> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.dashboardjs.net/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.dashboardjs.net/configuration-options/templateurl.md).
# templateURL
By default DashboardJS uses the markup already on the page. `templateURL` loads that markup from a separate file instead, which keeps your HTML page down to a single container element.
```javascript
var dashboard = new FutureLabs.Dashboard({
data: data,
templateURL: 'dashboardjs/dashboard.html',
appendTo: '.dashboard-container'
});
```
templateURL string
URL path to the dashboard HTML template. Relative paths resolve against the page, not the script.
## The page
Everything the dashboard needs is fetched, so the host page stays minimal:
```html
```
{% hint style="warning" %}
Fetching a template means the page must be served over `http://` or `https://`. Opening it as a `file://` URL is blocked by the browser's origin rules. Use the [Uses Current HTML file](https://github.com/hishamfangs/DashboardJS/tree/main/dist/README.md) example if you need it to work from the filesystem.
{% endhint %}
## Waiting for it
Loading is asynchronous. `loadingTemplate` resolves once the template is in place:
```javascript
var dashboard = new FutureLabs.Dashboard({
data: data,
templateURL: 'dashboardjs/dashboard.html',
appendTo: '.dashboard-container'
});
await dashboard.loadingTemplate;
dashboard.switchView('List');
```
## Customising the template
`dashboard.html` is ordinary markup. Copy it, rearrange it, and point `templateURL` at your copy — the classes are what the library binds to, so keep those and change everything else freely. See [Theming](/configuration-options/theming.md).
## Without templateURL
Omit it and DashboardJS uses the markup already in the document, modifying it in place rather than cloning. That is the default, and it works from `file://`.