Replace feature not recognizing newly added template fields

[WHS_Designs]

Just noticed this.

I added template text fields (and modified the font used) to some existing designs, and submitted the revised designs using the Replace feature. 

However, although I can see the change to the font in the designs (which were approved a few hours later this afternoon), the newly added template text fields are not being recognized (i.e. the "Personalize this template" section does not appear to the right of the product image).

Please fix this at your earliest opportunity.

Thank you!

[Pádraig]

Hi @WHS_Designs,

I'm very sorry to hear that you're experiencing an issue here. Can you provide a link to one of your designs exhibiting this behavior please so that we can take a closer look for you?

Thank you for your patience!

Pádraig

[WHS_Designs]

@Pádraig @Thank you, I believe @MasterpieceCafe has solved the mystery.

[MasterpieceCafe · Accepted solution]

You cannot add a template to a product that was originally posted without a template. It sucks, but it's not a glitch.

[WHS_Designs]

@MasterpieceCafe Thank you!

[Barbara]

You're right, but the system lets us try anyway. Just to see if anything has changed, I tried adding a text template, the system allowed me to submit it for review, and then I waited. The product showed back up in less than 24 hours unchanged.

Zazzle should block the ability to add templates, perhaps adding a small note that templates aren't allowed. That way, people would stop wasting their precious time and would, instead, decide whether or not to create a new product from the old one.

Colorwash's Home

[WHS_Designs]

@Barbara unfortunately, nothing did change. 🙂

[wheresthekarma]

Wow, thank you for making us aware of this. Half the reason I use the "replace it" is for when I forgot to add template to text. So I guess that makes it kinda obsolete?

[Barbara]

Adding text templates when, for whatever reason, we've forgotten to do so is likely the number one ability we'd all like to have.

Colorwash's Home

[MasterpieceCafe]

100%!!

[DesertSky]

It's been my experience that they don't replace products where templates have been added, but I've always wondered if it's because they didn't catch the change and thought there was no change. According to the Help section, they are supposed to allow template additions, it's encouraged. It would be helpful if they add an optional comment box so we could explain we're adding a template. Here's the screenshot from Zazzle Help:

[ColsCreations]

I read that, too, and was also confused as it's been reported by users ever since the feature came out that making text that was not already a template into a template is not an allowed edit. This is saying that not only can you do that, but you can add brand new template elements that didn't exist before even as non-templates. Which seems to contradict not making changes that would make the product significantly different. I've never tried making any such changes so don't know what to make of this. But I do know that the Help pages are often out-dated. So I don't know, maybe this was their original intent but they decided against it and never updated this article?

[Barbara]

@ColsCreations 

You're probably correct that they never updated the information. Or it could be they never updated the tool to reflect the information. I was able to use it only one or two times when a product's image placement was messed up by some change they made to the product. This tends to be a relatively rare need as opposed to adding a text template where we forgot to do so during creation. Maybe they realized this and so didn't want to have gobs of reviews to do.

Colorwash's Home

[Marcia]

I've never been able to make an existing text field a template. It's always bounced back for me.

[DesertSky]

I agree 100%. None of it makes sense, it's all very contradictory. I remember when the feature came out, we were told we could make text into templates and a few times it worked, but most of the time it didn't. When someone asked about it in the forum, we were told we could add templates, yet it never seemed to get added for most people. I wish there was a definitive answer and process. At this point all we know is that templates never seem to get added and the "Help" info is either outdated/wrong or the process is not being followed the way it should be.