Syncing Studio templates to linked campaigns (beta)
Before you start
Linked campaign syncing is currently available only to customers in the beta program. If this is not in your GoFundMe Pro account, you can still create Studio templates.
After you create a Studio template, you can push updates to every linked campaign at once. That means you can scale your campaigns while maintaining centralized control over your content.
How syncing works
After you save changes to a template, you can automatically sync them to all linked campaigns. If a campaign is already published, synced changes appear right away, so the admin doesn't need to republish it.
Select Sync to open the sync review, which shows every change across settings, pages, and emails, as well as every linked campaign that will receive the update. Select a section to see the full list of what's changing.
Select Next, then Confirm & sync to push your changes. You can also choose to email campaign creators to let them know their campaign was updated.
Important: You can't undo a sync. If you need to reverse a change, update the template again and sync a second time.
What campaign admins notice after a sync
When a campaign admin opens a campaign that has received an update, they can review the list of changes that were published to the campaign. They can revisit that list anytime.
Locking areas to keep campaigns consistent
Template admins can lock areas of a template so linked campaigns can't change them. Locking is useful when a setting or piece of content needs to remain identical across all campaigns.
Locking an item or area makes it read-only for campaign admins, and it overrides any existing customization. If a campaign has already customized that item, the next sync replaces it with the locked template version.
You can lock content at a few levels:
- Select an individual block or setting in the block to lock just that item
- Lock an entire page to cover everything on it
- Lock across the whole template at once using Template controls. Template controls let you lock down entire pages, all settings sections, or all emails in one step. To open Template controls, select the dropdown next to the template name and select the lock icon.
Locking Settings sections
Locking works a bit differently in Settings. A lock covers everything at that top level. For example, locking the Intelligent Ask Amounts section locks all three fields inside it, and the entire section syncs to every linked campaign.
Synced v. customized campaigns
Almost every setting, block, and asset on a linked campaign can be either in sync with the template or customized.
- Synced campaign: Synced means it matches the template and updates automatically the next time the template syncs
- Customized campaign: The campaign admin changed an area or setting. It will not get template updates for that area/setting until it is brought back in sync.
Sync status is tracked item by item, not for the whole campaign. It's normal for a campaign to have some areas/settings in sync and others customized at the same time.
For example, let's say a template sync includes six changes, and a campaign has customized one of them. Five changes will still sync successfully, and only the customized item will stay as it is.
Resync a customized area with the template
To bring a customized item back in sync with the template, you have two options:
- Resync it yourself: Select the resync icon next to the block, section, or email, then save the campaign. You can either resync the entire block on the canvas or individual sections within the editor.
- Have a template admin lock the area
Customizing restrictions on linked campaigns
A linked campaign can customize almost anything, with two exceptions:
- You can't delete a block that exists on the template. You have to hide it instead.
- You can't reorder blocks that exist on the template.
If you need full control over layout and block order, you can unlink the campaign from its template. You can do this in a few ways:
Important: Once you unlink a campaign, you can't relink it to the template.
- From inside the campaign editor, select the dropdown next to the campaign name
- From the list of campaigns under the template, select the three-dot menu
- From the campaign record, select the three-dot menu
Adding custom content to a linked campaign
You can add your own content to a linked campaign, as long as the template allows it. Template admins control this from the template's settings.
If the area isn't locked, you can:
- Add a new campaign-specific block into a section from the template
- Move a campaign-specific block from one section to another
- Create a new layout and add any blocks you'd like to it
Note: If a section is deleted in the template that contains your campaign-specific content, your content is deleted along with the section.
Syncing and locking custom questions
Custom questions sync differently from other settings. Changing any part of a question on the campaign — text, answer choices, type, or requirement — customizes the whole question and unlinks it. Once that happens, the whole question stops receiving template updates.
Pre-built questions (title, phone, date of birth, etc.) sync like any other setting when the toggle is turned on or off. Questions you create sync as whole questions, following the rules below:
- When the template adds, edits, reorders, or deletes a question, the change reaches every campaign that hasn't customized that question. Campaigns that have already customized a question keep their version and skip the update.
- You can't delete a template-provided question directly. Instead, customize it first, then delete it. Or, ask a template admin to remove it from the template.
- If the questions section isn't locked in the template, linked campaigns can add their own questions. Any questions you add belong to that campaign, so syncing or locking the template won't change or remove them.
Question changes appear in their own section within the sync review, showing what's added, updated, or removed for each campaign, as well as which customized questions will be skipped. If the section is locked, the next sync restores the template's questions exactly, replacing customized versions (the sync review flags each one as "will be replaced").
Tip: Lock this section when a question is required for compliance or reporting. For example, if every campaign needs to collect the same information for a matching-gift report, locking the question keeps campaigns from wording it differently and breaking your report.
FAQ
What campaign types support linked campaign syncing?
Right now, linked campaign syncing is only available for Studio donation pages.
Can I sync some changes but not all?
No. When you sync, every change that can be synced goes to all linked campaigns.
Can I sync changes to some linked campaigns but not others?
No. A sync pushes to every linked campaign. Unlink the campaign if you don't want it to receive the changes.
Why isn't the sync button active on my template?
Make sure your template has at least one linked campaign, and there are saved changes that haven't been synced yet.
Can I undo a sync?
No. Once you sync, you can't undo it. To reverse a change, update the template again and sync a second time.
What if I want to override one campaign setting without locking it at the template level?
Go to the campaign and resync the item from there. Or, lock the setting at the template, sync, then unlock it and sync again.
Will syncing affect supporter data?
No. Syncing only affects campaign layout, design, and configuration. Supporter data is completely separate and isn't affected by a sync.
Can I relink a campaign after I've unlinked it?
No. Once you unlink a campaign from its template, it can't be relinked.
What happens if I delete a section that has my own custom content in it?
Any custom blocks inside that section are deleted along with it.
Do all elements, widgets, layouts, and sections have the lock option? Or only certain things?
Yes, locking is available for every single block, section, and layout. All can be managed individually for full control and flexibility.