Visual Automation (VA) templates let you attach pre-built automations to your app. When a creator installs your app, they can discover those templates, preview them, and copy them into their own account—so they get value from your integration faster than building flows from scratch. Templates are bound to your app: Kit only surfaces them to creators in the right contexts (for example, when your app is installed or on your app details page). Publishing and review follow Kit’s app quality bar; see Going live and the sections below.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.kit.com/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
VA templates are managed in the Kit product UI (Build → your app → Templates). There are no public API endpoints for creating or publishing app VA templates today. If programmatic access ships later, it will appear in the API reference.
Prerequisites and eligibility
- Developer account and app: You manage templates from the same Build area where you edit your app. You need a Visual Automation in your developer account to use as the source for a template.
- Visual Automations and paid access: Visual Automations are a paid feature in Kit, and authoring VA templates requires that access. If you do not have access but want to add automation templates to your public app, email apps@kit.com; the team will try to help (for example with trial access so you can build and test templates before you ship).
- Published app for creator discovery: App-bound templates are shown to creators in contexts that require your app to be published in the Kit App Store. Keep your app details page and support links accurate so creators know how to use adopted automations.
- Creator visibility: Templates are only relevant when the creator has (or can install) your app. Creators who have not installed your app may still see template previews on your app details page in some flows, with install or upgrade paths as appropriate.
Where to manage templates
- Open Kit and go to Automate → Apps → Build (direct link).
- Click Edit on your app.
- Open the Templates tab.
Creating and submitting a template
Build the source automation
In Visual Automations, build and test the automation you want to ship as a template. Use nodes, content blocks, and especially dynamic content patterns that will still make sense after a creator copies the flow into their account (see Building automations that template well).
Create a template from the Templates tab
Start the create flow, choose the Visual Automation that backs the template, and give the template a display name. The name is separate from the underlying automation’s name: changing one does not automatically rename the other. Kit may pre-fill the template name from the automation name; you can edit it before submitting.
Read the submission banner
Kit shows different guidance depending on whether your app is already published on the Kit App Store:
- App already published: Your submission is a template-only review. The banner explains that the template will go through review and typical timing expectations.
- App not yet published: The template is reviewed together with the app when you submit the app for approval. Follow the CTAs to submit your app if you have not yet.
Review and publish states
- In review: The template is not yet available to creators. If your app is unpublished, align with Submit app for review (and any email instructions from Kit) so the app and template can be evaluated together.
- Approved: After approval, the template is published automatically—you do not need a separate publish step for the initial go-live.
- Rejected or changes needed: Use the feedback from Kit to update your app or template and resubmit following the same patterns as app resubmission.
After publish: unpublish, delete, edits, and re-review
Unpublish
You can unpublish an approved template from the templates list or template detail view. Unpublished templates are no longer offered for new adoptions; use this when you need to pause discovery while you fix copy or product issues.Delete
Delete removes the template from your app’s templates area. Kit asks for confirmation first. Creators who already adopted the template keep their copy—deletion does not remove automations from their accounts.Editing a published template
- You cannot edit the automation graph while it is bound as a published template. The Visual Automation editor shows a locked, read-only view with a banner explaining that the automation is published as a template and that changes are managed from app template settings. The banner includes a link to the Help Center for creators and developers who need more context on locked automations.
- You can change which Visual Automation backs an existing template when Kit allows that action in the template settings UI.
- Substantive changes (anything that requires Kit to re-evaluate the template) trigger re-review. The template detail view shows a notice that changes will be submitted for review again—submit when you are ready.
Preview
From template management, use Preview to open how the template appears to creators in a new browser tab. Use this to verify copy, entry points, and node configuration before and after review.Creator-facing behavior
Understanding what creators see helps you write app details copy, help article URLs, and support docs.- App details page: Published apps can show one or more template cards with actions such as preview, install, or adopt, depending on the creator’s plan and whether they already installed your app.
- Visual Automation template library: App templates can appear alongside other templates, with ordering and eligibility rules that favor apps the creator uses.
- After install: Creators may see prompts that highlight your templates the first time they open relevant surfaces after installing your app.
Building automations that template well
- Dynamic content: If your template uses app-driven or per-subscriber data in emails, follow the Dynamic content blocks guides (configuration, Liquid, and plugin flow) so adoption duplicates the automation cleanly for creators.
- Other content blocks: Prefer patterns documented under Content blocks and related guides so duplicated automations keep working when creators adopt your template. Avoid hard-coding developer-account identifiers where a creator’s resources should be used instead.
- Entry triggers and goals: Make the default path obvious after adoption (tags, segments, and goals should make sense on a fresh creator account).
- OAuth and settings: If the automation assumes your app is installed, state that in your app description and help article so creators connect your app before turning on the flow.
- Node notes for adopters: In the Visual Automation editor, add notes on nodes (where Kit supports them) to explain non-obvious steps, what the creator should configure after copying, and how your app fits in. Those notes help creators successfully run the template after they adopt it.
Support and review contact
- Review questions and test credentials: apps@kit.com — same channel as app review.
- Ongoing template lifecycle: After your app is live, you can still add, update, and remove templates from the Templates tab; see also Managing your apps.
Limitations
- API: Template create/update/publish is not available on the public Kit API today.
- Multiple templates: Kit may expose more templates per app over time; start from what you see in the Templates tab for your app.
- Feature availability: If a capability is not visible in your account, your plan or rollout group may not include it yet—use Preview on your app details page and in-app messaging for the source of truth. If you think you should have access (for example to build templates for a public app), contact apps@kit.com.