> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://dataleap-469bb19d-docs-from-request-2026-08-21-templates.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Locked templates

> One owner, one process — everyone runs a copy they can't break.

A locked template is how one owner standardizes a process for a whole group: everyone clones and runs it, but **nobody can change the core logic** — only the fields marked as placeholders stay editable. This is what turns a template into an [admin-controlled agent](/introduction/what-is-dataleap#common-agent-shapes).

## Updates reach every clone

The key difference to an open template: the locked template stays in the owner's hands **after** people deploy it.

<Steps>
  <Step title="One person builds a proven agent">
    A workflow works — say, a standardized Salesforce visit report — and the team wants it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The owner publishes it locked">
    Everyone clones it; nobody can edit it. The process is identical for all.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Every improvement propagates">
    When the owner updates the template, the change is **published to all clones at once** — one central version, no drift, no chasing people to update.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What stays yours in each clone

Locked doesn't mean centralized data. The owner manages the **instructions, process logic, and upgrades** — but every clone runs with its own access:

* Your Salesforce, your Slack channels, your task system, your inbox context.
* Every action happens in *your* systems with *your* credentials.

Everyone works the same way — with their own access.

## When to lock — and when not to

* **Lock it** when many (or less-experienced) people must run the **identical process**, and compliance or consistency matters.
* **Keep it open** when users need to adapt the instructions to their own context — share a [normal template](/share/templates) instead.

<Warning>
  **Common mistake: locking too early.** You freeze a workflow before it's proven, and everyone inherits the flaws — a locked template must work from the first clone.
</Warning>

<Card title="Watch: Templates (open and locked)" icon="clapperboard" href="/video-series/section-4#templates-open-and-locked" horizontal>
  See both template types in action.
</Card>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="When to share what" icon="signs-post" href="/share/when-to-share-what">
    Next: the decision guide — personal, team, or template.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Chapter 5: Admin" icon="user-gear" href="/admin/overview">
    Governance beyond templates: people, spend, connections.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>