Importing templates
Importing templates
Instead of starting from a blank canvas, you can import a design from another tool and BuildOnce converts it into a fully editable, variable-ready template — same as anything designed from scratch in the studio. Import is available from Templates → New → Import.
Four sources are supported, each with its own way of handing over the design:
CCanvaPPolotnoHHTMLTTemplated / Bannerbear / Orshot
| Param | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Canva | URL | Paste a public Canva design view link. |
| Polotno | pasted JSON | Paste a Polotno JSON export. |
| HTML | pasted HTML or file | Paste raw HTML, or upload an .html/.mhtml file. |
| Templated / Bannerbear / Orshot | .mhtml file | Upload a browser "Save As → Webpage, Single File" export of the design. |
Importing templates
How it works
Every source goes through the same two-step flow:
- Preview — BuildOnce fetches and extracts the design without saving anything, so you can review pages and any conversion warnings first.
- Import — confirming re-fetches and extracts the design again (the preview isn't cached) and saves it as a new template, with every text and image layer already wired up as an editable variable where the importer could confidently identify one.
External images and fonts referenced by the source design are re-hosted through BuildOnce's own asset storage during import — a design never keeps a live dependency on the tool it came from.
Not everything converts perfectly. Effects, blend modes, or layout mechanics with no BuildOnce equivalent are simplified rather than dropping the import — you'll see a list of what changed before you confirm.
Uploaded files are capped at 75 MB — enough headroom for a large, multi-page design export.