Overview
This article explains how Admins can view, create, customize, organize, and publish resume templates within the WriteSea platform. The Build Templates section provides full control over how templates are designed and shared with students, allowing for both customization and organization to ensure templates meet your institution’s needs.
The Build Templates Section:
This feature is crucial for creating and managing templates that students will be utilized to build their resumes. Admins have the ability to customize templates, upload their own designs, adjust various sections, and control who can access the templates. The platform offers an intuitive interface to manage template versions and set rules for different resume formats.
Step 1 — Open Resume Templates
To begin, open the Build templates section from the Admin Panel.
1: Navigate to:
Build Templates → Resume Templates
Once there, click the ⓘ (info icon) beside Resume Templates to learn more about the difference between System Templates and Custom Templates.
2: Types of Templates
A) System Templates (Default)
System Templates are pre-built templates created by the WriteSea team. Think of them as starter templates designed to help you get up and running quickly.
System Templates are available by default in the platform.
They cannot be deleted, ensuring the originals always remain available.
When you select a System Template, WriteSea creates an editable copy and automatically saves it under your Custom Templates.
This keeps the original System Template safe while allowing full customization of the copied version.
B) Custom Templates (Your Institution)
Custom Templates is your personal workspace for creating and managing templates. These are the templates your institution actively builds, customizes, and publishes for student use.
You can build your Custom Templates by:
Modifying a System Template
Uploading an existing resume template
Creating a new template from scratch
Custom Templates give you complete flexibility to tailor designs, sections, rules, and permissions to meet your institution’s needs.
Note: Both System and Custom Templates are fully editable. When a System Template is customized, WriteSea creates an editable copy that is saved as a Custom Template. Only Custom Templates that are customized and published will appear in the Student Platform.
Step 2 — Create a New Template
There are multiple ways to create a new template, giving you flexibility based on your requirements.
Options for Creating a Template
Option 1: Start with a System Template
Use a System Template as a foundation and customize it to fit your needs.
Select a System Template (e.g., Blueprint, Horizon).
WriteSea automatically creates an editable copy.
The copied version is saved under Custom Templates, where you can:
Edit sections
Adjust layout and styling
Configure rules
Publish it for students
This option provides a fast and reliable starting point while preserving the original System Template.
Option 2: Upload Your Own Template
If you already have a custom-designed resume template, you can upload it directly into WriteSea.
How to Upload:
Click Upload Custom Template to begin.
Upload your template file (PDF or DOC format).
Select a layout style (layout options may expand over time).
Upload your template file (PDF or DOC format).
Once uploaded:
WriteSea automatically parses the resume.
The template becomes fully editable in the editor.
You can customize sections, styling, and rules just like any other Custom Template.
This ensures your uploaded template remains flexible and editable within WriteSea.
Option 3: Create New Template From Scratch
This option lets you build your own template from the ground up, giving you complete control over design, layout, and section customization. You can fully tailor the template to meet the unique needs of your institution.
Click Create New Template (top-right).
Then choose a layout from the options (layout options may expand over time). These layouts offer a variety of styles to fit your branding and requirements.:
Step 3 — Customize the Template
Once you’ve selected or created a new template, you can enter the editor to customize various aspects.
Customization Options
1: Add / Remove Sections
You can add new sections (e.g., Work Experience, Education, Skills) or remove existing sections to align with the specific needs of your institution.
Example actions:
Add Section: To add a new section to your template, click on a section from the available options (e.g., Skills, Certifications, etc.) on the left sidebar. Once selected, the section will be added to your template, allowing you to easily customize and populate it with relevant content.
Remove Section: If a section is no longer needed, simply click the Delete icon next to it. This will remove the section from your template, giving you the flexibility to streamline the layout and focus on the most relevant information.
2: Adjust Layout & Fonts for the Entire Template
When you click on any template, the right sidebar will provide options to modify the overall layout and adjust font styles for the entire template. This includes:
Font Customization: Modify the font style, size, and weight for Headings, Subheadings, Titles, Paragraphs, and Bullet Points.
Example: Change Heading font size to 22, Subheading size to 12, and adjust Bullet Point sizes accordingly.
Layout Options: Choose a layout style (e.g., Elegant, Creative Hub) for the entire resume template.
Section Spacing: Adjust the spacing between sections (e.g., 24px).
Separator Style: Modify the separator border style between sections (e.g., solid or dotted).
Note: These changes apply to the entire template and affect all sections within it, not just individual sections like Experience or Skills.
3: Edit Section’s Fonts, Styling, and Layout
You can customize each section of your template by clicking directly on it. For example, when you click the Experience section in the resume preview, the Edit Section panel appears on the right side with section-specific controls.
This allows you to tailor the look of a single section (such as Professional Summary, Experience, or Skills) without changing the entire template’s design.
What You Can Customize in the Edit Section Panel
A) Section Title
Update the section name (example: “Experience” → “Work Experience”) using the Section Title field.
B) Current Section Selection (Section Layout Style)
Each section also supports different layout variations.
Under Current section selection, you’ll see the layout style currently applied to that section.
Click Change to open the Section Library.
The Section Library will show other layout options available for that specific section.
Select the layout you want, then click Confirm Selection to apply it.
Note: This changes only the selected section’s layout, not the entire template.
C) Subsections (Field-Level Controls)
Under Subsections, you can control the fields inside that section (example: Title, Company Name, Location, Start Date, End Date, etc.). Depending on the field, you may be able to:
Format text (e.g., bold/italic)
Show or hide the field
Adjust field-specific settings (such as date formatting)
4: Save Template Changes
After customizing the template, remember to save your changes. If you don’t save, any adjustments made to the layout, fonts, or sections will not be applied when you move to the Rules Engine or publish the template.
Click "Save" to ensure that all your changes are preserved.
5: How to Configure the Rules Engine
Once you enter the Rules Engine for a specific section (e.g., Experience), you can configure custom rules that will help guide and assess the resume. Each section can have its own set of rules, which will directly influence the resume review scoring for students.
Select the Section: Choose the section (e.g., Experience) you want to edit in the left sidebar.
Edit Rules: For each section, the rules will be displayed on the right. Here, you can define the criteria and severity level for various aspects of the section.
For each rule, you can set the severity as:
Urgent (5 pts)
Critical (3 pts)
Optional (1 pt)
No Impact
These severity levels directly influence how the student’s resume is reviewed and scored. Higher severity rules (e.g., Urgent or Critical) will significantly affect the student’s resume score.
Save Rules: After configuring the rules and severity levels, make sure to save the rules. This ensures the rules will be applied to the resume review process for students.
Note: If you don't save the changes, they will not reflect on the student’s resume review.
6. Lock or Unlock the Template
Admins can also lock or unlock templates, controlling whether students can edit the template’s layout and sections while creating resumes.
Unlock Template: Allows students to edit sections, adjust font styles, and customize the layout while building their resumes.
Lock Template: Prevents students from modifying the template's structure, ensuring consistency.
To lock or unlock a template, click the Lock icon in the template settings.
Step 4 — Publish the Template
Once you’ve finalized your template, it's time to publish it for use.
1: Publish Template
Click on "Publish Template" to begin the publishing process.
2: Sharing Options
Upon clicking Share, you will see two options for how to distribute the template:
A) Public
This option makes the template available to everyone in your institution, allowing all users to access and use it.
B) Private
This option generates a Template Passcode, which you can manually share with specific users or groups.
You can also manage access using an Access List, providing fine-grained control over who can view or use the template.
By choosing the appropriate option, you can control whether the template is widely available or shared only with selected users.
Step 5 — Organize with Folders
As you create multiple templates, organizing them becomes important for ease of access and management.
1: Create Folders
Click on New Folder to organize your templates into categories.
Name your folder (e.g., Gold folder, Executive Templates, etc.) to help categorize templates for easier reference.
2: Manage Templates with the three-Dot Menu:
Use the three-dot menu beside each template to:
Add to Folder: Move templates to specific folders for better organization.
Delete Template: Remove a template from the system if it’s no longer needed.
This keeps your template library clean and organized, ensuring quick access to the right templates when needed.
Step 6 — View Template Analytics
Admins can now view analytics for resume templates directly from the Resume Templates page. This helps institutions understand which templates are being used, how many resumes are created from each template, and how those resumes are performing during review.
1: Open Template Analytics
From the Admin Panel, go to:
Build Templates → Resume Templates
On the Resume Templates page, click View analytics beside the page title.
This will open the Resume template analytics dashboard.
2: Review Template Performance Summary
At the top of the analytics page, Admins can view high-level performance metrics, including:
- Total Templates — Total number of templates available.
- Resume Created — Number of resumes created using templates.
- Total Reviews Requested — Number of resume reviews requested.
- Average Review per Resume — Average number of reviews requested per resume.
- Urgent Issues Resolved/Found — Number of urgent issues resolved compared to issues found.
- Critical Issues Resolved/Found — Number of critical issues resolved compared to issues found.
- Optional Issues Resolved/Found — Number of optional issues resolved compared to issues found.
These metrics help Admins quickly understand template adoption, review activity, and resume quality trends.
3: Filter Analytics
Admins can refine the analytics view using:
- Search templates — Search by template name.
- Filter — Apply additional filtering options.
- Date range selector — Review analytics for a selected date range.
- Time period dropdown — Example: Last 12 Months.
This makes it easier to compare template performance across specific timeframes.
4: View Template-Level Analytics
The Templates tab displays analytics for each resume template.
The table includes:
- Template — Name of the template.
- Layout — Layout style used by the template.
- Created By — Admin or staff member who created the template.
- Group — Group assigned to the template, if applicable.
- Tags — Tags associated with the template.
- Resume — Number of resumes created from the template.
- Average Score — Average resume score for resumes using that template.
- Published — Date and time the template was published.
Admins can use this data to identify which templates are most used, which templates produce stronger resume scores, and which templates may need improvement.
5: View Resume-Level Analytics
The Resumes tab allows Admins to review analytics at the resume level. This helps Admins understand how individual resumes connected to templates are performing and how often users are requesting reviews.
Key Notes
✔ The View analytics link is available on the Resume Templates page.
✔ Analytics help Admins measure template usage, resume creation, review requests, and resume quality.
✔ Template-level data helps identify high-performing and underused templates.
✔ Issue tracking shows how many urgent, critical, and optional issues were found and resolved.
✔ Filters and date ranges allow Admins to review analytics for specific reporting periods.
Key Notes for Admins
✔ System Templates act as safe starter templates provided by WriteSea. Selecting one creates an editable copy that is saved under 'Custom Templates'.
✔ Only Custom Templates that are customized and published appear in the Student Portal.
✔ Custom Templates can be created by:
Modifying a System Template
Uploading an existing resume file
Building a template entirely from scratch
✔ Section-level customization allows Admins to:
Add or remove sections
Change individual section layouts using the current section selection
Control field visibility and formatting within sections
✔ Template-wide controls allow consistent styling through global layout, font, spacing, and separator settings.
✔ Resume Review behavior is driven by the Rules Engine, where section-specific rules and severity levels must be saved to take effect.
✔ Templates can be locked or unlocked to control whether students can modify layout and structure during resume creation.
✔ Publishing settings (Public or Private/passcode) determine which users can access each template.
✔ Folders and the three-dot menu help maintain a clean, organized template library as your institution grows.
Conclusion
The Build Templates module in WriteSea gives Admins complete control over how resumes are structured, styled, reviewed, and shared across their institution. By leveraging System Templates as starting points and managing all student-facing designs through Custom Templates, Admins can ensure consistency while maintaining flexibility.
With section-level customization, a powerful Rules Engine, publishing controls, and organizational tools like folders and access lists, WriteSea enables institutions to deliver a polished, standardized template-building experience, while still allowing room for customization where it matters most.