{"id":137,"date":"2026-01-20T18:16:48","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T18:16:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/help.ministrycentral-europe.org\/?post_type=epkb_post_type_1&p=137"},"modified":"2026-01-20T18:16:48","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T18:16:48","slug":"template-structure-strategy","status":"publish","type":"epkb_post_type_1","link":"https:\/\/help.ministrycentral-europe.org\/?epkb_post_type_1=template-structure-strategy","title":{"rendered":"Template & Structure Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"

MinistryCentral Europe<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

1. Purpose of This Strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This document defines how structural templates are designed, governed, and maintained<\/strong> within MinistryCentral Europe.<\/p>\n

It exists to:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Prevent layout drift<\/li>\n
  • Enable safe reuse<\/li>\n
  • Support non-technical contributors<\/li>\n
  • Reduce long-term maintenance cost<\/li>\n
  • Allow the platform to scale without redesign<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Templates are the structural backbone<\/strong> of the platform.<\/p>\n

    \n

    2. Core Principle<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Structure is centralized; content is distributed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Templates define how things are laid out<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Contributors define what is placed inside them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    \n

    3. What Counts as a Template<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Templates include:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Page templates<\/li>\n
    • Section templates<\/li>\n
    • Course layout templates<\/li>\n
    • Lesson layout templates<\/li>\n
    • Reusable structural components<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Anything reused across more than one page is a template<\/strong>, not a one-off.<\/p>\n

      \n

      4. Template Ownership<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      Templates are owned by:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Web Platform Lead<\/strong><\/li>\n
      • Technical Steward<\/strong> (for platform-level templates)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        No other role may:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • Create new templates<\/li>\n
        • Modify existing templates<\/li>\n
        • Duplicate templates with small variations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n

          5. Template Categories (Recommended)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

          Page Templates<\/strong><\/h3>\n

          Used for:<\/p>\n

            \n
          • Home pages<\/li>\n
          • Landing pages<\/li>\n
          • Training overview pages<\/li>\n
          • Help and documentation pages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Section Templates<\/strong><\/h3>\n

            Used for:<\/p>\n

              \n
            • Hero sections<\/li>\n
            • Calls to action<\/li>\n
            • Feature grids<\/li>\n
            • Course listings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              Course & Lesson Templates<\/strong><\/h3>\n

              Used for:<\/p>\n

                \n
              • LearnDash course pages<\/li>\n
              • Lesson structure<\/li>\n
              • Standardized learning flow<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                \n

                6. Naming Conventions (Required)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

                Templates must follow a consistent naming scheme.<\/p>\n

                Recommended Pattern<\/strong><\/h3>\n
                MC-[Type]-[Purpose]\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n
                Examples<\/strong><\/h3>\n
                MC-Page-Training-Overview\r\nMC-Section-Hero-Primary\r\nMC-Lesson-Standard\r\nMC-Course-Overview\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n
                Avoid:<\/p>\n
                  \n
                • Vague names<\/li>\n
                • Personal references<\/li>\n
                • Version numbers unless required<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                  \n
                  7. Template Creation Rules<\/strong><\/h2>\n
                  New templates are created only when:<\/p>\n
                    \n
                  • An existing template cannot be extended<\/li>\n
                  • A pattern is clearly reusable<\/li>\n
                  • The use case is documented<\/li>\n
                  • Approval has been given<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                    Templates are not created to:<\/p>\n
                      \n
                    • Solve one-off problems<\/li>\n
                    • Work around editorial issues<\/li>\n
                    • Bypass constraints<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                      \n
                      8. Editing Existing Templates<\/strong><\/h2>\n
                      Before editing a template, confirm:<\/p>\n
                        \n
                      • Which pages use it<\/li>\n
                      • What downstream impact exists<\/li>\n
                      • Whether the change is backward-compatible<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                        Template changes must be:<\/p>\n
                          \n
                        • Intentional<\/li>\n
                        • Reviewed<\/li>\n
                        • Communicated when impactful<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                          \n
                          9. Template vs Content Boundaries<\/strong><\/h2>\n
                          Templates define:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
                            \n
                          • Layout<\/li>\n
                          • Spacing<\/li>\n
                          • Responsive behavior<\/li>\n
                          • Component arrangement<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                            Content defines:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
                              \n
                            • Text<\/li>\n
                            • Images<\/li>\n
                            • Media references<\/li>\n
                            • Links<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                              Content editors must not modify structure.<\/p>\n
                              \n
                              10. Scaling & Future-Proofing<\/strong><\/h2>\n
                              Templates should:<\/p>\n
                                \n
                              • Be flexible, not brittle<\/li>\n
                              • Support future content types<\/li>\n
                              • Avoid hard-coded assumptions<\/li>\n
                              • Minimize per-page overrides<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                If a template cannot scale, it should be redesigned \u2014 not patched.<\/p>\n
                                \n
                                11. Common Anti-Patterns<\/strong><\/h2>\n
                                  \n
                                • \u274c Duplicating templates for small variations<\/li>\n
                                • \u274c Creating \u201ctemporary\u201d templates<\/li>\n
                                • \u274c Editing templates to fix content problems<\/li>\n
                                • \u274c Over-specialized templates<\/li>\n
                                • \u274c Letting contributors work around structure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                  These patterns create silent complexity.<\/p>\n
                                  \n
                                  12. Escalation Guidelines<\/strong><\/h2>\n
                                  Escalate when:<\/p>\n
                                    \n
                                  • A new structural need appears<\/li>\n
                                  • A template blocks valid content<\/li>\n
                                  • Layout requirements change materially<\/li>\n
                                  • Performance or accessibility is affected<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                    Templates evolve \u2014 but deliberately.<\/p>\n
                                    \n
                                    13. Relationship to Other Documents<\/strong><\/h2>\n
                                    This strategy works with:<\/p>\n
                                      \n
                                    • Platform & Technical Governance Guide<\/strong><\/li>\n
                                    • Elementor Do \/ Don\u2019t Guide<\/strong><\/li>\n
                                    • Formatting & Style Guidelines<\/strong><\/li>\n
                                    • Change Management Rules<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                      It does not define content or authority.<\/p>\n
                                      \n
                                      14. Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n
                                        \n
                                      • Templates are assets<\/li>\n
                                      • Structure is centralized<\/li>\n
                                      • Reuse is intentional<\/li>\n
                                      • Variation is controlled<\/li>\n
                                      • Stability enables scale<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                        This strategy protects the platform long-term.<\/p>\n
                                        <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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