Introduction
Grant presets let you define default parameters — such as vesting schedules, strike prices, and document templates — that automatically apply to every new grant added to a plan.
This is especially useful when you're bulk importing grants that share the same vesting terms or need to go through document templating and signature workflows. Instead of configuring each grant individually, you set the defaults once at the plan level.
You can add presets when first creating a plan or by editing an existing plan. Presets only apply to grants imported after the preset is saved — they are not applied retroactively.
Creating a plan with a preset
Go to Equity Plans > Pools & Plans
Click the "Add plan" button in the top-right corner. A new window will appear
Note: Ensure there is already a Pool before you proceed with this step. If not, follow the instructions for adding a pool here.
Fill in the required plan details (plan name, instrument type, etc.)
Click Optional fields to expand the preset options
Fill out the relevant fields as described in the Optional fields reference section below
Click Save
Import grants using either the bulk import or the individual grant import — the presets you selected will be applied automatically to all newly imported grants. See more on importing grants here
Editing a plan to have a preset
Go to Equity Plans > Pools & Plans
Find the plan you would like to edit and click the Three Dot Menu > Edit initial plan
Click the Optional fields drop-down and fill in the relevant fields as described in the Optional fields reference section below
Click Save
Import grants using either the bulk import or the individual grant import — the presets you selected will be applied automatically to all newly imported grants. See more on importing grants here
Note: Presets are not applied retroactively. If grants have already been imported into this plan, the presets will not be applied to them. Presets only apply to new imports that occur after the presets are saved.
Optional fields reference
Once specified, the following presets will be applied to all new grants from this plan. Below is every section in the order it appears in the form.
1. Prices
Strike Price — Set a default strike price for all new grants added to the plan. This is an optional field
Purchase Price — Set a default purchase price for all new grants added to the plan. This is an optional field
If the strike price or purchase price is not the same for every grant in the plan, you can still specify these individually in the bulk import template — values provided in the import will override the preset.
You can also specify different prices (including a different currency) when adding an individual grant.
2. Vesting
Select the vesting schedule to be applied to each grant added after the preset is saved. This works with all three types of vesting available in Ledgy:
Time (simple) — Standard time-based vesting with a regular interval and optional cliff
Time (custom) — Custom time-based vesting with individually defined vesting tranches
Performance — Milestone or performance-based vesting
You can also attach triggers to time-based vesting schedules (both simple and custom) and performance-based vesting.
Note: When using a template to bulk import grants with custom vesting (time custom and performance vesting), the vesting start date is individually optional, and the vesting duration, interval, cliff, and rounding are combined optionally. If these parameters are provided in the import template, they will override the preset; if left blank, the presets will apply.
3. Documents & signatures
This section covers grant document templates and signature workflows.
Grant templates
Grant template — Select or upload a template that will be used to generate a document for each grant imported after this preset is selected. The generated document will be attached to each grant transaction
Termination template — Select or upload a template for termination documents
Equity settlement template — If applicable, select or upload a template for equity settlement documents (this field appears conditionally based on your plan configuration)
Create documents from grant templates
Click this checkbox if you would like to automatically create documents from the selected templates for each grant imported after this preset is selected. The document will be generated and attached to each grant transaction.
Prepare signature requests for template documents
Click this checkbox if you would like to automatically prepare signature requests for each of the documents created from templates.
Important: For this toggle to work, the "Create documents from grant templates" checkbox must also be enabled. The document will be created from the template, attached to the transaction, and sent to the signature requests board in Documents > Signatures. For more on how signature requests work, see this help article.
Additional plan documents
Upload and attach additional plan documents — Upload a document you wish to have attached to the plan (such as plan rules) that does not need to be signed or use any template variables
Attach plan documents to grant — Enable this toggle if you would like these additional documents to be attached to any new grants imported when this preset is selected. For this toggle to work, there needs to be a document uploaded in the plan documents section above
4. Custom fields
If your company has set up custom fields for grant transactions, those fields will appear here. You can set default values for each custom field, and these values will be applied to all new grants imported under this plan.
Note: This section only appears if custom fields have been configured for your company. If you do not see this section, it means no custom fields are currently set up. Speak to your Ledgy account admin or your Ledgy contact to configure custom fields.
5. Internal note
Internal note — Add a text note to the plan. This can be used to record internal information such as board approval details, plan context, or any other notes relevant to your team
Attach internal note to grant — Enable this checkbox if you would like the internal note to be automatically attached to every new grant imported under this plan
Note: Internal notes are only visible to account admins and are not shown to stakeholders.
6. Terminations
The Terminations section lets you configure what happens by default when a grant from this plan is terminated. This is a separate collapsible section that sits below the Optional fields presets.
Default action — Choose how terminated grants should be handled. There are two options:
Terminate grants — The default option. Grants are cancelled upon termination. This is available for all grant types
Terminate and convert to deferred shares — Instead of cancelling, terminated grants are converted into deferred shares. This option is only available for stock-based grant types (e.g. Stock Options, Stock Warrants, Stock Appreciation Rights, Stock Grants, Restricted Stock Units). If you select a non-stock grant type (e.g. Phantom Options), this field is read-only and locked to "Terminate grants"
Return to pool — Enable this checkbox if you want unvested or unexercised amounts from terminated grants to be returned to the pool. When enabled, the terminated quantities are added back to the pool's available balance
Note: If you select "Terminate and convert to deferred shares" and your company does not yet have a deferred share class, Ledgy will display an info message: "This action will add Deferred shares to your share class collection." A new deferred share class will be created automatically when the first termination occurs.
7. Other options
The Other options section contains advanced plan-level settings related to conversion ratios. This section only appears for non-stock grant types (e.g. Phantom Options, Phantom Shares, Stock Appreciation Rights).
Custom conversion ratio to stock
Enable this toggle if the number of granted equity units does not equal the number of shares on a 1:1 basis. When turned on, Ledgy will use the custom ratio to calculate the diluted share count.
Once enabled, two number fields and a swap button appear:
Left field (read-only) — Fixed at 1, labelled with the grant type name (e.g. "Phantom Option")
Swap button (centre) — Click to toggle the direction of the conversion (e.g. from "Phantom Options to Stock" to "Stock to Phantom Options")
Right field — Enter the conversion factor (e.g. entering 2 means 1 Phantom Option = 2 Stocks)
⚠️ Important: By turning on a custom conversion ratio, the number of granted equity and fully diluted shares will be different. Grid columns related to grants (granted, outstanding, exercised, terminated, etc.) will reflect granted numbers, not the numbers converted to shares. Refer to "diluted shares" for the converted figures. We recommend double-checking your document templates to ensure the correct variables are used.
Note: After granting equity from your equity plan, the conversion ratio can no longer be updated. If you need to change it, you must delete all grants from the plan first, or reach out to Ledgy support.
Adjust conversion ratio during stock split
Enable this toggle if you want the granted amounts to remain unchanged during a stock split. When enabled, the number of shares or cash received after exercising will be adjusted by the split factor instead. This is useful when the granted number of units should remain constant but the economic value per unit should reflect the stock split.
When are presets helpful?
Ledgy's plan presets make it easier to import one or many grants by letting you select specific parameters that apply to all the new grants imported from that plan.
This is especially helpful when:
Bulk importing grants with document workflows — Presets let documents and signature requests get prepared automatically so you don't have to configure them for each grant individually
Applying non-standard vesting — If you have custom or performance-based vesting that applies to all grants in the plan, presets save you from editing each grant one by one
Standardising custom field values — If all grants in a plan share the same custom field values, presets ensure consistency across imports
Attaching internal notes — Automatically append internal context (such as board approval references) to every grant
Setting default termination behaviour — Configure whether terminated grants should be cancelled or converted to deferred shares, and whether amounts should return to the pool, so you don't need to decide each time
Defining conversion ratios — For non-stock grant types, set a fixed conversion ratio so diluted share calculations are always accurate
If there are individual grants for which the selected presets do not apply, the presets can easily be overridden by specifying the grant parameters during import — either via the bulk import template or when adding an individual grant.
FAQs
Do presets apply retroactively to existing grants?
No. Presets only apply to new grants imported after the preset is saved. Existing grants in the plan are not affected.
Can I override a preset for a specific grant?
Yes, in many cases. When you use a preset in a bulk import, most of the columns in your spreadsheet can override the preset's defaults — for example, prices, dates, quantities, and exercise-related fields.
However, there are some limitations to be aware of:
Vesting schedules may not be fully overridable via the import. If your preset uses a Simple time-based schedule and you need a Custom vesting schedule for a specific grant, the import may not apply the custom schedule as expected. In those cases, we recommend adjusting the grant directly in Ledgy after importing, or using a separate preset that already has the schedule you need.
Not every preset field can necessarily be overridden through the spreadsheet columns. If you're unsure whether a specific field can be overridden, we recommend testing with a small import first or reaching out to support.
Tip: For the most predictable results, use a preset that closely matches the grants you're importing, and only override simple fields like dates, quantities, and prices.
If you have questions about a specific override scenario, please contact our support team.
What happens if I change a preset on an existing plan?
The updated preset will apply to all new grants imported after the change is saved. Previously imported grants are not affected.
Do stakeholders see internal notes?
No. Internal notes are only visible to account admins and are never shown to stakeholders on their dashboard.
Why can't I see the "Terminate and convert to deferred shares" option?
This option is only available for stock-based grant types. If your plan uses a non-stock grant type (such as Phantom Options), the termination action is locked to "Terminate grants".
Why can't I edit the conversion ratio on my plan?
Once grants have been issued from a plan, the conversion ratio is locked and can no longer be changed. To update it, you need to delete all grants from the plan first, or contact Ledgy support for assistance.
Why don't I see the "Other options" section?
The Other options section only appears for non-stock grant types (e.g. Phantom Options, Phantom Shares). For stock-based plans, conversion ratios are not applicable because stock grants already represent shares directly.