Add a new custom template

Creating the template

From the menu select Custom Templates then click Add Custom Template.

Complete the form, using the table below as a guide.

Field/Option	Overview
Title	Enter a title for your custom template. This is how the template will appear when it's deployed.
Description	Enter a description of the template.
Note	As an optional step, record some extra information about the template.
Icon URL	Optionally, enter the URL to an image to use as an icon for the template.

Next, select the Build method.

Selecting the build method

Method 1: Web editor

Define or paste the contents of your manifest file into the web editor. When deploying an application using a custom template you will be given an opportunity to edit the manifest before deployment.

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

When you're ready, click Create custom template.

Method 2: Upload

If you have a manifest file locally, you can upload it directly to Portainer. Click Select file to browse to the file.

When you're ready, click Create custom template.

Method 3: Repository

If you have a template in a Git repository, you can add it to your custom templates. Enter the required details for access to your Git repository.

Field/Option	Overview
Authentication	Toggle this option on if your repository requires authentication.
Git credentials	If you have credentials configured you can select the set to use from this dropdown.
Username	Enter your Git username.
Personal access token	Enter your personal access token or password.
Repository URL	Enter the URL to your Git repository.
Repository reference	Select the reference to use from your repository. This will be auto populated with available references from your repository.
Manifest path	Enter the path and filename of the manifest within your repository.
Skip TLS Verification	Toggle this option on to skip TLS verification for the repository. This is useful if you are using self-signed certificates on your repo.

When you're ready, 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 REPLICA_COUNT 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: