the template. For the purpose of this article, we will use the copy of the template we made and apply it to the "About Us" page on our Main Menu. This is a Featured Articles menu item type, and doing this will turn off the main body position with in that page only. Any pages that we leave unselected will feature the default template that we've already chosen. Be sure to save your work.

If you return to your Template Manager, you will notice that copy of the template has been assigned to a specific page.

Now you can return to the front end of your site. Visit your different menu items, and you'll see the template appear differently on different pages.

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