Workspace Template Archive ZIP and Export Fidelity
How template ZIP archives are produced, what they preserve, and why advanced users should not assume the archive contains every ignored or controller-only file from a running workspace.
Workspace Template Archive ZIP and Export Fidelity
Where you see this in the app
This capability exists for template ZIP export, but it is not currently exposed as a normal end-user button in the main browser workspace UI.
That matters because users should not expect a standard visible Download template ZIP control today. This is currently a limited advanced/export path rather than a first-class creator action in the post workspace panel.
Current availability and limits
From an end-user perspective, the most important fact is the limitation:
- template ZIP export exists,
- but it is not a standard everyday browser workflow yet,
- so most creators will interact with templates through
Browse templates, not through direct archive download.
This page exists to document expectations, not to suggest there is already a polished download experience in the normal UI.
What the ZIP keeps and skips
A template archive is meant to export the template project itself, not every derived, ignored, or system-managed file.
Users should expect a ZIP like this to preserve the reusable template content while skipping known ignored folders and internal template metadata files that are only useful to the platform.
| Expectation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Reusable template project files are included | The ZIP is meant to reconstruct the template project |
| Ignored folders may be skipped | Not every generated or hidden folder is guaranteed to be exported |
| Internal template-manifest plumbing may be omitted | The export is for usable content, not every internal packaging detail |
Manifest and hidden files
Users should not assume that every hidden file or packaging file present in the template source is part of the final ZIP.
That is intentional. The archive is designed around practical reuse, not around mirroring every internal file exactly as stored by the system.
If a user needs byte-for-byte controller or packaging fidelity, that is a different expectation from a normal reusable template export.
How to think about export fidelity
The correct mental model is:
Browse templatesis the main creator-facing way to consume templates.- ZIP archive export is a narrower advanced path.
- The ZIP should be treated as a reusable project export, not as a full snapshot of every internal template or controller detail.
Related docs
Related docs
See it in action
Previous
Workspace Templates, Pools, and Replace Behavior
How the template gallery works, what details like publish target and entry file mean, and why applying a template can replace files or restart the workspace on a different pool.
Next
Workspace Upload Targets and ZIP Merge Behavior
How the Upload tab works in edit mode, what Workspace project vs Static preview site mean, how target paths are resolved, and what ZIP merge actually does.