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Using Templates

The template library is your starting point for any new deployment. This guide explains how to navigate the library, understand what a template does before using it, and how to add new templates or modify existing ones in your GitHub repository.

Browsing the Template Library​

  1. Navigate to Deploy → Templates in the Amnify sidebar
  2. The library shows all available templates synced from your GitHub repository
  3. Templates are organized by category:
    • Infrastructure — networks, compute, clusters, storage
    • Application — web services, container deployments, serverless
    • Database — managed database services
    • Combinations — multi-component stacks

Use the search bar to find templates by name or description. Use the category filter to narrow results.

Understanding a Template Before Using It​

Before selecting a template for a new deployment, review its detail:

  • Description — what the template provisions and what it is designed for
  • Variables — what inputs you will need to provide: which are required vs optional, which are sensitive (e.g., passwords — you will not be able to see them after submission), and whether any variables have predefined options or link to existing cloud resources

Having this information upfront helps you prepare the values you need before starting the Deployment Creation wizard.

Selecting a Template for a New Deployment​

When creating a new Deployment:

  1. In the Deployment Creation wizard, choose Template as the source type
  2. Click Browse Templates
  3. Select the template you want to use
  4. The wizard advances to the variable configuration step

See Creating Deployments for the full walkthrough.

Your Template Repository​

Templates live in a GitHub repository owned by your organization. Amnify Deploy syncs from this repository; it does not host or lock your templates internally. Your team has full control: add new templates by adding files to the repository, modify existing templates by editing files in GitHub, and version everything using standard Git workflows (branches, pull requests, tags).

Repository Directory Structure​

Your GitHub repository must follow this directory structure for Amnify to discover and sync templates:

your-repo/
└── templates/
    ├── azure/
    │   └── my-template/
    │       ├── template.json      ← manifest (required)
    │       └── main.tf            ← Terraform files
    ├── aws/
    │   └── ec2-instance/
    │       ├── template.json
    │       ├── main.tf
    │       └── outputs.tf
    └── gcp/
        └── compute-instance/
            ├── template.json
            └── main.tf

Rules​

  • The top-level directory must be named templates/
  • Provider subdirectories must be one of: azure, aws, gcp
  • Each template is a subdirectory containing a template.json manifest and one or more .tf files
  • All .tf files in the template directory are downloaded during deployment

The template.json Manifest​

Every template directory must contain a template.json file with this structure:

{
  "id": "azure-resource-group-v1",
  "name": "Azure Resource Group",
  "description": "Creates a new Azure Resource Group",
  "category": "infrastructure",
  "cloud_provider": "azure",
  "iac_type": "terraform",
  "icon": "cloud",
  "variables": [
    {
      "name": "resource_group_name",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Name of the resource group",
      "required": true,
      "sensitive": false
    },
    {
      "name": "location",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Azure region",
      "default": "West Europe",
      "required": false,
      "sensitive": false,
      "options": ["West Europe", "North Europe", "East US"]
    }
  ]
}
FieldRequiredDescription
idYesUnique identifier for the template
nameYesDisplay name shown in the UI
descriptionYesBrief description of what the template provisions
categoryYesOne of: infrastructure, application, database, combo
cloud_providerYesMust match the parent directory: azure, aws, or gcp
iac_typeYesCurrently only terraform is supported
iconNoLucide icon name for the UI
variablesYesArray of variable definitions (see below)

Variable Properties​

PropertyRequiredDescription
nameYesVariable name — must match a variable block in your .tf files
typeYesstring, number, bool, object, or list(object)
descriptionNoHelp text shown in the UI
requiredYesWhether the variable must be filled in before deploying
sensitiveYesIf true, the value is masked in the UI and stored encrypted
defaultNoDefault value pre-filled in the form
optionsNoArray of allowed values — renders as a dropdown in the UI
resource_typeNoTerraform resource type (e.g., azurerm_resource_group) — enables the cloud resource picker
conditionNo{ "field": "other_var", "equals": "value" } — shows this variable only when the condition is met

Adding a New Template​

To make a new template available in Amnify Deploy:

  1. Author the template in your GitHub repository following the directory structure above
  2. Commit and push the new template to your repository's main branch (or the branch configured as the sync source)
  3. Trigger a Sync in Amnify Deploy (see Syncing Templates below)
  4. The new template appears in the library immediately after the sync completes

Modifying an Existing Template​

To update an existing template:

  1. Edit the template file in your GitHub repository
    • You can change the infrastructure definition, update variable labels, add new variables, or change default values
  2. Commit and push the changes
  3. Trigger a Sync in Amnify Deploy

After syncing, the updated template is immediately available. Existing Deployments created from the old version of the template are not automatically affected — they will use the updated template the next time you re-execute them.

info

Changing a template's variables (adding required variables or removing existing ones) will affect Deployments that use it. If you add a new required variable, existing Deployments will need to be edited to provide a value for it before they can be executed again.

Syncing Templates​

Amnify Deploy does not automatically pull changes from GitHub. To update the template library after changes in your repository:

  1. Navigate to Deploy → Templates
  2. Click Sync Templates
  3. Amnify fetches the latest templates from your configured GitHub repository
  4. New and updated templates appear in the library immediately

The sync is fast — it typically completes in a few seconds.

Next Steps​