Templates vs Rules: why Shopify scopes still take forever in Google Docs

Most Shopify agencies already have scope templates.

So why does scoping still feel slow?

Because templates don’t remove the work that actually takes time:

• deciding what to include (and what to exclude)
• reconciling hours, pricing, and dependencies
• keeping language consistent across the team
• handling edge cases (integrations, markets, B2B, migrations)

Templates are a starting document.

They’re not a system.

Rules are the missing layer: if X, include Y. If X increases, hours change. If B2B is in scope, add role-based QA and catalog visibility rules.

RuleDox is built for that layer. It assembles scopes inside Google Docs using rules—so your team starts with a near-complete draft and only tweaks what’s unique.

Try rules-based scope assembly → https://ruledox.app/live-demo

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Templates are useful when the work is genuinely one-off.

They help you:

• avoid a blank page
• standardize formatting
• remember the usual sections
• create a consistent “shape” for a scope

If your agency sells custom work where every project is materially different, templates might be sufficient.

But most Shopify agencies don’t sell fully bespoke work. They sell repeatable services with variable inputs.

That’s where templates break.

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In Shopify scopes, the structure is usually stable.

But the inputs change:

• catalog size/complexity (SKUs, variants)
• markets (currency/language)
• B2B / wholesale requirements
• theme approach (new vs existing)
• integrations (ERP/WMS/3PL, subscriptions, reviews)
• redirects and SEO preservation (migrations)

With a template, you still have to manually:

• copy sections in/out
• edit wording so it matches this project
• calculate hours/pricing in a spreadsheet
• remember exclusions and assumptions
• ensure the document is internally consistent

That manual assembly is where mistakes creep in.

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Manual assembly tends to create four predictable problems:

If you care about scope creep prevention, this is where it starts.

Two people scope the same project differently because the “logic” lives in their head.

Small integrations, edge cases, and QA get dropped because they’re not in the template.

Scoping can’t be delegated safely, so senior people become bottlenecks.

Scopes under-specify deliverables/exclusions, so change requests become uncomfortable.

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Rules make scoping consistent.

Instead of “start from template and remember everything,” your team answers inputs:

• project type: build vs migration
• catalog size
• markets
• integrations
• B2B yes/no
• SLA/support window

…and the scope assembles accordingly:

• the correct sections appear
• exclusions are consistent
• hours/pricing logic updates (if you use it)
• QA and rollout steps match the risk

You still review and tweak.

You just stop rebuilding.

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RuleDox assembles scopes inside Google Docs—calculating prices, hours, and conditional sections—so proposals start structured, not from scratch.

Try the live demo → https://ruledox.app/live-demo

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A practical starting point:

1. List your scope variables (project type, markets, integrations, B2B)
2. Turn them into a simple intake
3. Define which sections appear for each variable value
4. Define your exclusions language once

If you want a reference list of the variables that drive Shopify scope complexity: https://ruledox.app/content/shopify/scope-variables-checklist

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You should—templates matter. But even a perfect template still requires manual assembly. Rules remove repeat work.

No. They make the baseline consistent. Humans still tailor the final scope for what’s unique.