Most Teams Use Templates Wrong — Here’s Why

[#1]

A Confluence template usually gets created with the best intentions. Everyone is fine with it and believes, it would save them a lot of time. And for a while, it does.

Then reality sets in.

A section feels unnecessary, so it gets deleted. Someone isn’t sure what a field means, so they skip it. Another person copies an old page “just this once.” A few months later, you’re looking at five versions of the same page type, all slightly different, all technically “based on the template.”

At that point, the template still exists, but it has quietly lost its power.

Mistake #1: Treating Templates as a One-Time Setup 🧱

One of the most common mistakes teams make is treating templates as something you set up once and never touch again.

Templates aren’t static artifacts. They encode assumptions about how your team works — and those assumptions change. Processes evolve. Roles shift. What was useful six months ago might now feel bloated or irrelevant.

When templates don’t evolve with the team, people stop trusting them. 

A good rule of thumb: If people regularly delete the same sections from a template, the template is the problem, not the people.

Mistake #2: Using Templates for Things That Aren’t Repeatable 🔁

Templates shine when the structure stays the same and the content changes.

But many teams create templates for pages they only use once or twice. A special initiative. A one-off workshop. A unique project.

The result is a template that feels oddly specific and strangely restrictive. People open it, squint at it, and think, “This doesn’t quite fit.” So they improvise. Or abandon it.

Before creating a template, it’s worth asking:

• Will we use this structure again and again?

• Or is this just a page we want to get right once?

Templates earn their keep through repetition.

Mistake #3: Copying Old Pages Instead of Using Templates 📄➡️📄

This one is deeply human.

Copying an old page feels fast. Familiar. Safe. You already know it “worked” once. But it quietly introduces long-term problems.

Old pages carry baggage:

• Outdated sections

• Forgotten labels

• Old metadata

• Decisions that no longer apply

Every copy introduces a little bit of entropy. Over time, pages that are supposed to represent the same thing start to drift apart. Search becomes less reliable. Reporting gets harder. And no one is quite sure which page is the best example anymore.

Mistake #4: Designing Templates as Layouts, Not Guidance 🧭

Another subtle issue: templates that look good but don’t help.

A page full of headings without instructions assumes everyone already knows what belongs where. In reality, people interpret headings differently, especially across teams or roles.

Good templates don’t just define where content goes, they explain what should go there. Placeholder text, examples, and short prompts make a huge difference.

If someone has to guess how to use a template, they probably will and they’ll all guess differently.

And Your Mistakes?

If any of this feels familiar, you’re not alone.

I’ll go first: I used the same outdated SEO briefing page for months. Every time, I deleted the same outdated fields. Removed the same sections. Adjusted the same headings. 

Until one day it finally clicked: Wait… I could just update the template. 😄

That tiny realization saved me a surprising amount of time and frustration.

So now I’m curious:

• Are you copying old pages instead of using templates?

• Deleting the same sections over and over again?

• Avoiding templates because they feel “almost right, but not quite”?

What are your "template sins", and more importantly, what finally helped you fix them?

[Robert Hean]

Love this and 100% agree! I've lost track of how many times I've watched someone use the same template, only to remove the same, exact part EVERY time... Ideally they're a living tool, something we're constantly working at improving... but realistically they're something most folks are just vaguely aware of :/

[Patricia Modispacher _K15t_]

Thanks for your comment, @Robert Hean ! 🙌

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one 😂

[Elena_Communardo Products]

@Patricia Modispacher _K15t_ Oof, guilty of #3 more times than I’d like to admit 😅 Copying an old page feels faster in the moment, but you’re right, it quietly creates chaos over time. Updating the template instead of fighting it is such an underrated productivity win. Thanks for this well-written post.

[Patricia Modispacher _K15t_]

Thanks for your honesty, @Elena_Communardo Products ! I think when we share our experiences, we help each other improve and make the best out of our processes 🙌