03-document-types
Document Types
Document types are what make Kherpi flexible. Instead of having just "notes", you can create any type of document — contacts, passwords, journal entries, book reviews, recipes — each with their own set of custom properties.
Managing Document Types
Navigate to Document Types in the sidebar. The page is split into two panels:
- Left panel — a list of all your document types, each showing its icon (or first letter), name, and the number of documents using that type.
- Right panel — the form for creating or editing a document type.
[screenshot: document types page with list on the left and form on the right]
Creating a Document Type
- Click the New button at the top of the document types list
- Fill in the fields:
- Name — a human-readable name (e.g. "Meeting Notes")
- Slug — a URL-friendly identifier, auto-generated from the name (e.g. "meeting-notes"). Only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens.
- Icon (optional) — an emoji or short text displayed as the type's icon (e.g. "📝")
- Add any custom properties (see below)
- Click Save
[screenshot: new document type form with name, slug, and icon fields filled in]
Custom Properties
Properties let you attach structured metadata to documents beyond the default title and content. For example, a "Contact" type might have properties for phone number, email, and company.
Adding a Property
- Click Add property in the Properties section
- Fill in the property fields:
- Name — the display label (e.g. "Phone Number")
- Key — auto-generated from the name, used internally (read-only)
- Type — the kind of data this property holds
- Required — toggle on to make this property mandatory
[screenshot: properties table with several properties defined]
Property Types
| Type | Description | Input |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Plain text value | Text input |
| Number | Integer or decimal number | Number input |
| Date | A date value | Date picker |
| Datetime | A date and time value | Date-time picker |
| List | A comma-separated list of values | Text input |
| Checkbox | A boolean on/off value | Checkbox toggle |
Removing a Property
Click the X button next to any property row to remove it. Be aware that removing a property from a type does not delete existing property values on documents — they simply won't be displayed anymore.
Editing a Document Type
Click any type in the list to load it into the form panel. Make your changes and click Save. A "Saved" confirmation will appear briefly.
Deleting a Document Type
While editing a type, click the trash icon next to the Save button. You'll be asked to confirm before the type is deleted.
Note: You cannot delete a document type that still has documents assigned to it. Reassign or delete those documents first.
How Properties Appear in the Editor
When you create or edit a document and select a document type, the custom properties for that type appear in the Properties panel on the right side of the editor. Each property renders as the appropriate input type (text field, date picker, checkbox, etc.).
[screenshot: editor properties panel showing custom properties from a document type]
How Properties Appear Publicly
When a public document has custom properties with values, they are displayed in a card above the document content on the public page.
[screenshot: public document page showing custom properties card above content]
Template Gallery
The template gallery is a community-driven collection of pre-built document types. Instead of creating every type from scratch, you can browse what others have shared and install them with one click.
Visit the gallery at /templates — no sign-in required to browse.
Browsing Templates
The gallery shows template cards sorted by popularity (most installed first). Each card shows the template name, icon, category, property count, install count, and who created it.
You can narrow things down with:
- Search — type a keyword to filter by name or description
- Category filter — pick from categories like Productivity, Journaling, Cooking, Finance, Health, Travel, and more
Click any card to see the full detail page, including the template's description and a list of all its properties with their types.
Installing a Template
- Open a template's detail page
- Click Install template (you'll need to be signed in)
- The template is cloned to your account — name, icon, and all properties included
- Head to your documents and start using it straight away
If you already have a document type with the same slug, Kherpi appends a number to keep it unique (e.g. meeting-notes-1).
Publishing Your Own Template
Built a document type you're proud of? Share it with everyone.
- Go to Document Types in the sidebar and select the type you want to publish
- Click Publish as Template in the Template Gallery section
- Fill in the details:
- Description — explain what the template is for and how to use it (max 500 characters)
- Category — pick the best fit from the list
- Click Publish
Your template now appears in the public gallery. A Published badge confirms it's live, along with a direct link to its gallery page.
Unpublishing a Template
Changed your mind? On the same Document Types form, click Unpublish and confirm. The template is removed from the gallery immediately — existing installs by other users are not affected.