What happens when I change an item's template?

EasyContent gives you the flexibility to build and switch between different templates to match your content needs. However, understanding how your data behaves when templates are changed or when content is sent back to the brief stage is essential to avoid unintentional data loss.

This article will give you an in-depth understanding of what happens to your content item's data when you switch its template.

Data Retention When Switching Templates

Let’s say you have two templates:

• Template A – Includes both default and custom tabs with custom fields
• Template B – Includes only default tabs (e.g., Main Content and CMS Fields)

If you create a content item using Template A and fill in all its fields, including those in custom tabs, then switch to Template B, EasyContent retains all the data, which includes custom tab data, even though Template B doesn't have fields to display them.

This means:

• The custom field data is safely stored behind the scenes.
• If you switch back to Template A, all previously entered data in its custom fields will reappear. Nothing is lost.
• Only the fields visible in the currently active template are displayed during editing.

This design ensures you can switch between templates without worrying about losing important information. This is ideal for teams iterating on content structures.

What Happens When You Send a Content Item Back to Brief

Unlike switching templates, sending a content item back to brief resets it completely.

Here’s what gets deleted:

• All entered content across all tabs, including custom fields and CMS fields
• Any files or images attached via template fields
• All metadata and structure-specific data associated with the item
• All saved versions are also completely deleted

This action essentially reverts the content item to a pre-creation state and should be used cautiously, especially if valuable input has already been entered.

Recommendations

• If you're simply looking to change the structure or layout of a content item, use the template switch. It’s safe and reversible.
• Only send an item back to brief if you're sure the content is no longer needed, or you want to completely restart from scratch.
• Consider saving a version of your content before switching templates. Note that reverting a content item to a brief deletes all saved versions.

Conclusion

EasyContent is built to protect your data and offer flexibility. Switching templates won’t delete your work, and you can always go back to view or reuse previous template structures. But if you send an item back to brief, all data is deleted.