Custom Template Studio is the workspace for creating and editing AI Notes templates — the instructions that tell BrightHire’s AI what to capture and how to structure notes from an interview.
Describe what you want in plain language (typed or spoken). The Assistant rewrites the template for you, and a live Preview shows what the notes would look like for the interview you’re viewing.
What’s new: The old Notes/Summary dropdown and prompt-library modal have been replaced. Open Template Studio from the Template button on an interview, or manage templates at scale from Settings → Interview → AI notes templates.
Open Template Studio from an interview
On any interview, open the AI notes tab. You’ll see a Template: row with the name of the currently selected template (and a DEFAULT tag if it’s the org or user default).
Click the template name to open Template Studio as a full-screen workspace. Click Close or the dimmed area to exit.
The Studio layout
When Studio opens, there are four regions:
Top header — editable template name (Notes template), Visibility, My default, Used by count, ⋮ actions menu, Save, and Close.
Left rail — New template, keyword filter, and templates grouped under My templates, Shared with me, and Made by BrightHire.
Assistant — describe changes in plain language, or use voice input.
Preview / Definition — live sample of the notes, or the actual template instructions.
Create a new template
Click New template (left rail, or Create new in Settings).
Enter a Name and pick a Start from option — a starter example (recommended) or Blank template.
Click Continue.
Names must be unique. If you see “Template name already exists,” tweak the name and try again.
Edit a template with the Assistant
Select a custom template in the left rail. In the Assistant, type (or speak) what you want, for example:
“Add a section summarizing the candidate’s salary expectations”
“Make the notes shorter”
“Pull out culture-fit signals into their own section”
The Assistant rewrites the instruction and the Preview regenerates. Use Make output shorter / Make output longer for fast tweaks.
Voice input: click the mic in the Assistant composer. Supported in Chrome, Edge, and Safari (not Firefox). If you see “Microphone access denied,” allow mic access in the browser.
Nothing is saved until you click Save. The button label reflects what’s pending: Apply template, Save template, Save settings, or Save changes.
Preview and Definition
The Preview tab shows the AI notes this template would produce for the interview you opened Studio from. It refreshes after an edit. If it errors, click Retry.
If you opened Studio from Settings (no interview), Preview explains that you need to open Studio from an interview to see sample notes.
The Definition tab is the actual instruction text. You can review and fine-tune it directly, then Update preview.
Built-in BrightHire templates vs custom templates
| Made by BrightHire | Custom (My templates / Shared) |
Edit with Assistant? | No — create your own template to make changes | Yes (if you have edit permission) |
Duplicate? | No | Yes |
Rename / Delete? | No | Yes (with permission) |
Definition | Read-only | Editable instructions |
If you want to change a BrightHire template, create your own custom template (start from a starter) and edit that.
Templates shared with you that you don’t own are read-only. Use Duplicate to get an editable copy.
Sharing, defaults, and permissions
Visibility in the header:
Private — only you can view and edit it
Whole org — everyone can view and use it; admins can also edit it
My default sets the template as your personal default.
Permissions
The ability to create and manage templates depends on your BrightHire role and enabled permissions.
Basic role: Can create and use their own templates.
Recruiter or Site Admin roles: Can create and manage templates for other users.
Required permission: The “Can manage custom templates” permission must be enabled in Roles & Policies to manage templates for others. Sharing controls are visible to Site Admins by default; enable that permission for Recruiters if they should see them too.
Duplicate and delete
Open the ⋮ Template actions menu:
Duplicate — not available for BrightHire built-in templates or section templates.
Delete — blocked for the org-wide default until you choose a different org-wide default first.
To rename, click the template name in the header, type the new name, and press Enter (Esc to cancel).
Manage templates in Settings
To inventory templates without opening an interview, go to Settings → Interview → AI notes templates.
From here you can search, filter (visibility, default rule, owner, usage), sort, Create new, open a template in Studio, duplicate, or delete.
How BrightHire chooses a template
The first matching rule wins. Later rules only apply when nothing above them matched:
Chosen for that interview
Personal default
Keyword match on the interview title
Meeting type
Persona
Organization default
Creator default
BrightHire built-in
Click the ? next to Default rule on the Settings page to see this list in product.
Tips for writing a strong template
Do:
Be specific about what to capture. The more precise the instruction, the more targeted the notes.
Use structure — sections, bullet points, numbered lists, or specific questions.
Iterate with the Assistant after you see a Preview. Ask it to shorten, add a section, or change tone.
Reference the candidate (“What’s the candidate’s background?”) and call out details you care about (for example, compensation numbers).
Start from a BrightHire starter if you’re not sure how to phrase the instruction.
Don’t:
Be vague unless you want a broad summary.
Overcomplicate — split complex requests into parts and iterate.
Ask for judgements or grades — BrightHire does not return subjective assessments of the candidate. Frame requests as facts to extract.
FAQ
Q: Can an individual user create a template for personal use?
A: Yes — a regular user can create a private AI Notes template, as long as the org hasn’t restricted template management.
Q: Can a Site Admin turn a user’s private template into a company template?
A: Not directly. Duplicate it (or ask the owner to change Visibility to Whole org), then manage the org copy. Admins cannot “promote” a private template in place.
Q: Why can’t I edit this template?
A: It’s either a BrightHire built-in (create your own instead) or a shared, read-only template (Duplicate it to edit).
Q: Why isn’t Duplicate available?
A: Built-in templates and section templates can’t be duplicated. Create a new custom template instead.
Q: Why won’t it let me delete?
A: You can’t delete the org-wide default until you assign a different org-wide default. You also need edit/delete permission on that template.
Q: The Notes dropdown disappeared. Where did it go?
A: Expected — it was replaced by the Template button on the interview’s AI notes tab.
Q: Why aren’t my AI notes generating after an interview?
A: Close the meeting for all participants and make sure the AI bot has exited. If issues persist, try reactivating the recording.
Q: Can I share a template with another BrightHire user?
A: Yes. Set Visibility to Whole org, or set it as a default for a persona, meeting type, or title keywords.
Q: Can I attach a job description or file?
A: Not yet — adding documents is coming soon.
For further assistance or feedback, please contact us at [email protected].