diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 8773ad4..4ef67d0 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ repos:
       - id: file-contents-sorter
         files: |
           (?x)^(
-            combine-durations/requirements\.txt
+            .*/requirements\.txt
           )
         args: [--unique]
   - repo: https://github.com/macisamuele/language-formatters-pre-commit-hooks
diff --git a/template-files/README.md b/template-files/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..916b209
--- /dev/null
+++ b/template-files/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# Template Files
+
+A composite GitHub Action to template (or copy) files from other repositories and
+commits them to the specified PR.
+
+## GitHub Action Usage
+
+In your GitHub repository include this action in your workflows:
+
+```yaml
+- uses: conda/actions/template-files
+  with:
+    # [optional]
+    # the path to the configuration file
+    config: .github/template-files/config.yml
+
+    # [optional]
+    # the path to the template stubs
+    stubs: .github/template-files/templates/
+
+    # [optional]
+    # the GitHub token with API access
+    token: ${{ github.token }}
+```
+
+Define what files to template in a configuration file, e.g., `.github/templates/config.yml`:
+
+```yaml
+user/repo:
+  # copy to same path
+  - path/to/file
+  - src: path/to/file
+
+  # copy to different path
+  - src: path/to/other
+    dst: path/to/another
+
+  # templating
+  - src: path/to/template
+    with:
+      name: value
+
+  # removing
+  - dst: path/to/remove
+    remove: true
+```
diff --git a/template-files/action.py b/template-files/action.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c24496
--- /dev/null
+++ b/template-files/action.py
@@ -0,0 +1,247 @@
+"""Copy files from external locations as defined in `sync.yml`."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import sys
+from argparse import ArgumentParser, ArgumentTypeError, Namespace
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+import yaml
+from github import Auth, Github, UnknownObjectException
+from github.Repository import Repository
+from jinja2 import Environment, FileSystemLoader
+from jsonschema import validate
+from rich.console import Console
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from typing import Any, Literal
+
+print = Console(color_system="standard", soft_wrap=True).print
+perror = Console(
+    color_system="standard",
+    soft_wrap=True,
+    stderr=True,
+    style="bold red",
+).print
+
+
+class ActionError(Exception):
+    pass
+
+def validate_file(value: str) -> Path | None:
+    try:
+        path = Path(value).expanduser().resolve()
+        path.read_text()
+        return path
+    except (IsADirectoryError, PermissionError) as err:
+        # IsADirectoryError: value is a directory, not a file
+        # PermissionError: value is not readable
+        raise ArgumentTypeError(f"{value} is not a valid file: {err}")
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        # FileNotFoundError: value does not exist
+        return None
+
+
+def validate_dir(value: str) -> Path:
+    try:
+        path = Path(value).expanduser().resolve()
+        path.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        ignore = path / ".ignore"
+        ignore.touch()
+        ignore.unlink()
+        return path
+    except (FileExistsError, PermissionError) as err:
+        # FileExistsError: value is a file, not a directory
+        # PermissionError: value is not writable
+        raise ArgumentTypeError(f"{value} is not a valid directory: {err}")
+
+
+def parse_args() -> Namespace:
+    # parse CLI for inputs
+    parser = ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument("--config", type=validate_file, required=True)
+    parser.add_argument("--stubs", type=validate_dir, required=True)
+    return parser.parse_args()
+
+
+def read_config(args: Namespace) -> dict:
+    # read and validate configuration file
+    config = yaml.load(
+        args.config.read_text(),
+        Loader=yaml.SafeLoader,
+    )
+    validate(
+        config,
+        schema={
+            "type": "object",
+            "patternProperties": {
+                r"\w+/\w+": {
+                    "type": "array",
+                    "items": {
+                        "type": ["string", "object"],
+                        "minLength": 1,
+                        "properties": {
+                            "src": {"type": "string"},
+                            "dst": {"type": "string"},
+                            "remove": {"type": "boolean"},
+                            "with": {
+                                "type": "object",
+                                "patternProperties": {
+                                    r"\w+": {"type": "string"},
+                                },
+                            },
+                        },
+                    },
+                }
+            },
+        },
+    )
+    return config
+
+
+def parse_config(file: str | dict) -> tuple[str | None, Path, bool, dict[str, Any]]:
+    src: str | None
+    dst: Path
+    remove: bool
+    context: dict[str, Any]
+
+    if isinstance(file, str):
+        src = file
+        dst = Path(file)
+        remove = False
+        context = {}
+    elif isinstance(file, dict):
+        src = file.get("src", None)
+        if (tmp := file.get("dst", src)) is None:
+            perror(f"❌ Invalid file definition ({file}), expected dst")
+            raise ActionError
+        dst = Path(tmp)
+        remove = file.get("remove", False)
+        context = file.get("with", {})
+    else:
+        perror(f"❌ Invalid file definition ({file}), expected str or dict")
+        raise ActionError
+
+    # to template a file we need a source file
+    if not remove and src is None:
+        perror(f"❌ Invalid file definition ({file}), expected src")
+        raise ActionError
+
+    return src, dst, remove, context
+
+
+def iterate_config(
+    config: dict,
+    gh: Github,
+    env: Environment,
+    current_repo: Repository,
+) -> int:
+    # iterate over configuration and template files
+    errors = 0
+    for upstream_name, files in config.items():
+        try:
+            upstream_repo = gh.get_repo(upstream_name)
+        except UnknownObjectException as err:
+            perror(f"❌ Failed to fetch {upstream_name}: {err}")
+            errors += 1
+            continue
+
+        for file in files:
+            try:
+                # parse/standardize configuration
+                src, dst, remove, context = parse_config(file)
+            except ActionError:
+                errors += 1
+                continue
+
+            # remove dst file
+            if remove:
+                try:
+                    dst.unlink()
+                except FileNotFoundError:
+                    # FileNotFoundError: dst does not exist
+                    print(f"⚠️ {dst} has already been removed")
+                except PermissionError as err:
+                    # PermissionError: not possible to remove dst
+                    perror(f"❌ Failed to remove {dst}: {err}")
+                    errors += 1
+                    continue
+                else:
+                    print(f"✅ Removed {dst}")
+            else:
+                # fetch src file
+                try:
+                    content = upstream_repo.get_contents(src).decoded_content.decode()
+                except UnknownObjectException as err:
+                    perror(f"❌ Failed to fetch {src} from {upstream_name}: {err}")
+                    errors += 1
+                    continue
+                else:
+                    # inject stuff about the source and destination
+                    context.update({
+                        # the current repository from which this GHA is being run,
+                        # where the new files will be written
+                        "repo": current_repo,
+                        "dst": current_repo,
+                        "destination": current_repo,
+                        "current": current_repo,
+                        # source (should be rarely, if ever, used in templating)
+                        "src": upstream_repo,
+                        "source": upstream_repo,
+                    })
+
+                    template = env.from_string(content)
+                    dst.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+                    dst.write_text(template.render(**context))
+
+                    print(f"✅ Templated {upstream_name}/{src} as {dst}")
+
+    return errors
+
+
+def main():
+    errors = 0
+
+    args = parse_args()
+    if not args.config:
+        print("⚠️ No configuration file found, nothing to update")
+        sys.exit(0)
+
+    config = read_config(args)
+
+    # initialize Jinja environment and GitHub client
+    env = Environment(
+        loader=FileSystemLoader(args.stubs),
+        # {{ }} is used in MermaidJS
+        # ${{ }} is used in GitHub Actions
+        # { } is used in Python
+        # %( )s is used in Python
+        block_start_string="[%",
+        block_end_string="%]",
+        variable_start_string="[[",
+        variable_end_string="]]",
+        comment_start_string="[#",
+        comment_end_string="#]",
+        keep_trailing_newline=True,
+    )
+    gh = Github(auth=Auth.Token(os.environ["GITHUB_TOKEN"]))
+
+    # get current repository
+    current_name = os.environ["GITHUB_REPOSITORY"]
+    try:
+        current_repo = gh.get_repo(current_name)
+    except UnknownObjectException as err:
+        perror(f"❌ Failed to fetch {current_name}: {err}")
+        errors += 1
+
+    if not errors:
+        errors += iterate_config(config, gh, env, current_repo)
+
+    if errors:
+        perror(f"Got {errors} error(s)")
+    sys.exit(errors)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/template-files/action.yml b/template-files/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2cc91c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/template-files/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+name: Template Files
+description: Template (or copy) files from other repositories and commits them to the specified PR.
+author: Anaconda Inc.
+branding:
+  icon: book-open
+  color: green
+
+inputs:
+  config:
+    description: Configuration path defining what files to template/copy.
+    default: .github/template-files/config.yml
+  stubs:
+    description: >-
+      Path to where stub files are located in the current repository.
+    default: .github/template-files/templates/
+  token:
+    description: >-
+      A token with ability to comment, label, and modify the commit status
+      (`pull_request: write` and `statuses: write` for fine-grained PAT; `repo` for classic PAT)
+    default: ${{ github.token }}
+
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    - uses: actions/cache@0c45773b623bea8c8e75f6c82b208c3cf94ea4f9 # v4.0.2
+      with:
+        path: ~/.cache/pip
+        # invalidate the cache anytime a workflow changes
+        key: ${{ hashFiles('.github/workflows/*') }}
+
+    - uses: actions/setup-python@82c7e631bb3cdc910f68e0081d67478d79c6982d # v5.1.0
+      with:
+        python-version: '3.11'
+
+    - name: install dependencies
+      shell: bash
+      run: pip install --quiet -r ${{ github.action_path }}/requirements.txt
+
+    - name: sync & template files
+      shell: bash
+      run: python ${{ github.action_path }}/action.py --config ${{ inputs.config }} --stubs ${{ inputs.stubs }}
+      env:
+        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
diff --git a/template-files/requirements.txt b/template-files/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ecf0cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/template-files/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+jinja2
+jsonschema
+pygithub
+pyyaml
+rich