1. Introduction & Overview
The 360 InstantDocs Excel Add-In is a Microsoft Excel sidebar that connects directly to your Salesforce organization. It allows you to build smart excel sheet templates — Excel files that automatically populate with real Salesforce data when a document is generated.
Instead of manually updating every quote, contract, or proposal, you place merge tags (placeholders like {Account.Name} or {Amount}) into your Excel sheet. When a user generates a document from Salesforce, those tags are automatically replaced with live data from the selected record.
How It Works
Full Microsoft Excel Features Supported
Your templates are real .xlsx Excel files. You have complete freedom to use all standard Excel features:
The add-in simply helps you insert dynamic Salesforce placeholders (merge tags). Everything else in the document behaves exactly like a normal Excel file.
Figure 1: The 360 InstantDocs add-in panel open alongside a Excel Sheet
2. Getting Started
Prerequisites
How to Open the Add-In
Figure 2: Opening the add-in from Excel's Insert tab → Add-ins
2.1 Signing In
When you first open the add-in, you will see the login screen with two buttons:
Button | What it connects to | When to use |
Sign in to Production | Your live Salesforce org (real data, real customers) | When building templates for actual use |
Sign in to Sandbox | Your test/sandbox Salesforce org (safe to experiment) | When building and testing templates before go-live |
Figure 3: The login screen — choose Production or Sandbox
3. Template Listing Page
After signing in, you will see the Template Listing page — a list of all document templates saved in your Salesforce org.
Figure 4: The Template Listing page
Searching Templates
Type in the search box at the top of the list. The list filters in real-time as you type. Click the × (clear) button to reset the search.
Sorting Columns
Click any column header to sort the list:
Click the same column header again to reverse the sort order.
Status Indicators
Indicator | Meaning |
•Active (green dot) | Template is live and available to users for document generation |
•Draft (gray dot) | Template is still being built — not yet available to users |
Creating a New Template
Click the New button in the top-right corner of the listing. A new blank template will open and the add-in will move to the CREATE tab.
Opening an Existing Template
Click any row in the list to open that template. The template file will open in Excel and the add-in will load the template's settings.
4. Building a Template — The CREATE Tab
When creating or editing a template, the add-in shows a 3-step wizard at the top of the panel:
In the CREATE tab, you:
Repeat steps 2–3 for every piece of dynamic content in your template.
Figure 5: The CREATE tab — 3-step wizard and Object & Action selection
4.1 Selecting a Primary Object
The Primary Object is the type of Salesforce record your document is based on. For example:
Figure 6: Selecting a Primary Object from the dropdown
4.2 Selecting an Action
After selecting an Object, choose an Action from the Action dropdown. The Action determines what type of content the add-in will help you insert:
Action | What it inserts | Example use case |
Field | A single field value from the record | Opportunity name, amount, close date |
Conditions | Text that shows or hides based on a rule | Show "Approved" section only if approved |
View | A list of related child records (table, loop, or grid) | All line items on an Opportunity |
Image | A dynamic image from the record | Company logo, product photo |
5. Action: Field
What it does: Inserts a single field value from a Salesforce record into your Excel Sheet. When a document is generated, the tag is automatically replaced with the actual value from the record.
Example: You place the tag {Account.Name} in your template. When a user generates a document from an Opportunity where the Account is "Acme Corporation", the tag becomes Acme Corporation in the final document.
5.1 Understanding Field Types
When you open the "Select Field" dropdown, fields are grouped by type. Each type has a small icon to help you identify it:
Icon | Field Type | Examples |
Aa | Text / String | Account Name, Status, Description, Subject |
# | Number / Currency / Percent | Amount, Discount %, Quantity, Annual Revenue |
📅 | Date / Date-Time | Close Date, Created Date, Expiration Date |
✓ | Checkbox (True/False) | Is Active, Closed Won, Has Attachment |
🔗 | Lookup / Reference (drillable) | Account (on Opportunity), Owner, Campaign, Quote |
🌎 | Global Variables | TODAY, Running User (you), Running Org (your company) |
5.2 Drilling into Reference (Lookup) Fields
Reference fields (🔗 icon) link to another Salesforce object. For example, an Opportunity has a reference to an Account. You can click the › arrow next to a reference field to "drill in" and see that related object's fields.
Maximum depth: 5 levels
Example: Getting the Account Owner's Email from an Opportunity
More Drilling Examples
Path | Result Tag | What it shows |
Quote → Account → Name | {Account.Name} | The account's company name |
Quote → Owner → Email | {Owner.Email} | The quote owner's email |
Quote → Account → Owner → Manager → Department | {Account.Owner.Manager.Department} | Manager's department (4 levels deep) |
Opportunity → Account → BillingCity | {Account.BillingCity} | The account's billing city |
Figure 7: The field selector showing field types with icons
Figure 8: Drilling into a reference field — click the › arrow to navigate deeper
5.3 Global Variables
Global Variables are available in the 🌎 Globe group in the field selector. These values are automatically calculated each time a document is generated — they do not come from the Salesforce record.
Date Literals
Tag | What it inserts | Real-world use case |
{TODAY} | Today's date | "Generated on: {TODAY | formatDate:'MM/DD/YYYY'}" — auto-stamps the current date on every document |
{YESTERDAY} | Yesterday's date | Daily sales reports: "Activity as of {YESTERDAY | formatDate:'MM/DD/YYYY'}" |
{TOMORROW} | Tomorrow's date | Urgent deadlines: "Response required by {TOMORROW | formatDate:'MMMM DD, YYYY'}" |
{THIS_WEEK} | Monday of the current week | Weekly status reports: "Week of {THIS_WEEK | formatDate:'MMM DD'}" |
{THIS_MONTH} | 1st day of the current month | Monthly invoices: "Invoice period: {THIS_MONTH | formatDate:'MMMM YYYY'}" |
{THIS_QUARTER} | 1st day of the current fiscal quarter | Quarterly reviews: "Period starting {THIS_QUARTER | formatDate:'MM/DD/YYYY'}" |
{THIS_YEAR} | January 1st of the current year | Annual reports: "Year-to-date from {THIS_YEAR | formatDate:'MM/DD/YYYY'}" |
{CURRENT_YEAR} | Just the 4-digit year number | Copyright footers: "© {CURRENT_YEAR} {Organization.Name}" |
{CURRENT_MONTH} | Month as a number (1–12) | Custom date labels |
{CURRENT_DAY} | Day of month as a number | Custom date labels |
Running User — The Person Generating the Document
These tags automatically resolve to the details of whoever is generating the document at the time. This means different users will see their own name and contact info in generated documents.
Tag | What it inserts | Example use |
{User.FirstName} | First name of the generating user | Personalized "Prepared by" footer |
{User.LastName} | Last name | Same |
{User.Email} | Email address | "Questions? Contact {User.Email}" |
{User.Title} | Job title (e.g., Account Executive) | Show the rep's role below their name |
{User.Department} | Department name | "From the {User.Department} team" |
{User.Phone} | Direct phone number | "Call your rep: {User.Phone}" |
Example — Document footer that personalizes itself per rep:
Every time a different sales rep generates this template, their own contact information appears automatically.
Running Org — Your Salesforce Organization
These tags reflect your organization's Salesforce settings.
Tag | What it inserts | Example use |
{Organization.Name} | Your company/organization name | Letterheads, copyright footers |
{Organization.InstanceName} | Salesforce instance identifier | Internal reference only |
Example — Consistent letterhead across all templates:
5.4 Step-by-Step: Inserting a Field
5.5 Field Formatting Options
Number, Currency & Percent Fields
When you select a numeric field, formatting options appear below the field selector.
Decimal Places (0–10): How many digits to show after the decimal point.
Number Format: The style of thousands and decimal separators.
Format Name | Example Output | When to use |
US — 10,000.5 | 12,345.68 | United States documents |
European — 10.000,5 | 12.345,68 | European documents (Germany, France, etc.) |
International — 10 000,5 | 12 345,68 | International / French style |
Indian — 1,00,000 | 1,23,456.68 | India and South Asia |
Currency Symbol: Adds a currency symbol before the number.
Figure 9: Number formatting options
Steps for number formatting:
Number Tag Syntax — toFixed vs format
The add-in generates one of two filters depending on what you choose. You can also type these directly:
toFixed:N — controls decimal places only. Use this when you want to keep your org's default number formatting and just override the decimal precision.
format:decimals:'pattern' — full number format (decimal places + thousands/decimal separators). Use this when you need a specific regional pattern regardless of org defaults.
Example: {Amount | format:2:'10,000,000.5':'$'} → $1,234,567.89
Pattern values match the Number Format dropdown choices: '10,000.5' (US), '10.000,5' (European), '10 000,5' (International), '1,00,000' (Indian).
Date & Date Time Fields
When you select a Date or DateTime field, formatting options appear. Both Date and DateTime fields support every date format below; DateTime fields additionally let you append a time format.
Date Format (works for both Date and DateTime fields):
Format | Example Output |
MM/DD/YYYY | 12/31/2024 |
DD/MM/YYYY | 31/12/2024 |
YYYY/MM/DD | 2024/12/31 |
MMMM DD, YYYY | December 31, 2024 |
MMM DD, YYYY | Dec 31, 2024 |
DD MMMM YYYY | 31 December 2024 |
Time Format (DateTime fields only — append to any date format above when a time component is needed):
Format | Example Output |
hh:mm A | 03:45 PM |
HH:mm | 15:45 |
hh:mm:ss A | 03:45:09 PM |
HH:mm:ss | 15:45:09 |
If a DateTime field doesn't need a time component, just pick a date format and "None" in time format — it will render as a plain date.
Add Days / Subtract Days: Offsets the date by a set number of days from the field's value. Both addDays and subtractDays accept positive or negative integers.
Figure 10: Date formatting options
Steps for date formatting:
Tag Examples
6. Action: Conditions
What it does: Shows or hides a block of text in the document based on a rule you define. Think of it as: "if this condition is true, then show this content."
Example: Only show a "Terms & Conditions" section if the customer is an Enterprise client. For standard clients, that section simply doesn't appear.
6.1 If Block vs. If/Else Statement
Type 1 — If Block
Content is shown only when the condition is TRUE. If the condition is FALSE, nothing is shown — the section is completely hidden and takes up no space in the document.
Type 2 — If/Else Statement
Shows Content A when the condition is TRUE, or Content B when it is FALSE. Something always appears — it just changes based on the data.
6.2 Nested Conditions
You can place a condition inside another condition to build complex logic. This is done by typing tags directly into your Excel Sheet (not available via the add-in UI buttons).
Pattern 1 — If Block inside an If Block
Show inner content only when BOTH the outer AND inner conditions are true:
{#Region == "North America"} North American Standard Terms Apply. {#CustomerType == "Enterprise"} Enterprise SLA: 4-hour guaranteed response time, 24/7 support. {/} {/}
Result: All North American customers see the first line. Only North American Enterprise customers also see the SLA line.
Pattern 2 — If/Else Statement inside an If Block
Show a label that changes, but only within a larger conditional section:
Pattern 3 — Nested If/Else Block (Multiple Tiers)
Show different content for three or more tiers:
Result: Platinum for >$100k, Gold for $50k–$100k, Standard for everything else.
6.3 Operators & Multiple Conditions
Comparison Operators
Operator | Meaning | Example |
== | Equals exactly | Status == "Approved" |
!= | Does not equal | Status != "Draft" |
> | Greater than | Amount > 10000 |
< | Less than | Discount < 5 |
>= | Greater than or equal to | Score >= 80 |
<= | Less than or equal to | Days <= 30 |
contains | Field value contains this text | Name contains "Corp" |
startsWith | Field value starts with this text | Email startsWith "info@" |
endsWith | Field value ends with this text | Email endsWith "@gmail.com" |
Multiple Conditions
Click "Add Condition" in the add-in to add more condition rows. Connect them with:
6.4 Step-by-Step: Building a Condition
Figure 11: Setting up an If Block condition
Figure 12: If/Else statement with Content and Alternate Content
6.5 Real-Life Examples
Example 1 — If Block: Finance Approval Notice
Show the approval paragraph only when Approval Status equals "Approved":
{#ApprovalStatus == "Approved"} This quote has been reviewed and approved by the Finance department. All pricing and terms are final. {/}
Example 2 — If/Else Block: Deal Tier Label
Show "ENTERPRISE DEAL" for amounts over $50,000, otherwise "STANDARD DEAL":
Example 3 — Multiple Conditions (AND): Priority Customer Notice
Show a notice only for customers who are Active AND New:
Example 4 — Multiple Conditions (OR): Payment Processing Note
Show a note for customers paying by Check OR Wire Transfer:
6.6 Custom Conditions — Direct Document Editing (Advanced)
This is the same inline If/Else Statement syntax described in 6.1— the same format the add-in's If/Else Statement button generates for you. You only need to type it by hand when the UI button doesn't cover what you need: for example, using a Salesforce field name (unquoted) as the TRUE or FALSE value instead of literal text, combining comparison operators the button doesn't expose, or placing the condition inside a nested block.
Syntax: {field operator value ? "text if true" : "text if false"}
{StageName == "Closed Won" ? "Deal Closed — Begin Onboarding" : "Deal In Progress"} {Amount > 10000 ? "High Value Account" : "Standard Account"} {IsActive ? "Active Customer" : "Former Customer"} {Discount > 0 ? "Discounted Pricing Applied" : "Standard Pricing"}
Figure 13: Inline If/Else condition typed directly in an Excel Sheet
7. Action: View
What it does: Inserts a repeating block that lists all related child records from Salesforce into your document. For example, all the products on a quote, all contacts at an account, or all tasks on an opportunity.
7.1 Three Layout Types
Layout | What it looks like | Best for | Real-world example |
Table | Rows and columns — like a spreadsheet | Structured data where comparison across columns is useful | Opportunity Line Items (Product | Qty | Unit Price | Total) |
Loops | Each record is a repeated block of formatted text | Narrative or labeled fields — one "card" per record | Contact directory (Name, Title, Email, Phone — one block per person) |
Grid | Records in multiple columns side-by-side (2–4 per row) | Compact visual display of many items | Product catalog (Name + Price in cards, 3 per row) |
7.2 Complete Step-by-Step: Creating a View
Step 1: Select View Type
From the View Type dropdown, choose Table, Loops, or Grid.
Figure 14: Choosing a View Type
Step 2: Select Child Relationship
This is the related list (child object) connected to your primary object. Examples:
Selecting a child relationship works the same way as selecting a field in the Field action (see Section 5):
Figure 15: Selecting the child relationship using the field dropdown
Step 3: (Optional) Using Parent Fields Inside a Loop
Inside a loop, you can reference fields from the parent record (the primary object). For example, inside an OpportunityLineItems loop, you can display the parent Opportunity's name on every row.
Figure 16: Accessing parent record fields inside a loop
Step 4: Add Fields to "Selected Fields"
Selecting fields for the view works the same way as the Field action (see Section 5):
Each selected field is shown with a number indicating its position in the list.
Figure 17: Selecting fields using the dropdown and viewing them in the Selected Fields list
Step 5: Reorder Your Fields
The order of fields in "Selected Fields" = the column order (for Table) or display order (for Loops/Grid) in the document. By default, fields appear in the order they were selected. To reorder:
Figure 18: Reordering Selected Fields by dragging and dropping
Step 6: Set Row Count (Row Limit)
Enter the maximum number of child records to include in the document.
Step 7: Set Sort Field
Choose which field to use for sorting the child records. Example: sort Opportunity Line Items by "Quantity" or "Unit Price".
Step 8: Set Sort Direction
Step 9: (Grid only) Set Grid Columns
Choose how many cards appear per row: 2, 3, or 4 columns.
Step 10: Insert or Copy
Click Insert to place the view block at your cursor in Excel, or Copy to paste it manually.
Figure 19: The generated view tag and output options
7.3 Real-Life Examples
Example 1 — Table: Quote Line Items on a Sales Quote
Scenario: You're building a Sales Quote document. The customer wants to see all products with their quantities and prices in a clean table.
Setting | Value |
View Type | Table |
Child Relationship | QuoteLineItems |
Selected Fields | Product Name, Description, Quantity, Unit Price, Total Price |
Sort Field | Product Name |
Sort Direction | ASC |
Row Count | 50 |
What the final document looks like:
Product Name | Description | Qty | Unit Price | Total |
Support Plan Annual | 24/7 support coverage | 1 | $200.00 | $200.00 |
Widget Lite | Basic model | 10 | $49.00 | $490.00 |
Widget Pro | Standard model | 5 | $99.00 | $495.00 |
Example 2 — Loops: Contact Directory on an Account Profile
Scenario: You're creating an Account Profile document that lists all key contacts at the customer's company, formatted as labeled blocks — one per person.
Setting | Value |
View Type | Loops |
Child Relationship | Contacts |
Selected Fields | First Name, Last Name, Title, Email, Phone |
Sort Field | Last Name |
Sort Direction | ASC |
Row Count | 10 |
What the final document looks like:
Example 3 — Grid: Product Brochure Catalog
Scenario: You're creating a product brochure and want to display products as compact cards — 3 per row — showing the name, description, and price.
Setting | Value |
View Type | Grid |
Child Relationship | Products (or OpportunityLineItems) |
Selected Fields | Product Name, Short Description, Price |
Sort Field | Name |
Sort Direction | ASC |
Grid Columns | 3 |
What the grid layout looks like (3 cards per row):
7.4 Summarize / Aggregate (Advanced — Direct Document Entry)
The system supports summing a numeric field across all child records. This feature is not available in the add-in's UI but works when you type the tag directly into your Excel Sheet.
Syntax: {RelationshipName | sumBy:'FieldName'}
7.5 Calc — Expression Evaluator (Advanced — Direct Document Entry)
The calc filter is a powerful, unified expression evaluator that lets you perform arithmetic, comparisons, and logical operations directly in your template tags. It works on both arrays (child records) and scalar values (text, numbers). This feature is not available in the add-in's UI — type the tags directly into your Excel Sheet.
Syntax: {Input | calc:'expression'}
Arithmetic on Child Record Fields
Use field names inside the expression to sum that field across all child records, then perform arithmetic on the result. You can use sumBy(FieldName) or just use the field name directly — both are equivalent.
Percentage Discount / Markup
Use N% after + or – to add or subtract a percentage of the preceding value. This follows common business logic for discounts and markups.
How percentage works:
TotalPrice – 10% means "sum of TotalPrice minus 10% of that sum." If the sum is 1000, the result is 1000 – 100 = 900.
Using Parent Record Values ($1, $2, …)
Filters cannot access parent record fields directly. To use a parent field value inside a calc expression, pass it as an extra argument after the expression string and reference it with $1, $2, etc.
How $N works:
$1 refers to the first value after the expression string, $2 the second, and so on. These values are resolved from the parent Salesforce record by the template engine.
Length — Count Records or Characters
Use the length keyword to get the count of child records in an array or the character count of a text field.
Conditions — Show / Hide Content
Use comparison and logical operators with the {#…}{/} conditional block syntax to show or hide sections of your document based on calculated values.
Comparison operators: ><>=<===!=
Logical operators: && (AND), || (OR), ! (NOT)
All Supported Operators
Operator | Description | Example |
+ | Addition | calc:'TotalPrice + 100' |
– | Subtraction | calc:'TotalPrice – Discount' |
* | Multiplication | calc:'UnitPrice * Quantity' |
/ | Division (0 returns 0) | calc:'TotalPrice / Quantity' |
% | Modulo (remainder) | calc:'Quantity % 3' |
** or ^ | Exponentiation (power) | calc:'TotalPrice ** 2' |
N% | Percentage of left operand | calc:'TotalPrice – 10%' |
– (unary) | Negation | calc:'-TotalPrice' |
( ) | Grouping | calc:'(A + B) * C' |
> < >= <= | Comparison | calc:'length > 0' |
== != | Equality / Inequality | calc:'length == 5' |
&& | Logical AND | calc:'length > 0 && length < 100' |
|| | Logical OR | calc:'length == 0 || length > 10' |
! | Logical NOT | calc:'!(length > 5)' |
Complete Examples
Use Case | Tag |
Sum a field | {OpportunityLineItems | calc:'TotalPrice'} |
Sum with formatting | {OpportunityLineItems | calc:'TotalPrice' | toFixed:2} |
Subtract 10% discount | {OpportunityLineItems | calc:'TotalPrice – 10%' | toFixed:2} |
Add 15% markup | {OpportunityLineItems | calc:'TotalPrice + 15%' | toFixed:2} |
Multiply two field sums | {OpportunityLineItems | calc:'UnitPrice * Quantity' | toFixed:2} |
Compound expression | {OpportunityLineItems | calc:'(UnitPrice * Quantity) / 100' | toFixed:2} |
Use parent record value | {OpportunityLineItems | calc:'TotalPrice – $1':Amount | toFixed:2} |
Count child records | {OpportunityLineItems | calc:'length'} |
Count string characters | {Name | calc:'length'} |
Condition: has items | {#OpportunityLineItems | calc:'length > 0'}…{/} |
Condition: compare to value | {#OpportunityLineItems | calc:'length > $1':MinItems}…{/} |
Condition: AND logic | {#OpportunityLineItems | calc:'length > 0 && length < 50'}… {/} |
Negation | {OpportunityLineItems | calc:'-TotalPrice'} |
Exponentiation | {OpportunityLineItems | calc:'TotalPrice ** 2'} |
8. Action: Image
What it does: Inserts a dynamic image from a Salesforce record into your document. The image is fetched and embedded automatically when the document is generated. Common uses:
Step-by-Step: Inserting an Image
Figure 20: Image action — choose source type, enter URL or File Id, then set size
Image Tag Syntax
Image tags use the %Img(…) function with three arguments: the source (URL or File Id, in quotes — or a Salesforce field name unquoted), width, and height in pixels.
Examples
Tag | What it inserts |
{%Img('069dM00000OdBPBQA3', 300, 300)} | File from Salesforce by ContentDocumentId, sized 300×300px |
{%Img('068dM00000Jd3vxQAB', 300, 300)} | File from Salesforce by ContentVersionId, sized 300×300px |
{%Img('https://monochrome-watches.com/app/uploads/2025/12/2026-Land-Rover-Defender-Dakar-DX7-R-Featured-1536×1024.jpg', 300, 300)} | Image fetched from a public URL, sized 300×300px |
{%Img(ImageId__c, 300, 300)} | Resolves the field value at runtime (the field should contain a URL or a Salesforce File Id), sized 300×300px |
Real-Life Scenario: Using a Merge Field as the Image Source
If the image source (a URL or a Salesforce File Id) is already stored on the record in a field, pass the field API name unquoted as the first argument. The system reads the field value at generation time and uses it as the image source.
{%Img(FieldApiName__c, 300, 300)}
Example — the ImageId__c field on the record holds an image URL or a Salesforce File Id:
This is the most common pattern for record-driven templates: each generated document automatically pulls the right image (logo, signature, product photo, etc.) from the record being merged.
Real-Life Scenario: Professional Document Header
Place this at the very top of your Excel template to create a branded header on every generated document:
Supported image formats: PNG, JPEG/JPG, SVG
9. Copy vs. Insert — Which Should I Use?
After configuring any field, condition, view, or image in the add-in, you will see two buttons at the bottom: Copy and Insert. Both put the generated tag into your Excel Sheet — they just do it differently.
Copy | Insert | |
What it does | Copies the generated tag to your clipboard | Places the tag directly at your cursor position in Excel |
Then what | Switch to Excel, click where you want it, press Ctrl+V to paste | Nothing else needed — the tag is already placed |
Best for | Placing a tag inside a Excel table cell, or at a very specific location | When building the template sequentially from top to bottom |
Confirmation | Button briefly shows "Copied ✓" | Button briefly shows "Inserted ✓" |
For Insert to work: You must click inside your Excel Sheet first to set your cursor position before clicking Insert. The add-in panel and the Excel Sheet are separate — Excel needs to know where your cursor is. If Insert does not seem to work, click once inside your document, then click Insert again.
10. Preview Tab — Test Your Template (Step 2)
What it does: Renders your template with real Salesforce data so you can see exactly what the final generated document will look like — before you publish anything.
Why this matters: It lets you catch mistakes — wrong field names, broken conditions, unexpected blank values — before real users see them.
Step-by-Step: Using the Preview Tab
Figure 21: The Preview tab — search for and select a record
Figure 22: Preview result — template rendered with real data
Understanding Preview Results
What you see | What it means | What to do |
All fields show real values | Template is working correctly | Ready to publish! |
Some fields are blank | That field is empty on the selected record | Try a different record that has data, or check the record in Salesforce |
An error message appears | A tag has a typo, deleted field, or syntax error | Note the field name → go to CREATE tab → fix the tag |
Wrong value displayed | You selected the wrong field in the add-in | Remove the tag, re-select the correct field in CREATE tab |
Condition always shows/hides | The condition logic may be inverted or using wrong operator | Test with records where condition should be both true and false |
Best Practices for Previewing
11. Live Tab — Publish Your Template (Step 3)
What it does: Saves your finished template to Salesforce and makes it available for users to generate documents.
Figure 23: The Live tab — publish your template
11.1 Fields Explained
Field | Description | Example |
Primary Object | (Read-only) The Salesforce object this template is for | Opportunity |
Template Name | The internal name used to find this template in the listing | 2024 Sales Opportunity Template |
Document Name | The filename for generated documents. Supports merge tags! | Opportunity_{Name} |
Status | Draft = still building | Active = live and ready | Active |
Document Type | Format of the generated file | XLSX |
11.2 Status Options
Status | What it means | When to use |
•Draft | Template is saved but NOT available to users for document generation | While you are still building or testing the template |
Active | Template IS available to users for document generation | When the template is fully tested and ready to use |
11.3 Document Type Options
Type | What it generates |
XLSX | Always generates a Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) file |
11.4 Smart Document Naming
The Document Name field supports merge tags — making every generated file uniquely named. This makes it easy to find specific documents in Salesforce later.
Document Name you enter | Generated filename |
Opportunity_{Name} | Opportunity_Green Farm Deals |
{Account.Name}_Proposal | Acme Corporation_Proposal |
{Account.Name}_Opportunity_{Name} | Acme Corporation_Opportunity_Green Farm Deals |
Proposal_{TODAY | formatDate:'MM-DD-YYYY'} | Proposal_01-15-2024 |
11.5 Step-by-Step: Publishing Your Template
12. Tag Syntax Quick Reference
Basic Field Tags
Tag | Example | Description |
{FieldName} | {Name} | Simple field value (case-insensitive) |
{Object.Field} | {Account.Name} | Nested lookup field (up to 5 levels) |
Formatting Tags
Tag | Example | Description |
{Field | formatDate:'format'} | {CloseDate | formatDate:'MM/DD/YYYY'} | Format a Date or DateTime field. Append a time pattern for DateTime (e.g., 'MM/DD/YYYY HH:mm:ss' ) |
{Field | toFixed:N} | {TotalPrice | toFixed:2} | Set decimal places only — keeps org's default number formatting |
{Field | format:N:'pattern'} | {Amount | format:0:'10,000,000.5'} | Full number format — decimal places + thousands/decimal separator pattern |
{Field | format:N:'pattern':'symbol'} | {Amount | format:2:'10,000,000.5':'$'} | Full number format with currency symbol |
{Field | addDays:N} | {CloseDate | addDays:30} | Offset date forward by N days. N can be positive or negative. |
{Field | subtractDays:N} | {ContractEndDate | subtractDays:14} | Offset date backward by N days. N can be positive or negative. |
{Rel | orderBy:'Field':'asc'|'desc'} | {#Contacts | orderBy:'LastName':'asc'} | Order rows in a table, loop, or grid (child records) |
{Rel | limit:N} | {#OpportunityLineItems | limit:10} | Limit rows in a table, loop, or grid (child records) |
Conditional Tags
Tag | Description |
{#field == "val"}content{/} | If Block — show content when condition is true; nothing if false |
{#Cond}yes{/} {^Cond}no{/} | If/Else block — show "yes" when true, "no" when false (manual pattern: add a second block with ^ in place of # ) |
{Condition ? "yes" : "no"} or {Condition ? yes_fieldc : no_fieldc} | Inline ternary — TRUE/FALSE values may be literal text (quoted) or Salesforce field names (unquoted) |
{#f1 == "v1" && f2 == "v2"}…{/} | Multiple conditions with AND |
{#f1 == "v1" || f2 == "v2"}…{/} | Multiple conditions with OR |
View / Loop Tags
Tag | Example | Description |
{#Relationship}… {/Relationship} | {#OpportunityLineItems}… {/OpportunityLineItems} | Loop through child records |
{#Rel|orderBy:'Field':'asc'} | {#Contacts|orderBy:'LastName':'asc'} | Loop with sort (ascending) |
{#Rel|orderBy:'Field':'desc'} | — | Loop with sort (descending) |
{#Rel|limit:10} | — | Limit to first 10 records |
{Rel|sumBy:'Field'} | {OpportunityLineItems|sumBy:'TotalPrice'} | Sum a numeric field across all child records |
{Rel|calc:'expression'} | {OpportunityLineItems|calc:'TotalPrice -10%'} | Evaluate an arithmetic expression on child record fields |
{Rel|calc:'expr':ParentField} | {OpportunityLineItems|calc:'TotalPrice – $1':Amount} | Expression using a parent record value via $1 |
{Rel|calc:'length'} | {OpportunityLineItems|calc:'length'} | Count child records (or string characters) |
{#Rel|calc:'length > 0'}…{/} | {#OpportunityLineItems|calc:'length > 0'}…{/} | Conditional block — show content based on a calculated condition |
Image Tags
Tag | Example | Description |
{%Img('SF File Id', W, H)} | {%Img('069dM00000OdBPBQA3', 300, 300)} | Insert a Salesforce file by ContentDocumentId ( 069… ) or ContentVersionId ( 068… ) at W×H pixels |
{%Img('url', W, H)} | {%Img('https://example.com/logo.png', 300, 300)} | Insert an image fetched from a public URL at W×H pixels |
{%Img(FieldApiName, W, H)} | {%Img(ImageId__c, 300, 300)} | Resolve the source from a record field at runtime (field value should be a URL or a Salesforce File Id) — note: no quotes around the field name |
Global Variable Tags
Tag | Description |
{TODAY} | Today's date |
{YESTERDAY} | Yesterday's date |
{TOMORROW} | Tomorrow's date |
{THIS_WEEK} | Monday of the current week |
{THIS_MONTH} | 1st of the current month |
{THIS_QUARTER} | 1st of the current fiscal quarter |
{THIS_YEAR} | January 1st of the current year |
{CURRENT_YEAR} | Current year as a 4-digit number |
{User.FirstName}, {User.LastName}, etc. | Fields from the user generating the document |
{Organization.Name} | Your Salesforce organization name |
Date Format Tokens
Token | Meaning | Example Output |
YYYY | 4-digit year | 2024 |
MM | 2-digit month | 01, 12 |
MMMM | Full month name | January, December |
MMM | Abbreviated month | Jan, Dec |
DD | 2-digit day | 01, 31 |
HH | 24-hour hour | 00, 15, 23 |
hh | 12-hour hour | 01, 03, 12 |
mm | Minutes | 00, 30, 59 |
ss | Seconds | 00, 30, 59 |
A | AM or PM | AM, PM |
13. Tips & Best Practices
14. Troubleshooting
Problem | Likely Cause | Solution |
Error: "Field not found" | The field was renamed or deleted in Salesforce | Re-select the field in the add-in using the field selector, or update the tag in your document to match the current field API name |
Preview shows blank where a value should be | That field is empty on the selected record | Try a different record that has data in that field, or enter data on the record in Salesforce first |
Insert button does nothing or inserts in the wrong place | No cursor position set in Excel | Click inside the Excel Sheet to position your cursor, then click Insert again |
Login fails or authentication error | OAuth or External Client App misconfiguration | Contact your Salesforce administrator to check the External Client App settings and user permissions |
Template doesn't appear in the listing | Wrong environment (Production vs. Sandbox) or template is Draft | Check you are signed into the correct environment. If Status is Draft, it won't appear for end users — set to Active to make it available |
Smart quote error in tag | Excel autocorrected your typed quotes to curly/smart quotes | Replace curly quotes with straight quotes in the tag, or type tags in Notepad first then paste into Excel |
Image shows as broken/missing | The image field is empty or does not contain a valid image URL or attachment | Verify the field value exists and contains a valid image in Salesforce. Check with your administrator if the field should contain an image |
Sum total shows 0 or wrong value | Wrong field API name in the sumBy tag (case-sensitive) | Use the exact Salesforce API field name. Check in Salesforce Setup → Object Manager → Fields for the correct API name |
Template saves but users cannot find it | Status is still set to Draft | Go to the Live tab, change Status to Active, and click Save again |
View/Loop shows no records | The selected record has no child records in that relationship | Test with a different record that has data in the related list |
Condition always shows or always hides | Condition logic is inverted, or comparing to the wrong value | Check the field value in the actual Salesforce record. Make sure the value you typed matches exactly (including capitalization) |
My preview edits disappeared | Edits made in Preview mode are not saved to the template | This is expected behavior — Preview is read-only. Make your changes in the Excel Sheet using the CREATE tab, then re-preview |
360 InstantDocs — Excel Add-In User Guide • Version 1.0
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