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A governance model holds one set of campaign rules: its fields, picklists, and taxonomies. For the definition and how it relates to the other pieces, see Key concepts. This page covers creating a model and managing it as a whole. Prerequisites: you must be an account owner or admin to create, rename, import, or delete a governance model. Any member of the account can view a model and export it.

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Create a governance model

1

Open the new-model page

In the sidebar, click the + next to Governance Models (its accessible label is Add Governance Model). The Create new governance model page opens.
2

Choose a starting point

Pick one of three paths:
  • Start from scratch opens a form with a Name field (prefilled with Untitled Governance Model). Type a name and click Create Blank Governance Model.
  • Import from JSON lets you select a file exported from Terminus Hub and click Import Governance Model. See Export and import as JSON.
  • A template under Or start from a template gives you a ready-made model to adapt. See Start from a template.
3

Build the model

A new blank model opens on its Taxonomies page. Add fields, picklists, and taxonomies. The model sidebar also has Visualizer, Settings, and Revisions. While your account has nothing published yet, a template or JSON import of a model with at least one taxonomy opens the setup review instead.
4

Publish

Your edits stay in a draft until you publish. Nothing can be submitted against a model that has never been published. See Publish a revision.
A governance model name must be unique within your account (other accounts may use the same name) and can be up to 200 characters. If you start from scratch with a name that is already taken, you see “The name “X” is already taken. Choose a different name.” and can edit the name and try again. Import and templates follow the same rule (see below).
Fields, picklists, and references cannot cross from one governance model to another. If two standards share most of their fields, keep them in one model with separate taxonomies rather than in two models.

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Rename a governance model

Open the model, choose Settings in the model sidebar, edit Name under General Settings, and click Save.

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Export and import as JSON

A governance model can be saved to and rebuilt from a portable JSON file, so you can back up a model, move it between accounts, or hand a starting point to a colleague. Export and import are available on every plan. Export: in the model’s Settings, click Export as JSON. The file:
  • Uses readable placeholder identifiers instead of internal IDs, so the file is portable between accounts.
  • Includes the options of your static picklists, so it is a complete copy.
  • Includes each taxonomy’s Taxonomy settings for its fields: Required in this taxonomy, Option filter, and Tagged URL Parameters. See Field-reference overrides.
Import: choose Import from JSON on the new-model page, select the file, and click Import Governance Model. Import creates a brand-new model with all of its fields, picklists, and taxonomies in one step, and reconnects every internal reference (parent picklists, computed-field sources, taxonomy placements and their per-taxonomy settings).
  • The name must be free. If your account already has a model with the file’s name, nothing is imported and you see “The name “X” is already taken. Rename the model in the file, or rename the existing one.” Import never renames for you. (Creating from a template instead asks you for a different name.)
  • All or nothing. If any part of the file fails the checks, nothing is created and the Failed to import governance model message says which piece needs fixing. Import accepts anything a draft can hold, so a half-finished model you exported imports again as the same draft, and publishing then reports what is left to fix.
  • Nothing is published or connected yet. The imported model starts as a draft, and its taxonomies are not connected to any workspace. Publish it, then connect taxonomies to workspaces. On an account with nothing published yet, the setup review does both in one step.
  • Files with a retired picklist setting are refused. Static picklists once had a setting that let submitters add values. A file exported back then still carries it, and the error names allow_additions. Delete that setting from the file and import again.
An imported model that contains an automated picklist can only be published on the Business plan or higher. See Automated picklist.

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Delete a governance model

In the model’s Settings, go to Danger Zone and click Delete the Governance Model. The confirmation reads “You’re about to delete the governance model … This action cannot be undone.” Deleting a model removes its fields, picklists, and taxonomies, and its taxonomies stop being available in every workspace.

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Gotchas

  • The model is the definition, not the data. Submissions and records live in workspaces. To find the records for a taxonomy, open the workspace’s records page, not the governance model.
  • Plan model boundaries before you build. To move a field into a different model, recreate it there.
  • Edits go live only when you publish. Day-to-day edits are saved as a draft. See Publish a revision.

Taxonomies

Build the forms a governance model exposes.

Fields

The reusable field definitions a model contains.

Picklists

The option lists that feed dropdown fields.

Publish a revision

How edits to a model become live for submissions.