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Templates provide pre-configured auras for common use cases, making it easy to create professional-looking displays without starting from scratch.

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Using Templates

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Accessing Templates

  1. Open WeakAuras with /wa
  2. Click “New” button
  3. Browse the template categories:
    • Class Templates: Abilities, resources, and mechanics for each class
    • General Templates: Universal tracking (cooldowns, proc alerts, resources)
    • Encounter Templates: Boss mechanics and timers

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Template Categories

Templates specific to each class and specialization:Available for Each Class:
  • Core abilities and cooldowns
  • Resource tracking (combo points, holy power, runes, etc.)
  • Important procs and buffs
  • Spec-specific mechanics
Example: Death Knight
  • Rune display with cooldowns
  • Blood Shield tracker
  • Bone Shield stacks
  • Army of the Dead duration

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Customizing Templates

After loading a template:
  1. Select the aura in the WeakAuras window
  2. Modify the display:
    • Change position and size
    • Adjust colors and textures
    • Modify fonts and text
  3. Adjust triggers:
    • Change spell IDs or names
    • Modify stack requirements
    • Add additional conditions
  4. Update actions:
    • Add custom sounds
    • Include chat announcements
    • Modify animation behavior
Most templates are groups containing multiple related auras. Expand the group to customize individual elements.

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Template Structure

Templates are defined in the WeakAurasTemplates addon.

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Template Components

Each template consists of:
  • Display Configuration: Visual settings (position, size, appearance)
  • Trigger Setup: Conditions for showing/hiding
  • Load Conditions: When the aura should be active
  • Actions: Sound, animations, and custom code

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Template Metadata

Templates include metadata for organization: 
{
  title = "Template Name",
  description = "What this template does",
  icon = "Interface\\Icons\\Spell_Icon",
  class = "DEATHKNIGHT", -- Optional: class restriction
  spec = {1, 2}, -- Optional: spec restriction
  recommended = true, -- Featured template
}

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Creating Custom Templates

Creating templates requires Lua programming knowledge and understanding of WeakAuras’ internal structure.

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Template Development

Templates are defined in WeakAurasTemplates/TriggerTemplates.lua:
  1. Define your template structure:
local templates = {
  {
    title = "My Custom Template",
    description = "Tracks an important buff",
    icon = "Interface\\Icons\\Achievement_BG_winAV_60",
    
    -- Load conditions
    load = {
      class = { "WARRIOR" },
      spec = { 1 }, -- Arms
      use_combat = true,
      combat = true
    },
    
    -- Trigger configuration
    trigger = {
      type = "aura2",
      auranames = { "Battle Shout" },
      unit = "player",
      useName = true,
      debuffType = "HELPFUL"
    },
    
    -- Display settings
    display = {
      width = 64,
      height = 64,
      xOffset = 0,
      yOffset = 0,
      color = {1, 1, 1, 1},
      -- Additional display options
    }
  }
}
  1. Add to template registry:
-- Register in appropriate category
TemplatePrivate.addTemplate("WARRIOR", "Arms", templates)

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Template Best Practices

When possible, use spell IDs instead of names for better compatibility across locales:
trigger = {
  spellIds = { 47440 }, -- Battle Shout spell ID
  -- Better than using name: "Battle Shout"
}
Always include appropriate load conditions to optimize performance:
load = {
  class = { "WARRIOR" },
  spec = { 1 },
  use_combat = true
}
Help users understand what the template does:
description = "Tracks Battle Shout buff duration and alerts when it's about to expire"
If your template targets multiple specs, test it thoroughly in each one.

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Advanced Template Features

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Dynamic Values

Templates can use dynamic values based on player stats: 
trigger = {
  type = "status",
  event = "Health",
  unit = "player",
  percenthealth = "50", -- Show at 50% health
  percenthealth_operator = "<="
}

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Multiple Triggers

Create templates with complex trigger logic: 
triggers = {
  {
    trigger = {
      type = "aura2",
      auranames = { "Buff Name" },
      unit = "player"
    },
    untrigger = {}
  },
  {
    trigger = {
      type = "status",
      event = "Combat",
      use_combat = true
    },
    untrigger = {}
  }
},
triggersLogic = "1 and 2" -- Both triggers must be true

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Child Auras in Groups

Create group templates with multiple child auras: 
{
  regionType = "group",
  title = "Resource Tracker",
  
  controlledChildren = {
    "Health Bar",
    "Mana Bar",
    "Combo Points"
  },
  
  -- Define each child as a separate template
  children = {
    -- Health bar configuration
    {
      id = "Health Bar",
      regionType = "aurabar",
      -- ... health bar settings
    },
    -- Mana bar configuration  
    {
      id = "Mana Bar",
      regionType = "aurabar",
      -- ... mana bar settings
    },
    -- ... more children
  }
}

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Sharing Templates

Templates can be shared with other players:

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Exporting Templates

  1. Create and configure your aura
  2. Select it in the WeakAuras window
  3. Click the export icon (📋)
  4. Copy the generated string
See Import/Export for detailed instructions.

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Publishing Templates

Share your templates with the community:

Wago.io

Upload to wago.io for easy sharing

GitHub

Contribute templates to the official repository

Discord

Share in the WeakAuras Discord community

Forums

Post on WoW community forums

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Template Resources

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Source Files

Template definitions are in:
  • WeakAurasTemplates/TriggerTemplates.lua - Main template logic
  • WeakAurasTemplates/TriggerTemplatesDataWrath.lua - WotLK-specific templates

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Example Templates

Study existing templates to learn best practices: 
-- Template for tracking Death Knight runes
{
  title = "Rune Display",
  description = "Shows all 6 runes with cooldowns",
  icon = "Interface\\Icons\\Spell_Deathknight_RuneWeapon",
  class = "DEATHKNIGHT",
  
  regionType = "group",
  layout = "grid",
  gridType = "RD",
  gridWidth = 6,
  
  -- Individual rune tracking for each slot
}

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Next Steps

Creating Auras

Learn to create custom auras

Lua Scripting

Add custom functionality

Import/Export

Share your creations

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