The template library lets you discover, browse, and import validated questionnaires and question collections into your surveys.

Tip: When you import a survey from a document, CheckTick suggests templates that closely match the converted outline — for example, a document asking for job title and workplace will suggest the Professional details template. Template content is never added automatically; you choose whether to import it here.

Note: For an overview of sections, see Sections. To publish your own templates, see Publishing Question Bank Templates.

Who can access

Any authenticated user can:

  • Browse the global template library
  • Search and filter templates
  • Import templates into their surveys

Users can only import into surveys they own.

Browsing templates

Access the library from:

  • Survey dashboard: "Browse the Question Bank" button
  • Direct URL: /surveys/templates/

The library shows:

  • Template name: Title of the section
  • Description: Brief overview of what the template measures
  • Questions: Number of questions in the template
  • Language: Primary language of the template
  • Level: Publication level (Global or Organisation)
  • Imports: Count of how many times the template has been imported
  • Attribution: Icon indicating if the template has formal attribution (authors, citations)

Searching and filtering

  • Search box finds matches in template name, description, and tags
  • Search is case-insensitive and matches partial words

Filters

  • Language: Filter by language code (en, cy, fr, etc.)
  • Publication Level: Show only Global or Organisation templates
  • Order by: Sort by name, imports, or date created

Tags

  • Click any tag to filter templates by that category
  • Common tags: PHQ-9, GAD-7, Depression, Anxiety, Screening, etc.

Importing templates

Import workflow

  1. Select a template: Click "Import" dropdown button in the template list or "View Details" to see more information
  2. Choose a survey: Select which survey to import the template into from the dropdown menu
  3. Confirm import: Review the template details and confirm the import

What gets imported

When you import a template:

  • All questions from the template are imported as a complete section
  • Questions maintain their original:
  • Question text and help text
  • Question type and options
  • Required/optional status
  • Order within the group
  • The section is added to your survey
  • You can edit or delete individual questions after import

Important notes

  • Complete groups: Templates import as complete sections. Validated instruments (like PHQ-9, GAD-7) should be used in their entirety for clinical validity.
  • Editable after import: You can modify questions after import, but be aware this may affect the validity of standardised instruments.
  • Attribution preserved: If the template has attribution (authors, citations, licenses), this information is preserved with the imported section.
  • No republishing: You cannot republish sections that were imported from templates. This protects copyright and prevents circular attribution issues.

Template details page

Click "View Details" on any template to see:

  • Full description
  • Complete question preview in markdown format
  • Publisher information
  • Attribution details (if applicable):
  • Authors
  • Title of original work
  • Year published
  • Citations
  • License information
  • Original URL
  • Import button with survey selector
  • Delete option (if you published the template)

Attribution

Some templates represent published, validated instruments (e.g., PHQ-9, GAD-7). These templates include:

  • Authors: Original developers of the instrument
  • Citation: How to cite the original work
  • License: Usage rights and restrictions
  • URL: Link to original publication or licensing information

When you import an attributed template:

  • Attribution information is preserved
  • You should cite the original work in any publications
  • Check the license for usage restrictions
  • The publisher credit shows who published the template to CheckTick, separate from the original authors

Publishing your own templates

Organisation admins can publish sections from their surveys as templates. Published templates can be:

  • Organisation-level: Visible only to your organisation members
  • Global: Visible to all CheckTick users

For detailed instructions on publishing templates, including attribution requirements and copyright protection, see Publishing Question Bank Templates.

Specialist templates vs. section templates

The template library contains section templates - complete questionnaires with multiple questions. This is different from specialist templates (Patient Details, Professional Details) which are:

  • Single composite questions with multiple fields
  • Added individually through the "Special Templates" tab in the question builder
  • Not imported from the library
  • Used for collecting structured data sets (demographics, professional information)

Address lookup (UK postcode → address prefill)

Both specialist templates can optionally collect a full address. In the template's "Configure template fields" panel, enable Address lookup:

  • Patient Details: requires the "Post code" field to be selected (the same field also powers the optional IMD lookup).
  • Professional Details: adds a postcode field plus address fields to the template.

Respondents enter their postcode and click Find address; matching addresses are shown in a dropdown and the address fields (line 1, line 2, town/city, county) are prefilled. The fields always remain editable, so manual entry works when:

  • The postcode isn't found (e.g. Northern Ireland BT and Channel Islands GY/JE postcodes are not covered)
  • The lookup service is unavailable or not configured

Note: the open postcodes.io service (and the RCPCH postcode API, which mirrors it) only provides postcode metadata — district, ward, IMD, coordinates. It does not include delivery-point addresses. For full address prefill, set OSDATAHUB_API_URL / OSDATAHUB_API_KEY to the OS Places API (e.g. https://api.os.uk/search/places/v1/ — any URL under search/places/v<n>/ is normalised to the postcode endpoint at call time, and the key is appended per-request, so no need to embed it in the URL). Both postcodes.io-style and OS Places DPA-style responses are supported. The lookup is proxied through CheckTick (respondents never call the API directly) and rate limited; without an address-capable source the widget still supports manual entry.

Troubleshooting

"No surveys available" message

  • You need to create at least one survey before you can import templates
  • Go to the survey dashboard and click "Create New Survey"

Import button disabled

  • Ensure you're logged in
  • Check that you own at least one survey
  • Verify the template hasn't been deleted

Cannot find a template

  • Check your search terms and filters
  • Try clearing all filters
  • Some templates may be organisation-level and only visible to specific users

Questions appear in wrong order

  • Questions are imported in the order defined in the template
  • You can reorder questions after import using the builder
  • Use the Sections page to reorder entire sections