Cloning & updates
When you click + Add to mine on a Template Library card, Assure Pro copies that entry into your firm. From that moment on, your clone is independent — you can rename, edit, or delete it without affecting the library or other firms.
What “clone” actually means
A clone is a deep copy of the library entry into your firm’s records. Every nested piece — line items, questions, document items, folder tree — is duplicated.
The clone remembers where it came from:
| Stored on the clone |
|---|
| The library entry it was cloned from |
| The version of the library entry at clone time |
| Timestamp of the clone |
| Which firm user clicked Add |
Your firm sees the clone in its native list — Engagement Letters, Organizer Templates, etc. The clone is a normal record, not a special “library clone” surface.
Where each category lands
| Category | Lands at |
|---|---|
| Engagement Letter | E-sign → Templates list |
| Organizer | Intake → Templates list |
| Pack | Inside the Organizer template editor → pack library |
| Folder Structure | Settings → Document folders |
| Message | Compose forms → Templates picker |
You won’t see a “templates I cloned” view today — clones are mixed into your firm’s native lists. The library page shows a small “Cloned N times” counter so you can see how often any given entry has been adopted (across all firms, anonymized).
How to edit a clone
Once cloned, your copy is fully editable in its native surface:
- Engagement letters → Open in the letter editor, tweak services, billing terms, blocks
- Organizers → Open in the organizer editor, edit sections, questions, and docs
- Folder structures → Add or remove folders, reorder
- Messages → Edit subject and body in the template manager
Edits affect future uses only — invoices, organizers, and folder applications that happened before your edit are unchanged.
Permission model
The clone permission per category was set on purpose to match the typical owner role:
| Category | Permission needed | Typical role |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement Letter | Create e-sign | Anyone who sends letters |
| Organizer | Create intake | Tax preparers |
| Pack | Create intake | Tax preparers |
| Folder Structure | Edit firm settings | Owner or admin |
| Message | Send communications | Anyone who sends client messages |
If you lack the permission, the + Add to mine button is replaced with a permission-denied state on the card. The card still previews — only the clone action is gated.
”Update from library” — not in V1
This is one of the most-asked questions about the library: “If the platform updates an engagement letter I cloned, will my clone update automatically?”
V1 answer: No. Your clone is yours forever once created. The library entry can update behind the scenes, but your clone stays at the version you cloned.
Why not auto-update?
- Safety. If you’ve edited a clone (added your firm name, adjusted fees, customized language), an auto-update would either overwrite your changes or merge poorly.
- Trust. Tax workflows are sensitive — surprising firms with a letter rewrite in the middle of the season would be bad.
- Auditing. Every signed letter must be reproducible. If clones updated mid-season, the rendered PDF wouldn’t match the template at sign time.
The roadmap includes a manual Update from library action — a side-by-side diff view where you can pick which library changes to merge into your clone. Not in V1.
What changes in the library over time
The Assure Pro team updates library entries when:
- A regulatory change requires new boilerplate
- A typo or formatting bug is found
- A better default emerges from community feedback (more cloned versions edited the same way = signal)
Updates land as new versions. Your clone records the version at clone time, so when the manual Update from library lands, the diff will be against that specific version — not the very first one.
Clone count display
Each card shows a count like “Cloned 12 times.” This is the aggregate across all firms (anonymized — no firm names exposed). Useful for:
- Spotting the most-trusted starters
- Knowing whether a new entry has been battle-tested
- Sanity-checking your choice before customizing
The count updates within a few minutes of every clone.
Re-cloning
Nothing prevents you from cloning the same library entry twice. Each clone is independent — you might do this to A/B test two variants:
- “Individual 1040 — Standard fee” (cloned at $450 default)
- “Individual 1040 — Premium fee” (cloned at $750 default, with the audit-defense add-on)
The shared origin is recorded, but the two clones are otherwise unrelated.
How to delete a clone
Each clone is a normal record in its native list — delete it like any other:
- Engagement letter clone → E-sign → Templates → trash icon
- Organizer template → Intake → Templates → archive
- Folder structure → Settings → Document folders → delete
- Message template → Template manager → trash icon
Deletion doesn’t affect the library. You can re-clone from the library at any time.
What if the library entry is removed?
In rare cases (security issue, deprecation), we retire a library entry. When that happens:
- Your existing clones keep working — they’re firm-owned data, not live references
- The entry disappears from the library
- The clone counter freezes
This is intentional — we treat clones as fully decoupled.
Permissions summary
| Action | Required |
|---|---|
| Browse the library | View template library |
| Preview a card | View template library |
| Add to your firm’s library | The category’s clone permission (see table above) |
| Edit your clone after | The category’s edit permission |
| Delete your clone | The category’s delete permission |
Tips
- Don’t clone before reading. Preview first — saves you from deleting an unwanted clone.
- Name your clone immediately. The clone defaults to the library entry’s name; rename if your firm has its own conventions (“1040 Letter — Chen & Associates”).
- Start with one category at a time. Don’t try to seed your entire firm in one session — clone a letter, use it, then come back for organizers.
Next
- Engagement letter templates — what your engagement-letter clones look like in the editor.
- Organizer templates — same for organizers.
- Document folders — same for folder structures.
- Messages — same for message templates.