DocumentationAdvertisingCreative Guide

Manage ad templates in Creative Studio

Last update: July 11, 2026

CREATED FOR:

  • User

Beta feature

Create, import, and manage display and video ad templates for use in ad generation sessions.

The Creative Studio > Templates view

The Templates tab provides quick actions to create or import new ad templates.

The tab also lists your existing ad templates at the bottom of the page as individual cards (the default) or as tables/lists. The ad template list includes tabs for All, System Templates (which are uploaded to your account by your Adobe Account Team), and User Templates. By default, ad templates for all of your advertisers are shown. To view only ad templates for a specific advertiser, select from the advertiser list at the top of the page.

Available actions

Creation:

Actions on your existing templates:

Import HTML5 ad templates templates-import

Upload one or more pre-built HTML5 templates that are packaged as ZIP files. Templates are validated on import; import fails if the HTML exceeds 200,000 characters, the CSS exceeds 60,000 characters, the template contains more than 5,000 DOM elements, or the template includes unsupported script tags.

  1. In the main menu, click Creative Studio.

  2. Select the advertiser at the top of the page.

  3. Click the Templates tab.

  4. In the Upload HTML5 Templates box, click Upload, and then select Display Ad Template or Video Ad Template.

  5. Select one or more ZIP files from your device or network.

  6. In the Import Templates dialog:

    1. Select an Advertiser.

      If you already selected a specific advertiser at the top of the page, that advertiser is preselected.

    2. (Optional) For each file, edit the Template Name.

      The file name is used by default.

    3. (Optional) To add more files, click Add more and select additional ZIP files. Specify the Template Name for each additional file.

  7. Click Import Templates.

NOTE
If import fails, simplify the template or contact your Adobe Account Team.

Create an ad template manually template-create

Create a blank display or video template using the template editor.

  1. In the main menu, click Creative Studio.

  2. Click the Templates tab.

  3. In the Create New Ad Template box, click Create, and then select Display Ad Template or Video Ad Template.

  4. (Display ads) Select the ad template size, and then click Continue.

  5. Configure the template settings using the controls in the template editor.

  6. (Optional) To download a copy of the template as defined, click … > Download.

    The file is downloaded according to your browser’s normal procedure.

  7. Save the template:

    1. Do either of the following:

      • Click Save.

      • To save the template as a draft, click … > Save as Draft.

    2. Enter the Template name, select the Advertiser, optionally select existing tags or add new tags to the template, and then click Save.

Edit an ad template template-edit

Display ad templates only.

IMPORTANT
The AI agent can’t change the template layout, element positions, spacing, or typography. Make any structural changes in the template editor before you generate content.

  1. In the main menu, click Creative Studio.

  2. Click the Templates tab.

  3. Hold the cursor over the template card or table row and click … > Edit Template.

  4. Edit the template layout or elements using the controls in the template editor.

  5. (Optional) To download a copy of the template as defined, click … > Download.

    The file is downloaded according to your browser’s normal procedure.

  6. Save the template:

    • Click Save.

    • To save the template as a draft, click … > Save as Draft. Enter the Template name, select the Advertiser, optionally select existing tags or add new tags to the template, and then click Save.

Template editor controls template-controls

Both the display and video template editors share the same general actions toolbar above the editing canvas and the Layers panel on the right. The left panel, ad template editing controls, and timeline differ between display and video templates.

General actions toolbar

The general actions toolbar sits above the editing canvas in the ad template editor and is split into two parts (left and right).

Display ad templates

Control
Description
Undo
Undoes the last action.
Redo Redo
Redoes the last undone action.
Links
Opens a panel to manage the click-through URLs attached to elements in the template.
Zoom controls
Click Zoom out or Zoom in to adjust the canvas magnification (10%-150%, in 10% increments). Click the zoom level label — which shows Auto when the canvas fits automatically, or a percentage when set manually — to open a menu with options: Auto-Fit Page, 100% Zoom, 50% Zoom, Zoom In, and Zoom Out.
Ad size
Shows the current ad dimensions (for example, 300 × 250). Click to open the size picker, which offers six commonly used IAB standard sizes as cards, plus a dropdown with all 19 standard IAB display ad sizes. The default size for new templates is 300 × 250 (Medium Rectangle).
Open Layers panel
Opens the Layers panel. Appears only when the Layers panel is closed.

Video ad templates

Control
Description
Undo / Redo Redo
Undoes or redoes the last action.
Zoom controls
Click Zoom out or Zoom in to adjust the canvas magnification. Click the zoom level to open a menu with options: Auto-Fit Page, 100% Zoom, 50% Zoom, Zoom In, and Zoom Out.
Open Layers panel
Opens the Layers panel. Appears only when the Layers panel is closed.

Left panel

The left panel contains a column of icons. Click an icon to open its content panel; click the same icon again to close it.

Display ad templates

Icon
Description
Search
Search across all asset types in your library.
Upload
Upload images or font files into the editor for use in the current template. You can upload up to 20 files at a time.
Templates
Browse ad templates from your Creative Studio library to use as a base layer or reference element.
My Assets
Browse all assets you’ve uploaded in the Creative Studio Assets tab.
Images
Browse only the image assets you’ve uploaded in the Creative Studio Assets tab…
Text
Add a text element to the canvas, including any custom fonts you’ve uploaded.
Elements
Add shapes and layout elements such as buttons and rectangles.

You can drag an item from any panel directly onto the canvas, or click it to place it at a default position.

Video ad templates

Icon
Description
Search
Search across all asset types in your library.
Upload
Upload image, video, audio, or font files (TTF, OTF, WOFF, WOFF2) into the editor for use in the current template. You can upload up to 20 files at a time.
Templates
Browse ad templates from your Creative Studio library.
My Assets
Browse all assets you’ve uploaded in the Creative Studio Assets tab.
Images
Browse only the image assets you’ve uploaded in the Creative Studio Assets tab…
Video
Browse only the video assets you’ve uploaded in the Creative Studio Assets tab…
Audio
Browse only the audio assets you’ve uploaded in the Creative Studio Assets tab…
Text
Add a text element to the canvas, including any custom fonts you’ve uploaded.
Elements
Add shapes and vector elements.

You can drag an item from any panel directly onto the canvas, or click it to place it at a default position.

Ad template editing controls

Click an element on the editing canvas to select it. Depending on the template type, one or more toolbars appear with controls for that element.

Inspector toolbar and panel

The controls vary by element type.

Display ad templates
Control
Element types
Description
Properties
All
Opens a panel to edit the layer name; mark the layer as dynamic (swappable during ad generation); and set a click-through URL (links only). Below that, choose a Default, Hover, Click, or Focus state to style the element for that interaction state, then adjust styling — typography (text and links only), decorations (fill, border, corner radius), dimensions, position — based on the element type.
Effects
All
Opens a panel where you choose a Default, Hover, Click, or Focus state to apply effects to for that interaction state, then adjust Transform, Transition, Box Shadow, Filter, Blend Mode, and Cursor sections. Text elements also include a Text Shadow section.
Animations
All
Opens a panel to set the layer’s enter and exit time on the timeline, and to configure Entrance Animation, Loop Animation, and Exit Animation presets with duration and easing. Includes Copy, Paste, and Reset actions.
Crop
Images
Opens a toolbar to crop the image. Select an Aspect Ratio preset (or Free), then click Apply or Cancel.
Position
All
Opens a menu with Move options (Forward, Backward, To front, To back), Align to Page options (Top, Left, Middle, Center, Bottom, Right, Fit Vertically, Fit Horizontally, Fit to Page), and, for non-image elements, Layer Level Alignment options (the same six alignment options, plus Fit to Content).
Video ad templates
Control
Element types
Description
Shape
Shapes
Sets shape-specific options.
Group / Ungroup
Multiple selected elements, or a group
Groups the selected elements together, or ungroups a selected group.
Combine
Compatible shapes
Combines selected shapes into a single shape.
Audio replace
Audio and video
Replaces the audio track with a file from your asset library.
Typeface, Bold, Italic, Font size, Align horizontal, Advanced
Text
Adjusts the font family, weight, size, horizontal alignment, and other advanced typography settings.
Image / Video
Images and video
Sets the fill image or video source for the element.
Trim
Video and audio
Opens trimming mode to set the clip’s start and end points.
Volume (Volume)
Video and audio
Adjusts the audio level.
Playback speed (Playback speed)
Video and audio
Adjusts the playback rate.
Crop (Crop)
All
Crops the element to a custom area.
Stroke (Stroke)
All
Sets the border color and width.
Text Background
Text
Adds a background color behind the text.
Animations
All
Adds or edits entry, exit, or loop animations.
Style
All
Opens a menu with Adjustments, Filter, Effect, and Blur options.
Shadow
All
Adds or edits a drop shadow.
Opacity
All
Sets the element’s transparency level.
Position
All
Adjusts the element’s size, position, and rotation numerically.

General editing controls

Display ad templates
Action
Description
Replace
(Image elements only) Opens the Images panel so you can replace the image with one from your asset library.
Move forward Move forward
Moves the element one step forward in the stacking order (toward the front).
Move backward Move backward
Moves the element one step backward in the stacking order (toward the back).
Duplicate Duplicate
Creates a copy of the element.
Delete Delete
Removes the element from the canvas.

You can also drag a selected element to reposition it, and drag the handles around it to resize it.

Video ad templates
Action
Description
Edit text
(Text elements only) Switches to text editing mode so you can type and format text directly on the canvas. In text editing mode, a secondary menu provides Text color, Bold, Italic, and Text variables (template placeholders).
Replace
(Image elements only) Opens the asset library so you can swap the image.
Bring forward
Moves the element one step forward in the stacking order.
Send backward
Moves the element one step backward in the stacking order.
Duplicate
Creates a copy of the element.
Delete
Removes the element from the canvas.
… > Flip horizontal
Flips the element horizontally 180 degrees.
… > Flip vertical
Flips the element vertically 180 degrees.
… > Copy Element
Copies the element to the canvas clipboard.
… > Pastes Element
Pastes the copied element.

You can also drag a selected element to reposition it, and drag the handles around it to resize it.

Timeline

Both display and video editors display a timeline panel at the bottom of the canvas.

Display ad templates

The timeline shows a track for each layer on the canvas, spanning the time range the layer is visible based on its enter and exit animation timing. Drag a track’s start or end handle to adjust its enter or exit time, or drag a track to reorder layers. Click the ruler or drag the playhead to move to a point in time.

The timeline toolbar includes a Duration field (0-60 seconds), Play/Pause, a current time / total duration display, a loop toggle, Timeline Scale zoom controls, a Fit View button, and a collapse/expand toggle.

Video ad templates

The timeline shows all video and audio clips in the template. Use the timeline to review how clips are arranged in time and to trim clips by dragging their start and end handles. You can’t add a new clip directly on the timeline; add it from the left panel or canvas instead, and it then appears as a clip on the timeline.

Layers panel

The Layers panel on the right side of the canvas lists all elements in the template and lets you manage their order, visibility, and properties. For display templates, click Open Layers in the canvas toolbar to open it. For video templates, the panel is open by default.

Click any layer to select the corresponding element on the canvas.

Tabs (display ad templates only)

Display templates have two tabs at the top of the Layers panel:

  • Dynamic — Lists only the layers that can be swapped during ad generation, such as images and text that the AI agent can replace. This is the default view for generating ad variations.
  • All — Shows the complete layer hierarchy for the template, including structural containers. Use this view to inspect or reorganize how elements are nested.

Video templates show all layers in a single list with no tabs.

Per-layer actions

Hold the cursor over a layer to see the following actions:

Action
Description
Rename layer Rename layer
Lets you enter a new layer name in the panel.
Lock layer Lock layer / Unlock layer Unlock layer
Prevents or allows the layer from being moved, edited, or reordered.
Hide layer Hide layer / Show layer Show layer
Hides or shows the layer on the canvas. Hidden layers are preserved in the template but don’t appear when the template renders.
Drag to reorder Drag to reorder
(Display ad templates only) Drag the reorder icon to change the layer’s position in the stacking order. The layer must be unlocked to reorder it.

Panel footer

Action
Description
Duplicate selected layer Duplicate selected layer
Creates a copy of the selected layer.
Delete selected layer Delete selected layer
Deletes the selected layer.
Group selected layers (video templates only)
Groups two or more selected layers into a single group. Appears only when two or more layers are selected. You can ungroup grouped layers or remove individual layers from the group using the controls on the group row.

Generate ad variations from a display ad template ad-variations-generate

Display ad templates only.

  1. In the main menu, click Creative Studio.

  2. Click the Templates tab.

  3. Hold the cursor over the template card or table row and click … > Generate Ad Variations.

    The Ad Variations Generator opens with the template pre-loaded.

  4. Use the AI chat interface to generate and refine ad content. See “Manage standard ads in Creative Studio” for the complete workflow.

Add or remove labels for an ad template template-labels

Display ad templates only.

Labels help you organize and filter user templates. You can’t add labels to system templates.

  1. In the main menu, click Creative Studio.

  2. Click the Templates tab.

  3. Hold the cursor over the template card or table row and click … > Edit Labels.

  4. In the Edit Labels dialog:

    • To add a label, either select an existing label or enter a name in the input field and click Add Tag.

    • To remove a label, click X next to the label tag.

  5. Click Save.

Preview an ad template template-preview

  1. In the main menu, click Creative Studio.

  2. Click the Templates tab.

  3. Hold the cursor over the template card.

  4. Do either of the following:

    • (Card view) Click the Preview template icon, or click … > Preview.

    • (Table view) Click … > Preview.

  5. For video templates, click Play .

Download an ad template template-download

  1. In the main menu, click Creative Studio.

  2. Click the Templates tab.

  3. Hold the cursor over the template card or table row and click … > Download.

    The template downloads as a ZIP file according to your browser’s normal procedure.

Add or remove an ad template as a favorite template-favorite

Card view only

  1. In the main menu, click Creative Studio.

  2. Click the Templates tab.

  3. Hold the cursor over the template card.

  4. Do either of the following:

    • To add a template as a favorite, click Favorite .

    • To remove a template as a favorite, click Favorite .

Delete an ad template template-delete

  1. In the main menu, click Creative Studio.

  2. Click the Templates tab.

  3. Hold the cursor over the template card or table row and click … > Delete.

  4. In the confirmation message, click Delete.

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