> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.waffle.cards/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Scorecard Templates

> Browse pre-built interview scorecards for common roles and use them as a starting point

Instead of starting from scratch, you can use Waffle's **template library** to jumpstart your scorecard creation. Templates are pre-built interview scorecards for common roles — complete with competencies, questions, and scoring rubrics — that you can use as-is or refine through the chat.

## Browsing Templates

Navigate to **Templates** in the sidebar to open the template library. You'll find a curated collection of scorecards organized by category.

### Categories

Use the category tabs at the top to filter templates:

* **All** — browse every available template
* **Engineering** — Software Engineer, Frontend Engineer, DevOps, and more
* **Product & Design** — Product Manager, UX Designer, UX Researcher, etc.
* **Sales & Marketing** — Account Executive, SDR, Marketing Manager, etc.
* **Operations & Leadership** — Engineering Manager, Operations Lead, HR, etc.

Each template card shows the role title, competency count, and interview type at a glance.

## Free vs Premium Templates

Templates come in two tiers:

* **Free templates** — available to all users, covering the most common roles
* **Premium templates** — available to paid plan subscribers (Starter, Growth, Scale)

If you're on the Free plan and click a premium template, you'll see an upgrade prompt. All templates are visible for browsing, so you can preview what's available before upgrading.

## Previewing a Template

Click any template card to open the **preview modal**, which shows the full scorecard contents:

* All competencies with importance weights
* Interview questions and follow-up probes
* Scoring rubrics with behavioral anchors
* Red flags and EEOC guidance

This lets you evaluate whether a template fits your hiring needs before using it.

## Using a Template

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find your template">
    Browse by category or scroll through the library to find a role that matches your open position.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Use Template">
    Click the **"Use Template"** button on the card or in the preview modal. This opens a new chat thread pre-loaded with the template's scorecard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Refine in chat">
    The template gives you a strong starting point. Use follow-up messages to customize it for your specific needs — adjust weights, add competencies, modify questions, or change the focus areas.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Automatic ULTRA mode sync

When you click **"Use Template"**, Waffle automatically sets the ULTRA mode toggle to match the template's tier:

* **Premium templates** automatically enable ULTRA mode in the new chat
* **Standard (free) templates** automatically disable ULTRA mode

This prevents stale state from a prior chat session carrying over. You can still toggle ULTRA manually after the chat opens if you want to change it.

Each template also has a **"Use in ULTRA"** option, which opens the template in a chat with [ULTRA mode](/creating-scorecards/ultra-mode) enabled regardless of the template tier. This gives you an enhanced version with deeper analysis and more detailed competencies.

## Templates vs Starting from Scratch

<Info>
  **Use a template** when you're hiring for a common role and want a fast, high-quality starting point. **Start from scratch** when you have a unique JD with specific requirements that don't match any template.
</Info>

|                   | Template                              | From Scratch                                       |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| **Speed**         | Instant — scorecard ready immediately | 2-4 minutes of streamed AI generation (live build) |
| **Customization** | Refine via chat after loading         | Fully tailored from the start                      |
| **Best for**      | Common roles (SWE, PM, SDR, etc.)     | Unique or specialized positions                    |
| **Quality**       | Curated by Waffle team                | Depends on JD quality                              |

Both approaches produce complete, EEOC-compliant scorecards. Templates simply give you a head start.