Custom packs & library
Packs are the building blocks of a template. A pack is a reusable bundle of questions and documents on one topic — say, “K-1 partner income”, “EITC eligibility”, or “Home office deduction”.
Two flavors:
| Flavor | Origin | Editable | Where they live |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library packs | Shipped by Assure Pro | Read-only by default — duplicate them to make a firm-owned copy | Intake → Library |
| Custom packs | Built by your firm | Fully editable | Intake → Custom packs |
When you build a template, you add packs to it from either source.
The library
Open Intake → Library from the sidebar. The page has two sections, with a single search bar at the top.
Starters
A starter is a pre-composed set of packs for a specific entity or return type — the scaffold Assure Pro suggests when you create a new template. Use them to skip the “what packs do I need for an S-corp?” decision.
The starters section shows:
- Entity type multi-select pill (filter).
- A grid of starter cards (1 / 2 / 3 columns by screen width).
Each card shows the starter name, description, and entity type. Cards have a kebab menu:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Open | Opens the starter detail. Shows every pack in the starter and the questions inside. |
| Duplicate | Creates a firm-owned copy of the starter. Useful if you want to edit the starter’s pack list. |
| Archive / Unarchive | Hides the starter from the new-template gallery. |
| Delete | Permanently removes. Confirmation required. |
Clicking the card body also opens the detail page.
[Screenshot: Library starters]
Packs
The packs section groups library packs by scenario category:
| Category | What’s in it |
|---|---|
| Income | W-2 wages, 1099-DIV / -INT / -B / -NEC variants, K-1, rental, sale of property. |
| Deductions | Standard vs itemized, charitable, mortgage interest, state and local tax (SALT), medical, business deductions. |
| Credits | EITC, CTC, AOTC / LLC, energy and EV credits, dependent care, retirement saver’s credit. |
| Life events | Marriage or divorce, new dependent, home purchase, retirement, inheritance. |
| Special situations | Foreign income (FATCA, FBAR), crypto, multi-state, self-employed, gig worker, business owner add-ons. |
Above the groups, a Category multi-select pill filter narrows what’s shown. Each pack card has the same actions as starters — Open, Duplicate, Archive, Delete — in its kebab.
Click any pack card to open its detail — the same editor screen used for custom packs, opened on the library pack’s data.
What “duplicate” gives you
When you duplicate a library pack or starter, you get a firm-owned copy. The copy:
- Is fully editable — add, remove, edit questions and documents.
- Shows up in Intake → Custom packs from then on.
- Doesn’t sync — changes the Assure Pro team makes to the underlying library pack don’t propagate to your copy.
Custom packs
Open Intake → Custom packs from the sidebar. The page shows your firm’s authored packs in a card grid.
The list
| Element | What it does |
|---|---|
| Search input | Filters by name or description. |
| Category multi-select pill | Filter by scenario category. |
| Clear filters | Visible when any filter is active. |
| Count caption | ”N of M” total. |
| + New pack | Opens a fresh pack editor. |
Each card shows:
- Pack name.
- Description (truncated).
- Scenario category badge.
- Question count and document item count.
Kebab actions per card:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Edit | Opens the pack editor. |
| Duplicate | Creates “Copy of {name}” — a new firm-owned pack. |
| Delete | Permanently removes after confirmation: “Templates that reference it will keep their current items, but the pack itself won’t be available to add to future templates.” |
Click anywhere on the card body to open the editor.
Empty state
If you’ve never created a pack:
No custom packs yet — Create reusable bundles of questions and documents you can drop into any intake template.
with a + New pack button.
Creating a new pack
Click + New pack. The pack editor opens with empty fields:
| Field | Required |
|---|---|
| Name | Required. |
| Description | Optional. Shown in the pack library tooltip when adding to a template. |
| Category | Optional. One of the 5 scenario categories or “Uncategorized”. Determines which group the pack appears under in the template editor’s pack library. |
The header has a save indicator with the same states as the template editor (Idle, Saving, Saved, Error).
The pack editor body
Unlike templates (which have sections), a pack is a flat list of questions and documents.
- Each row shows: drag handle, type chip, label (click to rename), Required and Conditional badges, Settings and Trash actions.
- Footer: + Add question and + Add document buttons.
- Clicking the gear on a row opens the same config drawer as the template editor — for question types and conditional logic.
Conditional logic inside a pack
Items within a pack can reference earlier questions in the same pack via conditional rules. Once the pack is added to a template, those references stay scoped to within that pack instance — they don’t accidentally bind to other questions in the broader template.
Reusing packs across templates
Once a custom pack exists, it shows up in the Custom packs group of every template editor’s pack library, available to add to any template regardless of return type. The same pack can be added to many templates.
Editing a pack already used by templates
When you edit a pack that’s already in use:
- Templates already sent to clients are unaffected — they snapshot the pack at the moment of send.
- Templates not yet sent: the next time the template is opened, the pack content reflects your edits. There’s no version drift.
This means template authors can safely keep iterating on shared packs as the firm learns.
Starters in detail
A starter is one level up from a pack — it bundles multiple packs together for a specific return type. For example, the Standard 1040 starter might include the Income, Deductions, Credits, and Documents packs.
When you create a new template via + New template, the starter gallery is what you pick from. Each starter card shows the entity type and pack list.
If your firm has specialized templates (for example, one for high-net-worth clients with foreign income), you can:
- Duplicate a library starter from Intake → Library.
- Edit which packs it includes.
- Use it as your default scaffold going forward.
Tips
”I have a custom question I add to every template”
Put it in a custom pack — even a one-question pack. That way you add the pack once per template instead of typing the question manually each time. Bonus: when you change the wording, every template that uses the pack updates automatically.
”I want our custom packs to feel like the Assure Pro ones”
Stick to the same scoping rule: one pack equals one topic. Assure Pro’s library packs typically run 3–15 items each. If you’re building a pack with 30+ items, split it into 2–3 narrower packs.
”I deleted a pack but need it back”
Custom packs have a hard delete with confirmation — there’s no undo from the dashboard. The data still exists in audit logs but isn’t recoverable through the dashboard. Contact support if you need it restored.
Permissions
| Action | Who can do it |
|---|---|
| View library and custom packs | Anyone with View intake access |
| Open library pack or starter detail | View intake access |
| Duplicate a library pack or starter | Create intake access |
| Create or edit a custom pack | Create intake / Edit intake access |
| Archive a library pack or starter | Edit intake access |
| Delete a custom pack | Delete intake access |
Next
- Templates & the editor — using packs to build a template.
- Question types & conditional logic — what goes inside a pack.