How to use naming templates
Use naming templates to create consistent patterns for collections, subgroups, and content tags. Templates help teams follow naming conventions without memorizing rules.
What naming templates do
Naming templates are optional patterns stored in Team Settings. Each pattern uses {Placeholder} syntax. When someone creates a collection, subgroup, or content tag, they can pick a template, fill in the blanks, and Siftsy composes the final name.
Templates are guidance, not enforcement—users can always type a free-form name instead.
Teams use templates to:
Onboard new members with clear naming conventions
Keep exports, filters, and breakdowns readable across clients and campaigns
Reduce duplicate or near-duplicate names (for example,
Acme SummervsAcme - Summer Launch)Align enterprise standards with day-to-day work
The three template types
Siftsy keeps separate template lists for three kinds of labels. They don't share patterns—a collection template never appears when creating a content tag.
Type | What it names | Where you use it |
|---|---|---|
Collections | Top-level groups that hold posts (campaigns, research programs, competitor watches) | Create Collection dialog, collection picker |
Subgroups | Nested groups inside a collection | Collection picker → Add Subgroup |
Content tags | Free-form labels on posts, independent of collections | Content tag picker, Create Content Tag dialog, Select bar |
Who can manage templates
Role | View templates | Create, edit, delete team templates |
|---|---|---|
Admin | Yes | Yes—Team Settings → Naming Templates → Manage |
Analyst / Reader | Yes (when creating items) | No—read-only in settings |
Non-admins still use templates when creating collections, subgroups, or tags. They may see a gear icon on the template form to open the manager, but saving changes requires admin access.
Set up templates from Team Settings
Open Team Settings
Go to the Naming Templates tab
Review existing templates by type (Collections, Subgroups, Content Tags)
Click Manage to open the Naming Template Manager
Use the tabs to switch between the three types
Create, edit, set a default, or delete team templates
Click Save Templates before closing
Enterprises can define templates for all of their subteams in Enterprise Settings. Subteam users cannot delete these templates at the sub team level.
Template syntax
Placeholders
Wrap each blank in curly braces. The text inside becomes the label shown in the fill-in form.
{Brand} - {Campaign Name} - Q{Quarter} {Year}Placeholder names are case-sensitive and can include spaces:
{Campaign Name}and{campaign name}are different blanksYou can put static text between blanks—dashes, underscores, pipes,
Qbefore{Quarter}, etc.A valid template must include at least one
{blank}Reusing the same placeholder name twice fills both slots with one value
What gets saved
When all blanks are filled, Siftsy replaces each {key} with the value entered for that key. Empty blanks are not allowed for the composed name to apply—users must complete every blank or type manually in the name field.
Pattern | Values | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Brand: |
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| Category: |
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| Creator: |
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Collection templates
Collection templates apply when creating a new top-level collection.
Collection kind
Collection templates can optionally be tied to a collection kind—the chip shown on the collection (Campaign, Research, Competitor, Launch, etc.). When a user selects that template in the Create Collection dialog, the kind on the template can set the collection's type picker.
Kinds available today include: Campaign, Research, Exploration, Competitor, Brand, Launch, Trend, Crisis, Creator, Talent, and Event.
Kind | Example pattern | Example result |
|---|---|---|
Campaign |
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Research |
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Competitor |
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Crisis |
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Brand |
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Built-in starter patterns
When adding templates, you can start from starters such as:
Standard:
{Brand} - {Campaign Name} - Q{Quarter} {Year}Simple:
{Brand} - {Campaign Name}Detailed:
{Brand} - {Campaign Type} - {Campaign Name} - {Platform} - {Date}
Use a template when creating a collection
Open Create Collection (or equivalent from the collection picker)
Optionally set the collection kind with the type picker next to the name field
Below the name field, choose a Template from the dropdown—the team default is pre-selected when one exists
Fill each inline blank; the composed name appears in the preview and is written to the name field above
You can still edit the name field directly after composition
Continue with subgroups or confirm creation as usual
Subgroup templates
Subgroup templates apply when adding a nested group inside a collection.
Use a template when creating a subgroup
Open a collection and choose Add Subgroup (or add during collection creation)
If templates exist, you'll see chips: Free text plus one chip per template
Select a template chip, fill the blank fields that appear, and the subgroup name field updates from the pattern
Choose Free text to ignore templates and type any name
Subgroup UI uses compact chips rather than the full template dropdown used for collections and tags, but the same {blank} rules apply.
Built-in starter patterns
Creator:
{Creator} - {Platform} - {Content Type}Phase:
{Brand} | {Deliverable} | {Phase}
Goal | Pattern idea |
|---|---|
Platform splits |
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Paid vs organic |
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Creator track |
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Flight / wave |
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Content tag templates
Content tags label individual posts and work across collections. Templates help keep tag names consistent for filtering and breakdowns.
Use a template when creating a tag
Open the content tag picker or Create Content Tag
Use the Template dropdown—default template auto-selected when configured
Fill blanks; the composed name flows into the tag name field
Confirm creation on the review step if prompted
Tags also appear in Select bar flows when adding tags in bulk contexts.
Built-in starter patterns
Category:
{Category}_{Subcategory}Typed:
{Content Type} - {Theme}
Goal | Pattern | Example tag |
|---|---|---|
Content format |
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Taxonomy |
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Funnel stage |
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Platform + format |
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Default templates and multiple patterns
Each type can have one default per scope:
Mark a team template as default in the manager (Set as default)
The default is auto-selected in create dialogs (collections and content tags) and for new subgroups when the add-subgroup UI opens
If the team has no default but enterprise templates do, the enterprise default is used until the team sets its own
Deleting the current default promotes another template to default automatically.
Multiple templates per type
Teams often keep several patterns—for example, a simple collection name and a detailed quarterly name. Users pick the right one from the dropdown or subgroup chips at creation time.
Enterprise inheritance
For teams under an enterprise:
Enterprise templates show with an Enterprise badge and lock icon
They appear first in lists and cannot be edited by the sub-team
Sub-teams add their own Your team's templates alongside them
Sub-team default overrides enterprise default for that type
Configure enterprise-wide templates from the enterprise team's settings; they propagate to member teams.
Best practices
Design patterns that age well
Put the most stable identifier first (client, brand, program) so sorted lists group logically
Use separators consistently—pick
-,_, or|per type and stick to itAvoid overly long placeholder lists—three to five blanks is usually enough; more slows creation
Name placeholders for humans—
{Campaign Name}not{cn}Separate concerns by template type—collection structure in collection/subgroup patterns; cross-cutting labels in content tags
Collections vs subgroups vs tags
Label with | Best for |
|---|---|
Collection | Scoping posts for analysis (client program, launch, competitor watch) |
Subgroup | Structure within one collection (platform, wave, creator) |
Content tag | Attributes that cross collections (UGC, Paid, format, theme) |
Don't duplicate the same dimension in all three—for example, {Platform} as a tag is often better than repeating it in every collection name.
Troubleshooting
Issue | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
No template dropdown when creating | No templates saved for that type | Admin: Team Settings → Naming Templates → Manage |
Can't edit a template | It's an enterprise template | Edit at enterprise level, or add a team copy |
Save button disabled / error on save | Pattern has no | Add at least one |
Composed name not applying | Not all blanks filled | Complete every blank, or type in the name field |
Default not what you expect | Team default overrides enterprise | Set the intended team template as default |
Subgroup template not showing | Only subgroup tab templates apply | Create templates under Subgroups, not Collections |
Placeholder fills wrong segment | Duplicate placeholder names in pattern | Use unique placeholder names per intended field |
What's next
Learn how to create and organize your content in How to create campaigns and How to edit campaigns.