Custom templates

A custom template can be used to help streamline the deployment of a container or stack.

You can also create a template from an existing deployed stack.

Viewing the list of custom templates

To view a list of custom templates, from the menu select App Templates then select Custom Templates.

Creating a new custom template

Entering the basic information

Click Add Custom Template then complete the details, using the table below as a guide.

Field/Option	Overview
Title	Give the template a descriptive name.
Description	Enter a brief description of what your template includes.
Note	Note any extra information about the template (optional).
Icon URL	Enter the URL to an icon to be used for the template when it appears in the list (optional).
Platform	Select the compatible platform for the template. Options are Linux or Windows.
Type	Select the type of template. Options are Standalone or Swarm.

Selecting the build method

Next, choose the build method that suits your needs. You can use the web editor to manually enter your docker-compose file, upload a docker-compose.yml file from your local computer, or pull the compose file from a Git repository.

Web editor

Paste the contents of your docker-compose file into the box provided. Once all the details have been completed, click Create custom template.

You can search within the web editor at any time by pressing Ctrl-F (or Cmd-F on Mac).

Upload

Click Select file to browse for a docker-compose file to upload. Once all the details have been completed, click Create custom template.

Git repository

Fill in the details for your Git repository.

Field/Option	Overview
Repository URL	Enter the URL to your Git repository.
Repository reference	Enter the repository reference to define the branch or tag to pull from. If blank, the default HEAD reference will be used.
Compose path	Enter the path within the repository to your docker-compose file.

If your repository requires access authentication, toggle Authentication on then enter the username and personal access token. When all the details have been entered, click Create custom template.

Variables in templates

Custom templates support the use of variables to provide further customization of the deployed stack. A stack can define a variable that can then be adjusted by the user at deployment.

This feature is only available in Portainer Business Edition.

Variables are identified in stacks with {{ }}. For example, the following stack provides a MYSQL_PASSWORD variable:

When a variable is defined, options appear to customize how the variable appears when deploying the stack. You can set the label, description and default value.

When a template is deployed, any variables that have been configured are editable: