How to Create and Modify Meraki Switch Templates

🧩 1. What is a Meraki Switch Template?

In Cisco Meraki, templates are configurations that can be applied across multiple networks, especially useful in large-scale deployments to ensure consistency.

• A switch template allows you to configure:
  • VLANs
  • Port settings
  • STP settings
  • QoS policies
  • Link aggregation
  • Access policies (802.1X)
  • Voice VLANs
  • PoE settings

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🖥️ 2. Creating a Switch Template (via GUI)

• Login to the Meraki Dashboard
• Go to:
  Organization > Configuration templates
• Click “Create a new template”
• Name your template (e.g., Branch-Switch-Template)
• Click Create
• Click on the template name → Switch tab
• Configure:
  • VLANs under Switch settings > Routing and DHCP
  • Per-port settings via Switch ports
  • QoS, STP, etc. under Switch settings
• Bind networks to this template under:
  Organization > Configuration templates > Template > Bind networks

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⚙️ 3. Modifying a Switch Template (via GUI)

• Go to:
  Organization > Configuration templates > [Your Template]
• Under the Switch tab, modify:
  • VLANs
  • Switch port configs
  • Layer 3 interfaces
  • Access policies
• Changes auto-apply to all bound networks

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🔧 4. Creating/Modifying Switch Templates (via API)

📌 Prerequisites:

• Dashboard API key
• Network ID or template ID
• API base URL: https://api.meraki.com/api/v1

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✅ Create a Configuration Template:

POST /organizations/{organizationId}/configTemplates

{
  "name": "Branch Switch Template"
}

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✅ Modify VLAN Settings in a Template:

PUT /networks/{networkId}/switch/settings

{
  "vlan": 20,
  "useCombinedPower": true,
  "voiceVlanId": 100
}

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✅ Update Switch Port:

PUT /devices/{serial}/switch/ports/{portId}

{
  "name": "Uplink Port",
  "type": "trunk",
  "vlan": 1,
  "allowedVlans": "1,10,20",
  "poeEnabled": true
}

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📚 Extra Notes:

• Templates can be bound to multiple networks. Once bound, you cannot configure those networks individually, unless you unbind them.
• Best Practice: Create staging/testing networks to validate templates before applying widely.