---
title: "Example: Configure a template hierarchy"
slug: "example--configure-a-template-hierarchy"
abstract: "How to best organize the template hierarchy."
---
# Example: Configure a template hierarchy

In this example:

- All content items contain a field named *Title*.
- Some types of content items contain *Title* and a field named *Body*.
- *NewsArticle* content items contain *Title*, *Body*, and another field named *ReleaseDate*.
- Product content items contain *Title*, *Body*, and another field named *Department*.
- Both *NewsArticle* and *Product* content items contain another field named *Image*.
- *JobDescription* content items contain *Title*, *Body*, and *Department*, but do not contain *Image*.

The following table illustrates one of several possible data template inheritance hierarchies that fulfill the requirements listed above.

> [!note]
> Unless otherwise specified, all data templates inherit from the standard data template.

| Create a data template... | that inherits from... | and contains the field... |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Page | -- | Title |
| ContentPage | Page | Body |
| HasDepartment | -- | Department |
| HasImage | -- | Image |
| ImageContentPage | Content Page<br><br>HasImage | -- |
| NewsArticle | ImageContentPage | ReleaseDate |
| Product | ImageContentPage<br><br>HasDepartment | -- |
| JobDescription | ContentPage<br><br>HasDepartment | -- |

> [!note]
> Do not use template inheritance for fields that have different properties in different data templates. For example, if you want the Image field in the NewsArticle and Product data templates to retrieve images from different locations in the media library, define image fields in each data template instead of inheriting from a common data template containing the Image field.

To add a data template section to a data template:

1. In the Template Manager or the Content Editor, in the tree view, select the data template.
2. On the **Builder** tab, in the first field containing the text **Add a new section**, enter the name of the new data template section.
3. On the **Builder OPTIONS** tab, in the **Write** group, click **Save**.

> [!tip]
> You can create base templates before creating the data templates that inherit from them, even if you do not fully define the sections and fields of the base templates before creating the inheriting templates.