How to create a Filevine DocGen template (step by step)

Filevine DocGen · practical guide

Filevine DocGen generates documents by merging data from a project into a Word template. The template is an ordinary .docx with special merge codes where the data should go. This guide walks through building one from scratch and testing it on a real project.

1. Understand how a merge code is structured

Every Filevine merge code is the section name followed by the field name, joined by a dot and wrapped in double braces:

{{client.email1}}      → the Client section's Email field
{{casesummary.paralegal.name}}  → Case Summary → Paralegal's Name

When you're hunting for the right code, think section first ("whose data is this?"), then the field. That mental model makes a long field list much easier to navigate.

2. Get your project's Field List

The Field List is the master list of every merge code available for a specific DocGen button. You need it to know exactly what codes exist. To export it:

1. In Filevine, open Menu → Advanced → DocGen Setup.
2. Drill to the Project Type → Section → Doc Generation button your template is for.
3. Open that button's Field List and save/export it.

3. Add merge codes to your Word template

Start from the document your firm already sends. Everywhere a value should be filled in — client name, date of loss, matter number — replace the typed-in text with the matching merge code from your Field List:

Dear {{client.fullname}},

Re: Matter No. {{project.projectnumber}}

Firm letterhead fields like {{orgName}} and {{orgAddress1Line1}} pull from your Filevine org record — an Org Admin fills those under Main Menu → Setup → Org.

4. Upload and test on a real project

1. Back in DocGen Setup, upload your .docx to the correct Doc Generation button.
2. Open a project of that type (or a sandbox) with representative data and click the button to generate.
3. Proofread the output: confirm every field populated, there are no leftover codes, and formatting is intact.

5. Watch out for the common gotchas

• Renamed/deleted fields come out blank — re-export a fresh Field List and re-map.
• Collection data (medicals, insurances, expenses) only pulls if the Doc Generation widget lives inside that collection section.
• Blank spots usually mean the code doesn't match a real field — double-check the section and field names.