DocumentationAPI Reference

Upgrading from Templating API v2

Upgrading from Templating API v2

Important: Templating API v2 is reaching end of life (EOL) on August 3, 2027. Importing v1, v2, or v3 themes is blocked for new accounts starting September 14, 2026, and will be blocked for all accounts starting March 1, 2027. If your theme hasn't been upgraded to v4 by August 3, 2027, Zendesk will automatically upgrade it for you. Your Help Center will remain available, but custom styling and functionality may be affected.

Version 3 of the Templating API is mainly focused on accessibility (A11y) fixes.

Read about the Templating API versions and how to upgrade in About Guide templating in Zendesk help.

This page summarizes what's changed from Templating API v2 to Templating API v3.

If your theme is using the Templating API v1 and you want to upgrade to v3, consider also the changes listed in Upgrading from Templating API v1.

Updated helpers

There are multiple changes to this helper:

  • On all pages, the structure of the markup is changed to support accessibility. See the helper's updated output in the breadcrumbs helper doc
  • On the Request and Request List pages, the final breadcrumb string has been updated to Requests instead of My Activities.

{{select}}

On the New Community Post page, the {{select 'topic'}} helper has been updated to produce a more accessible drop-down menu:

  • The field is now a native select HTML element
  • The field placeholder has been updated from - to Choose a topic in order to provide meaningful context

{{recent_activity}}

This helper has been improved for accessibility. It now includes the aria-relevant="additions" and aria-atomic="false" attributes in the view so screen readers can notify users of new items loaded asynchronous.

{{actions}}

The helper within the article comment and post comment objects has been improved for accessibility. The permalink popover and the escalation modal are now rendered inside a shadowDOM to avoid style clashes with the themes. The new version includes color contrast and error handling fixes, and adds contextual information to the controls.

{{wysiwyg}}

This helper has been updated to use the CKEditor as rich text editor. This change brings accessibility updates to the editor and an improved user experience. The editor is also now available on mobile devices.

{{request_form}}

The helper has been updated to use the CKEditor as rich text editor. This brings accessibility updates to the editor and an improved user experience. Note that the rich text editor is only rendered when the attribute wysiwyg is set to true.