Template Fields

Fields define what information users enter when creating a matter. Each field has a type that determines how it’s displayed and validated.

Field Definition

Every field has these properties:

"field_name": {
  "type": "text",
  "label": "Display Label",
  "required": true,
  "help": "Optional help text shown below the field"
}

Property	Required	Description
type	Yes	The field type (see below)
label	Yes	Label shown to users
required	No	Whether the field must be filled (default: false)
help	No	Explanatory text shown below the field

Field Types

text

A single-line text input. Use for names, references, and short text.

"given_names": {
  "type": "text",
  "label": "Given Names",
  "required": true
}

In documents: {{ client.given_names }}

textarea

A multi-line text area. Use for addresses, notes, or longer text.

"notes": {
  "type": "textarea",
  "label": "File Notes",
  "required": false
}

In documents: {{ matter.notes }}

date

A date picker. Stores dates in ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD).

"date_of_birth": {
  "type": "date",
  "label": "Date of Birth",
  "required": false
}

In documents:

• Raw: {{ client.date_of_birth }} → “2026-01-15”
• Formatted: {{ client.date_of_birth | date("%-d %B %Y") }} → “15 January 2026”

Tip

Common date formats:

• %-d %B %Y → 15 January 2026
• %d/%m/%Y → 15/01/2026
• %B %Y → January 2026

currency

A number input formatted as currency.

"purchase_price": {
  "type": "currency",
  "label": "Purchase Price",
  "required": true
}

In documents: {{ matter.purchase_price }} → “$150,000.00”

number

A numeric input (no currency formatting).

"number_of_beneficiaries": {
  "type": "number",
  "label": "Number of Beneficiaries",
  "required": false
}

In documents: {{ estate.number_of_beneficiaries }}

phone

A phone number input.

"phone": {
  "type": "phone",
  "label": "Phone Number",
  "required": false
}

In documents: {{ client.phone }}

email

An email address input with validation.

"email": {
  "type": "email",
  "label": "Email Address",
  "required": false
}

In documents: {{ client.email }}

select

A dropdown menu with predefined options.

"state": {
  "type": "select",
  "label": "State",
  "options": ["NSW", "VIC", "QLD", "SA", "WA", "TAS", "NT", "ACT"],
  "required": true
}

In documents: {{ client.state }}

boolean

A yes/no checkbox.

"has_will": {
  "type": "boolean",
  "label": "Deceased had a Will",
  "required": false
}

In documents: {{ estate.has_will }} → “true” or “false”

Note

For conditional text in documents, use Jinja2 conditionals:

{% if estate.has_will %}The deceased left a Will dated...{% endif %}

Layout Properties

width

Controls field width for multi-column layouts. When multiple fields share the same row, narrower widths let them sit side by side.

Value	Width	Use for
"full"	100% (default)	Addresses, notes, long text
"half"	50%	Names, dates, phone numbers
"third"	33%	State, postcode, short codes

{
  "key": "client.given_names",
  "type": "text",
  "label": "Given Names",
  "width": "half"
},
{
  "key": "client.surname",
  "type": "text",
  "label": "Surname",
  "width": "half"
}

quick_entry

Mark a field with "quick_entry": true to include it in the Quick Entry panel. Quick Entry mode presents only the most essential fields so users can capture key information fast and fill in remaining details later.

{
  "key": "client.surname",
  "type": "text",
  "label": "Surname",
  "required": true,
  "quick_entry": true
}

Tip

Good candidates for quick_entry are client name, matter type, property address, and any field needed to name the folder correctly.

Optional Properties

help

Explanatory text shown below the field:

"re_line": {
  "type": "text",
  "label": "Re: Line",
  "help": "Brief description used in folder naming and correspondence"
}

placeholder

Placeholder text shown in empty fields:

"email": {
  "type": "email",
  "label": "Email",
  "placeholder": "[email protected]"
}

default

Default value pre-filled in the field:

"state": {
  "type": "select",
  "label": "State",
  "options": ["NSW", "VIC", "QLD", "SA", "WA", "TAS", "NT", "ACT"],
  "default": "NSW"
}

Field Naming Conventions

Structure

Fields are organised into blocks:

{{ block_name.field_name }}

Common block names:

• client — Client information
• matter — Matter details
• estate — Estate-specific (for Estates template)
• property — Property details (for Conveyancing)

Boolean Naming Conventions

Boolean fields follow a standard naming pattern that enables automatic inverse field generation:

Prefix	Meaning	Example
is_*	State or characteristic	property.is_strata, sale.is_auction
has_*	Presence of something	property.has_pool, client.has_poa

For each is_* field, Certum Draft automatically creates a not_* inverse. For each has_* field, it creates a no_* inverse. You can also define additional inverses explicitly using the hidden_fields array in matter.json:

"hidden_fields": [
  { "key": "property.is_not_strata", "inverse_of": "property.is_strata" }
]

Hidden fields do not appear in forms but are available in document templates.

Best Practices

Do	Don’t
client.full_name	clientFullName
matter.settlement_date	settlementDate
estate.deceased_name	deceased
property.is_strata	strata_yn
client.has_poa	poa_exists

Use lowercase with underscores. Be descriptive but concise.

Reference Fields

Reference fields display a read-only mirror of a field defined in another block. They’re perfect for creating “checklist” blocks that show all the data needed for a specific letter in one place.

{
  "key": "ref.is_strata",
  "label": "Property is Strata",
  "type": "reference",
  "reference_key": "property.is_strata"
}

Property	Required	Description
type	Yes	Must be "reference"
label	Yes	Label shown to users
reference_key	Yes	The dot-notation key of the source field (e.g., "property.is_strata")

Reference fields:

• Show the current value of the source field in real time
• Display a Ref badge to distinguish them from editable fields
• Render boolean values as disabled checkboxes for quick visual confirmation
• Include a navigation arrow that jumps to the source block for editing
• Should never be marked as required — they don’t represent data entry
• Don’t affect completion tracking

Tip

Use reference fields to build a “checklist” block for data-heavy letters. For example, a “Sending Contract Checklist” block can mirror all the boolean flags and key fields that control the letter’s conditional paragraphs, so the user can verify everything at a glance before generating the document.

Example: Letter Checklist Block

{
  "name": "Sending Contract Checklist",
  "description": "Quick reference for the Letter to Client Sending Contract",
  "workflow_stage": "contract",
  "collapsed": true,
  "fields": [
    { "key": "ref.is_strata", "label": "Property is Strata", "type": "reference", "reference_key": "property.is_strata" },
    { "key": "ref.swimming_pool", "label": "Has Swimming Pool", "type": "reference", "reference_key": "property.swimming_pool" },
    { "key": "ref.is_auction", "label": "Sale by Auction", "type": "reference", "reference_key": "sale.is_auction" },
    { "key": "ref.agency_name", "label": "Agent", "type": "reference", "reference_key": "agent.agency_name" }
  ]
}

Computed Fields

Some fields are calculated from other fields using the computed_from property:

{
  "key": "client.full_name",
  "type": "text",
  "label": "Full Name",
  "computed_from": "{client.title} {client.given_names} {client.surname}"
}

The value is recalculated automatically whenever any of its source fields change.

Computed Functions

In addition to simple interpolation ({field1} {field2}), you can use these functions:

Function	Description	Example
uppercase()	Converts to uppercase	uppercase({client.surname})
join_non_empty()	Joins non-empty values with a separator	join_non_empty(", ", {client.suburb}, {client.state}, {client.postcode})
choose()	Returns first matching value (2, 3, or 4 args)	choose({property.is_strata}, "Strata", "Torrens")
scale()	Multiplies a currency/number by a factor	scale({purchase.price}, 0.1)
multiply()	Multiplies two values	multiply({loan.rate}, {loan.principal})
date_add()	Adds days to a date	date_add({matter.exchange_date}, 42)

{
  "key": "purchase.deposit_amount",
  "type": "currency",
  "label": "Deposit (10%)",
  "computed_from": "scale({purchase.price}, 0.1)"
}

{
  "key": "matter.settlement_date",
  "type": "date",
  "label": "Settlement Date",
  "computed_from": "date_add({matter.exchange_date}, 42)"
}

Auto-Injected Date Variables

Certum Draft automatically provides these date variables in every template context — you do not need to define them as fields:

Variable	Format	Example
today.date_long	Full date	”6 April 2026”
today.date_short	Short date	”06/04/2026”
today.year	Year only	”2026”

Use them in document templates:

This letter is dated {{ today.date_long }}.

Common computed fields:

• full_name — Combines title, given names, and surname
• address — Combines street, suburb, state, postcode

Required vs Optional

Mark fields as required: true when:

• The field is essential for most documents
• Missing data would cause obvious problems

Mark fields as required: false when:

• The field is only needed sometimes
• Not all matters have this information

Tip

Err on the side of optional. Users can always add information later, but required fields they don’t have can block progress.

Example: Complete Client Block

"client": {
  "label": "Client Details",
  "fields": {
    "title": {
      "type": "select",
      "label": "Title",
      "options": ["Mr", "Mrs", "Ms", "Dr", "Prof"],
      "required": false
    },
    "given_names": {
      "type": "text",
      "label": "Given Names",
      "required": true
    },
    "surname": {
      "type": "text",
      "label": "Surname",
      "required": true
    },
    "full_name": {
      "type": "computed",
      "label": "Full Name"
    },
    "date_of_birth": {
      "type": "date",
      "label": "Date of Birth",
      "required": false
    },
    "street_address": {
      "type": "text",
      "label": "Street Address",
      "required": true
    },
    "suburb": {
      "type": "text",
      "label": "Suburb",
      "required": true
    },
    "state": {
      "type": "select",
      "label": "State",
      "options": ["NSW", "VIC", "QLD", "SA", "WA", "TAS", "NT", "ACT"],
      "required": true,
      "default": "NSW"
    },
    "postcode": {
      "type": "text",
      "label": "Postcode",
      "required": true
    },
    "phone": {
      "type": "phone",
      "label": "Phone",
      "required": false
    },
    "email": {
      "type": "email",
      "label": "Email",
      "required": false
    }
  }
}