---
title: "How to create document collections from a template"
source: https://dev.pageseeder.com/get_started/tutorials/how_to_create_document_collections_from_a_template.html
last_updated: 2026-08-11T16:23:09+10:00
tokens: ~1395
---

# How to create document collections from a template

| Property | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Skills required | XML |
| Time required (minutes) | 30 |
| Intended audience | Developer |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Category | Document |

## Objective

Through the PageSeeder interface, [document templates](../../guide/configuration/psml/psml_document_template.md) allow users to create single documents. This tutorial explains how developers can use a [process script](../../guide/publishing/ant_api/tasks/task_process.md) to have a document template create an entire collection of linked documents.

#### Use Case

Applications for this functionality are multi-document reports or publications that require components such as front matter, body and back matter.

## Prerequisites

To complete this tutorial requires:

- Administrator access to a PageSeeder server.
- Knowledge of how to create projects, groups, folders and documents in PageSeeder.

## Tutorial

### Setup projects, groups and documents

1. Create a project called “**example**”.
2. In this project, create groups called “**template”** and “**publication”**.
3. In “**example-template”** create a folder called “**templates”**.
4. In “**templates”** create a folder called “**publication1”**.
5. In “**publication1”** create one document with a type of “**references**”.
6. From the “**references**” document, create and link a few documents with a type of “**default**” (these will form the template for one document collection).
7. Repeat tasks 4-6  for a folder called “**publication2**”.

### Setup process script

1. In the “**example”** project and go the **Project dashboard**
2. Select **Publish scripts** from the menu  
![Project menu – Publish scripts](/content/get_started/tutorials/../../images/tutorials/project_menu_publish_scripts_v60000.webp)
3. Click **Configure scripts for group/folder/document**.
4. Replace the content with the following XML and click **Save** at the bottom (the `<value>` elements define your list of templates, so would need to be updated if you add or rename template folders).
\<publishing\>
  \<action type="process"\>
    \<source type="folder" /\>
    \<target name="create-collection"\>
      \<description\>Create document collection\</description\>
      \<param name="template-name"
             label="Template"
             type="select"\>
        \<!-- THE FOLLOWING VALUES SHOULD BE
             MODIFIED FOR EACH SPECIFIC PROJECT --\> 
        \<value\>publication1\</value\>
        \<value\>publication2\</value\>
      \</param\>
      \<param name="collection-name"
             label="New collection name"
             type="text" /\>
    \</target\>
  \</action\>
\</publishing\>


5. Return to the **Publish scripts** page and click **Refresh**
6. Click **create** next to the “**create-collection”** target.
7. Replace the content with the following XML and click **Save** (modify the `template-folder` property for a different project).

```xml
<project name="folder-process"
         xmlns:ps="antlib:com.pageseeder.publishapi.ant">

  <target name="create-collection"
          description="Create document collection">

    <!-- Folder containing the templates
         (MODIFY FOR SPECIFIC PROJECT) -->
    <property name="template-folder"
              value="/ps/example/template/templates" />

    <!-- load PageSeeder config properties -->
    <ps:config />

    <!-- create working folders -->
    <property name="download"
              value="${ps.config.default.working}/download" />
    <property name="process"
              value="${ps.config.default.working}/process" />
    <mkdir dir="${download}"/>
    <mkdir dir="${process}"/>

    <!-- export template documents -->
    <ps:export src="${template-folder}/${ps.param.template-name}"
               dest="${download}" />

    <!-- remove docids to avoid clashes -->
    <ps:process src="${download}"
                dest="${process}"
                processed="false"
                preservesrc="true">
      <strip documentinfo="docid" />
    </ps:process>

    <!-- zip files to preserve folder structure on upload -->
    <zip destfile="${ps.config.default.working}/upload.zip"
         basedir="${process}" />

    <!-- upload template documents to new location -->
    <script language="javascript">
 var name = project.getProperty("ps.param.collection-name");
 project.setProperty("foldername",name.toLowerCase().replaceAll(" ", "_"));
    </script>

    <ps:upload group="${ps.config.default.group.name}"
               folder="${ps.config.default.uri.path.no.group}/${foldername}"
               unzip="true">
      <fileset file="${ps.config.default.working}/upload.zip" />
    </ps:upload>

    <echo>Creation successful!</echo>
  </target>
</project>
```

### Create a collection

1. In PageSeeder go to the '**example-publication**' group and click on **Documents**.
2. Next to the '**documents**' folder select **Process**  by mousing over the actions icon at right (this is where the document collection will be created, so you could select any folder).
3. Select a **Template** from the drop down list and type a **New collection name** (e.g. My new publication)
4. Click the **Process** button and wait until '**Creation successful!**' appears.
5. Click **Close**, then click on the **documents** folder and you should see the folder for your new collection with the documents from the template inside it.

![Folder process dialog – Create document collection](/content/get_started/tutorials/../../images/tutorials/folder_process%20modal_create_collection_v60000.webp)