# Retrieve a template (draft)

> Retrieves a template by id or alias. The content returned is the current draft; has_unpublished_versions tells you whether it differs from the published version.

Source: https://docs.pidgely.com/api-reference/templates/retrieve/

`GET https://api.pidgely.com/templates/{key}`

Retrieves a template by id or alias. The content returned is the current **draft**; `has_unpublished_versions` tells you whether it differs from the published version.

**Authorization:** `Bearer pdg_…`. An API key with `full_access`. A `sending_access` key gets `401 restricted_api_key`.

## Path parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `key` | string | Yes | Template id or alias |

## Request

```js tab="Node.js"
import { Pidgely } from 'pidgely';

const pidgely = new Pidgely(process.env.PIDGELY_API_KEY);

const { data, error } = await pidgely.templates.get('order-confirmation');
console.log(data ?? error);
```

```python tab="Python"
import os
import pidgely

pidgely.api_key = os.environ["PIDGELY_API_KEY"]

result = pidgely.Templates.get("order-confirmation")
print(result)
```

```php tab="PHP"
<?php

require __DIR__ . '/vendor/autoload.php';

$pidgely = Pidgely::client(getenv('PIDGELY_API_KEY'));

$result = $pidgely->templates->get('order-confirmation');
var_dump($result);
```

```go tab="Go"
package main

import (
	"context"
	"fmt"
	"os"

	"github.com/pidgely/pidgely-go"
)

func main() {
	ctx := context.Background()
	client := pidgely.NewClient(os.Getenv("PIDGELY_API_KEY"))

	result, err := client.Templates.Get(ctx, "order-confirmation")
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	fmt.Println(result)
}
```

```ruby tab="Ruby"
require "pidgely"

Pidgely.api_key = ENV["PIDGELY_API_KEY"]

result = Pidgely::Templates.get("order-confirmation")
puts result
```

```bash tab="cURL"
curl -X GET 'https://api.pidgely.com/templates/order-confirmation' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PIDGELY_API_KEY"
```

## Response

`200 OK`

```json
{
  "object": "template",
  "id": "0199d7f7-7e2f-7b5c-8a4d-1c9e3f6a0b27",
  "current_version_id": "0199d7f7-8a11-7e3b-b5c4-0d2f6a9e1c83",
  "alias": "order-confirmation",
  "name": "Order confirmation",
  "created_at": "2026-10-12 16:44:41.000000+00",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-12 16:44:41.000000+00",
  "status": "published",
  "published_at": "2026-10-12 16:44:41.000000+00",
  "from": "Acme <orders@acme.com>",
  "subject": "Order {{{ORDER_ID}}} confirmed",
  "reply_to": [],
  "html": "<p>Hi {{{CUSTOMER_NAME|there}}}, your order {{{ORDER_ID}}} totals {{{TOTAL}}}.</p>",
  "text": "",
  "variables": [
    {
      "id": "0199d7f7-7e30-7c1d-9f2a-6b4e8d0c3a51",
      "key": "ORDER_ID",
      "type": "string",
      "fallback_value": null,
      "created_at": "2026-10-12 16:44:41.000000+00",
      "updated_at": "2026-10-12 16:44:41.000000+00"
    },
    {
      "id": "0199d7f7-7e30-7c1d-9f2a-6b4e8d0c3a52",
      "key": "TOTAL",
      "type": "number",
      "fallback_value": 0,
      "created_at": "2026-10-12 16:44:41.000000+00",
      "updated_at": "2026-10-12 16:44:41.000000+00"
    }
  ],
  "has_unpublished_versions": false
}
```

### Response fields

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `object` | string | No | Object type. |
| `id` | string | No | Unique id (UUID). UUID. |
| `current_version_id` | string \| null | No | Id of the published version, or null. |
| `alias` | string \| null | No | Unique, human-readable key you can use instead of the id: `^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9_.-]{0,99}$`, not a UUID. |
| `name` | string | No | Display name. |
| `created_at` | string | No | Timestamp in UTC (`2026-10-12 16:44:41.000000+00`). |
| `updated_at` | string | No | Timestamp in UTC (`2026-10-12 16:44:41.000000+00`). |
| `status` | string | No | Current status. One of `draft`, `published`. |
| `published_at` | string \| null | No | Timestamp in UTC, or null. |
| `from` | string | No | — |
| `subject` | string | No | Subject line, up to 998 bytes. Required unless a template provides it. |
| `reply_to` | string[] | No | Reply-To address or list of addresses. |
| `html` | string | No | HTML body. `html` or `text` is required (unless you send with a template). |
| `text` | string | No | — |
| `variables` | object[] | No | Typed variables (up to 50). `FIRST_NAME`, `LAST_NAME`, `EMAIL` and `UNSUBSCRIBE_URL` are reserved. |
| `variables[].id` | string | No | Unique id (UUID). UUID. |
| `variables[].key` | string | No | Variable name, `^[A-Za-z0-9_]{1,50}$`. |
| `variables[].type` | string | No | `string` or `number`. One of `string`, `number`. |
| `variables[].fallback_value` | string \| number \| null | No | Used when a send does not provide the variable. Must match the type. |
| `variables[].created_at` | string | No | Timestamp in UTC (`2026-10-12 16:44:41.000000+00`). |
| `variables[].updated_at` | string | No | Timestamp in UTC (`2026-10-12 16:44:41.000000+00`). |
| `has_unpublished_versions` | boolean | No | Whether the draft differs from the published version. |

## Errors

Errors have the shape `{"statusCode", "name", "message"}`. See [Errors](https://docs.pidgely.com/errors/) for the full list.

| Status | Name | When |
|---|---|---|
| 401 | `missing_api_key`, `restricted_api_key` | No `Authorization: Bearer` header, or a `sending_access` key called an endpoint that needs `full_access`. |
| 403 | `invalid_api_key`, `validation_error` | The API key is invalid or revoked, or the request is not allowed for this account (unverified domain, plan limit, paused account). |
| 404 | `not_found` | The resource does not exist in this account (or the id is not a valid UUID). |
| 422 | `validation_error` | A field is missing or invalid; `message` names it. |
| 429 | `rate_limit_exceeded` | Too many requests per second. Wait for `Retry-After` seconds. |