.zftemplate schema

Version: 1.0

A .zftemplate file is a plain JSON document that bundles a ZettelFlow canvas with its associated step files so users can share workflows offline, without the community backend.

Top-level fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
zfVersion	string	✓	Schema version (currently "1.0")
name	string	✓	Human-readable workflow name
description	string	✓	Short description of the workflow
author	string	✓	Creator name or identifier
canvas	ZfTemplateFile	✓	The canvas file
steps	ZfTemplateFile[]	✓	Associated step files (may be empty)

ZfTemplateFile

Field	Type	Required	Description
filename	string	✓	Original filename (e.g. my-flow.canvas, intro.md)
content	string	✓	Raw text content of the file

Example

{
  "zfVersion": "1.0",
  "name": "Daily notes flow",
  "description": "A canvas that creates structured daily notes",
  "author": "alice",
  "canvas": {
    "filename": "daily-notes.canvas",
    "content": "{\"nodes\":[...],\"edges\":[...]}"
  },
  "steps": [
    {
      "filename": "morning-step.md",
      "content": "---\nzettelFlowSettings:\n  root: true\n  label: Morning check-in\n  actions: []\n---\n# Morning\n"
    }
  ]
}

Import / Export commands

Command	Condition	Description
ZettelFlow: Export current canvas as .zftemplate	Desktop only	Reads the active canvas and all its .md step nodes, then downloads a .zftemplate file
ZettelFlow: Import .zftemplate	Desktop only	Opens a file picker; installs the canvas and steps into a user-chosen vault folder

On conflict (files already exist), the user is prompted to overwrite or skip — no confirm() is used.

Community systems (#214)

The same format powers the community systems gallery. A shipped system is a .zftemplate file listed in docs/main_template.json with template_type: "system"; the community browser's CommunitySystemModal fetches it, lets the user pick a folder, and writes the canvas + steps in one click (no clipboard). See Community feature & backend. Authoring guide: Contribute a community system.