> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://learn.nextedy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Override Template Configuration

> Detach a Nextedy RISKSHEET document from its global template to create a document-specific sheet configuration that you can customize independently.

export const LastReviewed = ({date}) => {
  if (!date) return null;
  const formatted = new Date(`${date}T00:00:00Z`).toLocaleDateString("en-US", {
    year: "numeric",
    month: "long",
    day: "numeric",
    timeZone: "UTC"
  });
  return <p className="mt-10 text-sm text-gray-400 dark:text-zinc-500 not-prose">
      Last reviewed on {formatted}
    </p>;
};

## Prerequisites

* Administrative privileges for the Polarion project
* A Risksheet document that currently inherits from a template

## When to Override

| Scenario                   | Rationale                                                                                  |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Critical project phase     | Freeze the sheet configuration to prevent unintended changes during certification or audit |
| Custom column layout       | A specific analysis needs additional columns not in the standard template                  |
| Different risk methodology | The document uses a different risk scoring approach than the template provides             |
| Local experimentation      | Test configuration changes without affecting other template-linked documents               |

Risksheet is a generic tool supporting any risk methodology — FMEA, HARA, TARA, STRIDE, and CVSS — so an override may be useful whenever a single document needs to diverge from the shared template configuration.

## Step 1: Override the Template

1. Open the Risksheet document in Polarion
2. Click the ☰ **Menu** button in the Risksheet toolbar
3. Select **Override Template**

Risksheet copies the template's sheet configuration content and attaches it directly to the current document. The document now has its own independent sheet configuration, decoupled from the global template.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/none-17b4493f/-Icoak49xQVOW38R/risksheet/diagrams/guides/configuration/document-config-override/diagram-1.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=-Icoak49xQVOW38R&q=85&s=8afc77e4102dccf45dd63bd21b505337" alt="diagram" style={{ maxWidth: "580px", width: "100%" }} width="580" height="230" data-path="risksheet/diagrams/guides/configuration/document-config-override/diagram-1.svg" />
</Frame>

After the override:

* The document has its own sheet configuration attachment
* Changes to the global template no longer affect this document
* The document continues to behave normally — only its configuration source has changed

## Step 2: Edit the Overridden Configuration

Once a document has its own sheet configuration, edit it using either method.

**Using the configuration editor:**

1. Open the Risksheet document
2. Click **Menu > Configuration > Edit Risksheet Configuration**
3. The editor opens with the document's local sheet configuration
4. Make changes in the YAML editor (syntax highlighting and error detection are available since v25.5.0) and save

**Using direct file editing:**

1. Open the LiveDoc document in Polarion
2. Navigate to the document's **Attachments** section
3. Download the sheet configuration attachment
4. Edit the file in a text editor
5. Upload the modified file back as an attachment

<Tip title="Critical project phases">
  For projects in certification or audit phases, override the template to freeze the sheet configuration. This prevents unintended changes from template updates while the audit is in progress. After the audit, revert to the template to resume receiving updates.
</Tip>

## Revert to Template Configuration

To re-link a document to its original template:

1. Open the Risksheet document
2. Click the ☰ **Menu** button
3. Select **Revert to Template**
4. Risksheet removes the document-specific sheet configuration attachment and restores the template link

<Warning title="Data loss on revert">
  Reverting to the template **discards all document-specific configuration changes**. Any custom columns, formulas, styles, or other settings you added after overriding are permanently lost. Download the sheet configuration attachment before reverting to preserve your changes.
</Warning>

## Identify Configuration Source

You can determine whether a document uses its own sheet configuration or inherits from a template by inspecting the document attachments and the Risksheet toolbar:

| Indicator            | Template-Linked                                       | Overridden                                     |
| -------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Document attachments | No sheet configuration attachment                     | Sheet configuration is attached locally        |
| Risksheet toolbar    | Shows the template as the active configuration source | Shows the document itself as the active source |
| Menu options         | **Override Template** is available                    | **Revert to Template** is available            |

## Runtime Properties (Server-Managed)

When tooling or diagnostic views read a sheet configuration through the Risksheet server, several runtime properties are attached that describe the configuration's provenance:

* `fromTemplate` — `true` when the document still inherits from a template, `false` when overridden
* `templateName` — the display name of the template (populated only while inheriting)
* `source` — the resolved attachment path (the template's attachment while inheriting, the document's own attachment after override)
* `canAdmin` — whether the current user is permitted to change the configuration source
* `reviewer` — populated when an approval review is in progress for the document

These properties are **set by the server at runtime**. They are not part of the user-editable sheet configuration and must not be written into the YAML. They appear in administrative tools and diagnostic views only.

## Step 3: Verify the Override

After overriding the template:

1. Open the Risksheet document and verify your custom configuration is active
2. Check the document attachments to confirm the sheet configuration is present locally
3. Make a small change (such as hiding a column) and verify it persists after page refresh
4. Open another document linked to the same template and confirm it still shows the original template configuration

You should now see the document running with its own independent sheet configuration, while other documents linked to the same template remain unaffected.

## Best Practices

* **Document the reason** for overriding in the document's description so team members understand why the configuration differs
* **Review overridden documents periodically** to determine if they can be re-linked to an updated template
* **Back up before reverting** — download the sheet configuration attachment before restoring the template link

## See Also

* [Use the Configuration Editor](/risksheet/guides/configuration/using-config-editor) — modify the overridden sheet configuration
* [Find Configuration Files](/risksheet/guides/configuration/finding-config-files) — verify the configuration source
* [Set Up Global Templates](/risksheet/guides/configuration/global-templates) — understand the template you are overriding
* [Configure Template Paths](/risksheet/guides/configuration/template-path-configuration) — control where documents are created

<LastReviewed date="2026-06-08" />