As a manager, you can turn your existing contracts into Skello templates in minutes. Import an HR document as a .docx or PDF: its layout is kept (logos, colours, fonts, tables) and AI spots the employee-specific details (name, job title, salary, start date…) and links them to the right variables. AI prepares, you approve: a quick check, one click, and your template is ready to generate and sign without leaving Skello.
💡 This feature is available on the HR Expert plan.
What template import does
You already have your contracts, amendments or certificates in Word or PDF, often signed off by your accountant or legal team. Importing saves you rebuilding them by hand in Skello:
The layout is kept: text, headings, tables, logos, colours, headers and footers.
Variables are suggested automatically: Skello spots the details that change from one employee to the next (first name, last name, job title, salary, dates…) and replaces them with Skello variables.
You stay in control: nothing is sent to an employee without your approval. You can edit the template like any other Skello template.
🤖 An AI-powered feature
Import uses artificial intelligence. Like any AI tool, it can get things wrong or miss a detail, and importing the same file twice can give slightly different results. That's normal: AI prepares the work, you check it. Always review the document before using the template.
Before you import: prepare your document
The result depends a lot on the file you start with. A few minutes' prep now will save you time later.
Go for Word (.docx). It gives better results than PDF because the text and layout are better structured.
If you use a PDF, pick the one exported from Word (selectable text), not a scan or photo.
Avoid watermarks, overlapping text boxes and password-protected documents.
One file = one template. If you start from a contract already filled in for an employee, AI will try to turn their details into variables: check them carefully.
Formats and limits
Accepted formats | .docx and PDF (.doc files aren't accepted: open them in Word and save them as .docx) |
Maximum size | 10 MB |
Maximum number of pages | 50 pages |
Rejected documents | Password-protected PDFs, documents over 50 pages, other formats (.doc, images, .odt, .zip…) |
Scans and photos | Accepted, but the result is less reliable: the layout and variables are rebuilt from the image |
Import time | Usually a few tens of seconds, longer for a long document |
What import can't do perfectly (yet):
Reproduce complex layouts exactly: multiple columns, nested tables, text boxes, unusual fonts. The result is very close to the original but may need a few tweaks.
Detect every variable: AI only adds the variables it's confident about. The rest stay as text and you can add them by hand.
Understand an ambiguous label: if the document only says "City: ……", AI may not know whether it's the employee's city or the site's.
Import a template
Go to Settings > Document management > HR document templates
Click Import a template.
Drag and drop your file or click to select it from your computer, then click Import.
Wait for the 3 loading steps: reading the document, detecting variables, formatting. You can cancel at any time.
The template opens in the editor. Its title is your file name. It's saved as deactivated in your template list: you can't use it until you activate it.
Check and adjust the result
This is the most important step. Take time to review your template before activating it.
Review each variable. Hover over it to see the original text it replaced.
Delete a wrong variable by clicking its cross: the original text goes back in place.
Add a missing variable from the Variables tab, by drag and drop or by clicking it.
Adjust the layout if needed with the toolbar: font, size, colours, alignment, images.
Preview the template to check the final result.
Click Finish, then activate the template in your list so you can use it.
Not the result you expected?
What you see | Why | What to do |
A detail wasn't turned into a variable | The field wasn't clear enough, or AI wasn't confident enough | Add the variable by hand from the Variables tab. |
A variable is in the wrong place (e.g. the site's city instead of the employee's) | The label in the document was ambiguous | Click the variable's cross (the original text comes back) and insert the right one. |
The layout differs from the original (font, margins, table) | Skello rebuilds your document's layout. It's less precise from a PDF and for complex layouts (columns, nested tables, unusual fonts) | Re-import the Word version if you have it, or adjust it in the editor. |
Two imports of the same file give different results | That's how AI normally works | Keep the best version and adjust it. Delete the other one. |
The import is rejected | Format not accepted (.doc, for example), file over 10 MB, protected PDF or more than 50 pages | Remove the protection, save the file as .docx or reduce its size. |
Some text has disappeared or been changed | This isn't expected behaviour | Contact us with your original file. |
Use the imported template
Once saved, the template works just like any template created in Skello.
For one employee: go to the employee's profile > Documents > Create a document > select your template. Variables are filled in automatically with data from their HR file.
For several employees: go to Employees > Bulk document management > Create a document from a template, select the recipients and choose your imported template.
Who can use it? Admins and other licences with access to document templates in Settings, on the HR Expert option.
Contact support
Before you get in touch, try to:
Re-import the file once or twice.
Import it as .docx if you used a PDF.
Fix the result in the editor.
FAQs
Can I edit an imported template?
Can I edit an imported template?
Yes, like any Skello template: text, layout, variables, images.
Why weren't some variables detected?
Why weren't some variables detected?
AI only adds a variable when it's confident enough, to avoid mistakes. Add missing variables from the Variables tab, and make fields clearer in your next files.
Can I import a document in another language?
Can I import a document in another language?
Yes. Variables are suggested in your account's language.