What is Dynamic Template?

A dynamic template is the foundation of design automation. It's a design where specific elements are marked as "dynamic", meaning they can be replaced with different content for each generated variant.

What makes a template "dynamic":

• Named layers or fields that map to data inputs
• Text elements that accept variable strings
• Image placeholders that accept URLs
• Color values that can be overridden per render
• Visibility toggles for conditional elements

Template creation approaches:

1. Visual editor import (Canva): Design in Canva, import into Layerre. Layerre detects each layer automatically.
2. Built-in editor: Design directly in the automation platform's editor (BannerBear, Placid, Renderform).
3. Code-defined (JSON): Define the template as a JSON object specifying layout, typography, and dynamic fields (Creatomate, Shotstack).

Best practices for dynamic templates:

• Keep dynamic elements on separate layers
• Test with variable-length content to ensure the design adapts
• Consider edge cases: missing images, very long text, empty fields

Template vs. variant:

The template is the master design. A variant is one rendered output with specific data substituted into the dynamic fields. One template can produce unlimited variants.

Real-world dynamic template examples:

• Ad creative: headline, product image, CTA button text, background color per audience segment
• Social post: quote text, author name, brand color per campaign
• Certificate: attendee name, course title, completion date, badge image
• OG image: page title, category label, author name per blog post
• Product card: product name, price, discount badge, hero image per SKU

Building dynamic templates in Canva (for Layerre import):

1. Design your layout as usual in Canva
2. Keep each swappable element on its own layer
3. Share the design and import into Layerre
4. Map each layer to your data in the Layerre editor or API using layer IDs

Testing dynamic templates:

Before generating thousands of variants, test edge cases: very long headlines, missing images, empty optional fields, and special characters. A well-built dynamic template handles all of these gracefully without breaking the layout.