We are using page templates in ICEC to define a common grid and layout, but also a default set of widgets located on the page (with specific widget IDs re-used in CSS styling). New pages inherit from the template.
Page editors are not able to change the grid or the layout. However, they are able to adapt the widget configuration to use their specific content sources and personalization rules. This concept fits perfectly to define a common look&feel for example for intranet pages of all sites. Each site gets a dedicated ICEC page inherit from the "site" template. Editors on each site can adapt the intranet page of their site to link to their specific site community as source.
Now, I have learned, that the widget configuration gets overridden by the template if you resynchronize the templates with all inherit pages. All changes made by the specific Page editors are lost.
Locking the widget on the template is not an option, as the page editors have to be able to adapt the widget to their specific content source (e.g. department community).
The ICEC product documentation regarding page templating only mentions as note at the bottom of the page: https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSYGQH_6.0.0/connectors/icec/intro/cec-page_templating_inheritance.html
"Only grid, layout, and widgets are inherited."
From my point of view inherit the complete widget configuration is not meaningful, as it would mean that all pages display the same widget with the same content (might be useful to some specific cases, there you can lock the widget). On the other hand, as the widget is not locked for page editors by default like grid or layout, their configuration will be always overwritten by the next page synchronization.
It should be possible to define which part of a widget gets synchronized between template and inherit page, and which parts of the configuration can be adapted by page editors.
