Templates provide an easy way to create new rules. Templates reduce the risk for errors by non experienced rule writers. Templates represent common scenarios, such as news event alerts, stock quote price checks, and credit card transaction notifications. You can set a range of options, including a datatype rule writers can input or the range of acceptable values for a rule parameter, that users are allowed to use. By narrowing the choices for users, the risk of user errors is significantly reduced. You can also provide valuable instructional text for each template parameter they add to make the use of the template not only easier but efficient.

Rules created from templates are affected by some changes you make to the template when the template rule is being used. You need some basic understanding of how RulePoint updates templates that are in use. Not all changes you make to the templates warrant updates to the associated rules. However, changes made to the DRQL of the template generally affect the associated rules. That is because changes to the DRQL directly affect the behavior of the rules that reference the template. The changes you make to the information about the template, such as description or instructional text, will not affect the associated rules. It is important to know the difference.