---
title: "Edit or change the data template associated with an item"
slug: "edit-or-change-the-data-template-associated-with-an-item"
abstract: "How to edit or change the data template associated with an item."
---
# Edit or change the data template associated with an item

You can edit the data template associated with an item, or associate the item with a different data template. For example, you might want to change the data template associated with an item to turn a general page into a news article. For each field value in the item, if the new data template contains a field with the same ID or name as the original data template, the item retains that field value.

## Edit the data template associated with an item

To edit the data template associated with an item:

1. In the Content Editor, in the tree view, select the item.
2. On the **Configure** tab, on the ribbon, in the **Template** group, click **Edit**.

    ![Configure tab showing the Template group on the ribbon.](https://doc.sitecore.com/api/markdown-image/xp/en/developers/105/sitecore-experience-manager/images/ConfiguretabEditTemplate.png)

    The Template Manager opens with the data template associated with the item selected.

When you make a change to a template, for example, adding a field, the change is applied to the items that were built from this template, without changing the revision number of these subitems. This means that such subitems will not be republished when doing a simple Smart Publish.

To publish all the items that were changed after the template they were built upon was updated, you must do one of the following:

- **Smart Publish** the updated template with Publish subitems enabled.
- **Smart Publish** the site.
- **Republish** the updated template with "Publish subitems" enabled.
- **Republish** the full site.

## Change the data template associated with an item

To change the data template associated with an item:

1. In the Content Editor, in the tree view, select the item.
2. On the **Configure** tab, on the ribbon, in the **Template** group, click **Change**.

    ![Configure tab showing the Template group on the ribbon.](https://doc.sitecore.com/api/markdown-image/xp/en/developers/105/sitecore-experience-manager/images/ConfiguretabEditTemplate.png)

3. In the **Select the Template** dialog, select the new data template for the item, and then click **Next**.
4. Review the changes proposed on the **Changes** page and, if you are okay with them, click **Next** and then click **Close**.