# Prepare your templates

Source: https://instatus.com/help/incident-response/templates

Templates pre-fill the incident, maintenance and update forms with a saved title, status, description, affected components and notification setting, so your team communicates consistently under pressure.

| At a glance | Details |
| :-- | :-- |
| [Used for](https://instatus.com/help/incident-response/templates#how-do-i-use-a-template) | Incidents, maintenances and their updates |
| [Fields](https://instatus.com/help/incident-response/templates#how-do-i-create-a-template) | Title, status, description, components, notify |
| [Where to find](https://instatus.com/help/incident-response/templates#how-do-i-create-a-template) | Templates → Add a template |

## How do I create a template?

Log in at [instatus.com/login](https://dashboard.instatus.com/login), choose your status page, go to **Templates** and click **Add a template**.

Once you click it, a new form will appear. Here you can enter:

- A template title.
- Status, this will also specify if it can be used with incidents or maintenance periods.
- Description.
- Affected components.
- Whether to notify subscribers about it.

Click **Add Template**.

![Add a new template](https://instatus.com/help/incidents/add-template.png)

Template is now added! 🙌

## How do I use a template?

Click **Use a template** in the incident, maintenance or update form and the saved fields fill in, ready to edit.

### How do I add an incident from a template?

To create an incident using a template, go to Incidents, then click on **Add an incident** button:

Once you click it, a new form will appear where you can click on **Use a template** and select the template you want to use.

You can freely edit the filled-in information from the template, and you can specify the exact date of the incident.

![Add a new incident using template](https://instatus.com/help/incidents/add-incident.png)

Incident is now added using your template! 💁🏻‍♂️

You can also use templates to add incident updates, schedule maintenances, and add maintenance updates.

- [General notices](https://instatus.com/help/incident-response/general-notices): Learn how to pin announcements to your status page.