Shared templates let you copy a whole guidebook structure — categories, subcategories, topics, content and branding — from one Touch Stay account into another, using a single private link.
In this article:
ℹ️ This article covers the new Hub. If you're still on the legacy Hub, see Shared Templates explained.
What is a shared template?
A shared template is one of your existing templates, turned into a unique private link that you can send to someone else. When they open that link from their Touch Stay account, a copy of your template structure and content is created in their account as a brand new, separate template.
It's completely independent once copied — any edits they make afterwards have no effect on your account, and vice versa.
💡 New to templates in general? Start with Adding New Guidebook Templates (new Hub).
What carries over (and what doesn't)
✅ What carries over:
Your guidebook structure — categories, subcategories and topics
The written content inside those topics
Photos and videos
Branding settings
⚠️ What doesn't carry over:
Any additional guides beyond the master template structure
Any unique, per-guide content added with the customisation tool
👉 The shared template copies your Content Hub, not your individual guides. If you need to replicate several guides, each one still has to be created on the receiving side — but with all the content already in place, it's far quicker than starting from scratch.
How to share one of your templates
Click your account name in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar.
Select All Templates to open Template Management.
Click the ⋮ menu next to the template you want to share.
Select Share template.
Copy the link that's generated and send it to whoever needs it.
The same link can be sent to as many people as you like, and it stays private — only people you send it to can use it.
[Screenshot needed: Template Management ⋮ menu with Share template]
How to add a shared template to your account
This is for accounts that already exist — make sure you're logged in to Touch Stay first. There are two ways in, and both end up in the same place.
Option 1 — open the link directly
While logged in, paste the shared link into your browser and open it.
An Add template window opens, already filled in for you: the type is set to Shared template, the name is pulled from the original account, and the share link is in place. You can rename it here if you'd like.
Click Create.
Option 2 — add it from Template Management
Click your account name in the bottom-left corner, then All Templates.
Click Add template.
Choose Shared template as the template type, paste in the share link, and give it a name.
Click Save.
What happens next
Copying runs in the background and can take around 15–20 seconds. You'll see a spinner while it works — please don't close the window or click away until it finishes.
Once it's done, the shared template appears as its own separate entry in Template Management, showing 0 guides — that's expected, because it hasn't been applied to a guide yet.
Click the new template and confirm Go to new template? to switch into it. You'll land in its own Content Hub, with all the copied content ready to edit.
📌 If the new template doesn't show up straight away, refresh the Templates page before trying again — the copy may still have been running.
[Screenshot needed: Add template window pre-filled with Shared template type]
[Screenshot needed: new shared template listed in Template Management with 0 guides]
Brand new accounts (sign-up)
⏳ Coming soon: applying a shared template link while you're signing up for a brand new Touch Stay account isn't supported yet — support for this is on the way.
In the meantime, if you're new to Touch Stay: create your account first, log in, and then open the shared link (or use Add template) following the steps above. That path works today.
Troubleshooting
"I added the template, but now I can't create a guide."
This is almost always a plan limit rather than a problem with the template itself. Guides are counted across your whole account, not per template — so if your plan includes one guide and you already have a guide sitting in your original template, there's no room left to create one in the newly added template.
To free up space:
Switch to the template that holds the existing guide (account name → All Templates → select it).
Delete the guide you no longer need — see How to delete/archive and restore a guide (new Hub).
Switch back to your shared template and create your guide there.
Alternatively, if you need both, you can add more guides to your plan — see Managing your subscription.
FAQs
Can I transfer a guidebook directly to another account? Not currently. A shared template is the recommended workaround — it gives the other account your master guidebook structure and content to start from.
Will my edits affect other people using the same template? No. Once the copy is made, the two accounts are completely independent.
Can I share a template with more than one person? Yes — the same link can be used by as many people as you send it to.
Can I add more than one shared template? Yes. Each one is added as its own separate template in Template Management.
Is sharing private and secure? Yes. Templates are shared through unique links, so only the people you send the link to can access them.
Nothing seems to have copied — the template is empty. Check that you were logged in when you opened the link, and that you waited for the copy to finish rather than navigating away. If it's still empty, get in touch and we'll take a look.
🤝 Need help?
Our Fin AI assistant is available 24/7 and typically responds in under 10 seconds. If Fin isn't able to solve your issue, our support team will take ownership of your case from there.
You can also reach out to our team at [email protected] or submit a ticket from your Touch Stay account, and we'll be happy to help.