📖 Essentials
⚡ Productivity
📄 Template Basics

Template Basics

Get started with Lokus templates to speed up content creation and maintain consistency across your notes.

What Are Templates?

Templates are reusable content patterns that help you:

  • Create consistent structure for similar types of notes
  • Save time by not rewriting common content
  • Include dynamic information like dates and times automatically
  • Maintain professional standards across all your content

Quick Start with Templates

Using Your First Template

  1. Open Command Palette: Press ⌘K
  2. Find Templates: Type "template" or "insert template"
  3. Browse Available: See list of available templates
  4. Select and Insert: Choose one and press Enter
  5. Automatic Processing: Variables are replaced automatically

Basic Template Variables

Templates use special placeholders that get replaced with real data:

  • {{date}} - Today's date (2024-03-15)
  • {{time}} - Current time (14:30)
  • {{user}} - Your username
  • {{cursor}} - Where your cursor will be placed after insertion

Example: Simple Daily Note Template

# Daily Note - {{date}}
 
## Today's Goals
{{cursor}}
 
## What I Learned
 
 
## Tomorrow's Priorities
- [ ] 
- [ ] 
- [ ] 
 
---
Created at {{time}} by {{user}}

When inserted, this becomes:

# Daily Note - 2024-03-15
 
## Today's Goals
[cursor positioned here]
 
## What I Learned
 
 
## Tomorrow's Priorities
- [ ] 
- [ ] 
- [ ] 
 
---
Created at 14:30 by john

Common Template Use Cases

Meeting Notes

# {{date}} - Meeting Notes
 
**Attendees**: {{cursor}}
**Time**: {{time}}
 
## Agenda
1. 
2. 
3. 
 
## Notes
 
 
## Action Items
- [ ] **Owner**: Task - Due: 
- [ ] **Owner**: Task - Due: 
 
## Next Meeting
**Date**: 
**Agenda**:

Project Planning

# Project: [PROJECT NAME]
 
**Start Date**: {{date}}
**Created by**: {{user}}
 
## Overview
{{cursor}}
 
## Goals
- [ ] Goal 1
- [ ] Goal 2
- [ ] Goal 3
 
## Timeline
- **Week 1**: 
- **Week 2**: 
- **Week 3**: 
- **Week 4**: 
 
## Resources
- 
 
## Success Metrics
-

Weekly Review

# Week of {{date}}
 
## Wins This Week
{{cursor}}
 
## Challenges
 
 
## Lessons Learned
 
 
## Next Week's Focus
- [ ] Priority 1
- [ ] Priority 2
- [ ] Priority 3
 
## Metrics
- **Goals Completed**: / 
- **Key Metrics**: 
 
---
Review completed at {{time}}

Finding and Using Templates

Template Discovery

  • Command Palette: ⌘K → "template" shows all available
  • Search by Name: Type partial template names to filter
  • Recent Templates: Recently used templates appear first
  • Category Browsing: Templates organized by type

Template Insertion Process

  1. Position Cursor: Place cursor where you want the template
  2. Access Templates: Use Command Palette (⌘K → "template")
  3. Select Template: Browse and choose the template you need
  4. Automatic Insertion: Template content appears with variables processed
  5. Start Writing: Cursor positioned at {{cursor}} location

Creating Your Own Templates

Simple Template Creation

  1. Create New File: Make a new .md file for your template
  2. Add Content: Write your template with variables
  3. Save in Templates Folder: Save to your templates directory
  4. Use Immediately: Available in Command Palette right away

Template File Example

Create a file called book-notes-template.md:

# Book Notes: [BOOK TITLE]
 
**Author**: 
**Date Started**: {{date}}
**Rating**: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
 
## Summary
{{cursor}}
 
## Key Takeaways
- 
- 
- 
 
## Favorite Quotes
> 
 
## My Thoughts
 
 
## Action Items
- [ ] 
- [ ] 
 
---
Notes created {{time}} by {{user}}

Template Best Practices

  • Clear Structure: Use headings and sections consistently
  • Helpful Placeholders: Include example text in brackets [LIKE THIS]
  • Smart Cursor Placement: Put {{cursor}} where users will start typing
  • Include Context: Add helpful prompts and examples
  • Test Your Templates: Use them yourself to find improvements

Variable Reference

Built-in Variables

VariableOutputExample
{{date}}Current date2024-03-15
{{time}}Current time14:30
{{user}}System usernamejohn
{{cursor}}Cursor position(invisible)

Date Formatting

You can format dates in different ways:

  • {{date}} - Default format (YYYY-MM-DD)
  • {{date:MMMM Do, YYYY}} - March 15th, 2024
  • {{date:dddd}} - Friday
  • {{date:MM/DD/YY}} - 03/15/24

Time Formatting

Different time formats available:

  • {{time}} - 24-hour format (14:30)
  • {{time:h:mm A}} - 12-hour format (2:30 PM)
  • {{time:HH:mm:ss}} - With seconds (14:30:45)

Template Organization

Template Folders

Organize templates into categories:

Templates/
├── Daily/
│   ├── daily-note.md
│   ├── journal-entry.md
│   └── standup-notes.md
├── Projects/
│   ├── project-kickoff.md
│   ├── sprint-planning.md
│   └── retrospective.md
├── Meetings/
│   ├── one-on-one.md
│   ├── team-meeting.md
│   └── client-call.md
└── Personal/
    ├── book-notes.md
    ├── recipe.md
    └── travel-planning.md

Template Naming

  • Descriptive Names: meeting-notes-template.md not template1.md
  • Category Prefixes: daily-standup.md, project-kickoff.md
  • Version Control: v1-meeting-notes.md for different versions
  • Consistent Format: Use same naming pattern across all templates

Advanced Template Features

Multiple Cursor Positions

Use numbered cursor positions for complex templates:

# {{1:Project Name}}
 
**Start Date**: {{date}}
**Owner**: {{2:Project Owner}}
 
## Overview
{{3:cursor}}
 
## Next Steps
{{4:}}

Conditional Content

Templates can include optional sections:

# Meeting Notes - {{date}}
 
{{#if standup}}
## Standup Format
- What did you do yesterday?
- What will you do today?  
- Any blockers?
{{/if}}
 
## Notes
{{cursor}}

Template Inheritance

Create base templates that other templates can extend:

<!-- Base meeting template -->
# {{title}} - {{date}}
**Time**: {{time}}
**Attendees**: {{attendees}}
 
{{content}}
 
---
Created by {{user}}

Integration with Workflow

Daily Workflow

  1. Morning: Use daily note template to plan day
  2. Meetings: Insert meeting template for each meeting
  3. Projects: Use project templates for new initiatives
  4. Evening: Weekly review template for reflection

Template Shortcuts

  • Memorize Key Templates: Know your most-used template names
  • Quick Access: ⌘K → "daily" for daily note template
  • Muscle Memory: Build habits around template usage
  • Customize for Speed: Adjust templates to reduce typing

Troubleshooting Templates

Common Issues

  • Variables Not Working: Check {{variable}} syntax is correct
  • Template Not Found: Verify file is in templates directory
  • Cursor Not Positioned: Ensure {{cursor}} is included
  • Formatting Issues: Check Markdown syntax in template

Template Debugging

  • Test in Isolation: Try template variables individually
  • Check File Location: Ensure template files are accessible
  • Syntax Validation: Verify all brackets and syntax are correct
  • Variable Spelling: Double-check variable names for typos

Next Steps

Ready to go deeper with templates?

Templates are one of Lokus's most powerful productivity features. Start with simple templates and gradually build a library that matches your unique workflow needs.

⌘ Command Palette⌨️ Essential Shortcuts