Element templates

Browse, preview and apply Camunda element templates from the properties panel, and keep your own templates next to your diagrams.

The chooser: matching templates on the left, a preview of the selected one on the right.

Apply a template

1. Select an element, for example a service task or call activity.
2. In the properties panel, open Template and click + Select.
3. Pick a template to see its preview, then click Apply Template (or double-click the template).

The chooser lists only templates that fit the selected element. After applying, the properties panel shows the template name with an Applied badge.

Open the chooser from the Template section.

An applied template and its custom properties.

Find a template

• Search matches name, description, category and keywords (case-insensitive).
• Category chips appear when templates have a category. Click one to filter, click it again or All to reset.
• Search and category combine; clearing one keeps the other.

Each card shows the template's implementation when it sets one of these bindings: camunda:topic (Topic), camunda:delegateExpression (Delegate), camunda:class (Java Class), camunda:expression (Expression) or calledElement (Called Element).

Search covers descriptions too: "document" also finds DMS Archival.

Keyboard

Key	Action
↓ / ↑	Move through the list
Enter	Apply the selected template
Esc	Close without applying

Where templates live

Put template .json files in <configFolder>/element-templates/ (.camunda/element-templates/ by default). The modeler collects them from the diagram's folder up to the workspace root, so you can share templates project-wide or scope them to a folder:

my-project/
├── .camunda/element-templates/
│   └── send-email.json          # every diagram
└── processes/
    ├── .camunda/element-templates/
    │   └── special-task.json    # only diagrams in processes/
    └── my-process.bpmn

The config folder name is set by miragon.bpmnModeler.configFolder. To share templates across projects, use a template marketplace.

Templates with an engines field (for example "engines": { "camunda": "^8.7" }) are shown only on Camunda 8 diagrams whose version matches. Templates without engines and all Camunda 7 diagrams are not filtered.

Write good templates

A template needs name, id, appliesTo and properties. These fields make it easier to find and use:

Field	Effect in the chooser
description	Shown under the name and in the preview. Say what the template does.
category	Adds a filter chip and a badge.
keywords	Searched, not shown. Add synonyms such as ["smtp", "notification"].
documentationRef	Adds a Documentation link to the preview.
icon.contents	Icon on the card (data URI).

For properties:

• Always set label; without it the binding name is shown.
• Add description to fields that need explaining.
• constraints.notEmpty: true marks a field as required.
• editable: false marks a fixed value as read-only.
• Set a default value where a sensible one exists.
• Use type: "Hidden" for technical bindings; hidden properties are left out of the preview and the property count.

{
    "$schema": "https://unpkg.com/@camunda/element-templates-json-schema/resources/schema.json",
    "name": "Send E-Mail",
    "id": "com.example.templates.send-email",
    "description": "Sends an email via the company SMTP gateway.",
    "appliesTo": ["bpmn:ServiceTask"],
    "category": { "id": "communication", "name": "Communication" },
    "keywords": ["smtp", "notification", "mail"],
    "properties": [
        {
            "type": "Hidden",
            "value": "${emailDelegate}",
            "binding": { "type": "property", "name": "camunda:delegateExpression" }
        },
        {
            "label": "Recipient",
            "description": "Email address or process variable (e.g. ${assignee})",
            "type": "String",
            "binding": { "type": "camunda:inputParameter", "name": "recipient" },
            "constraints": { "notEmpty": true }
        }
    ]
}

Next steps

• Template marketplace: share templates across projects.
• Append menu: add a templated element as the next step.
• Configuration: change the config folder.