diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 63453dc37..dbc57cbe9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -28,3 +28,4 @@ Inspired from [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/)
 ### Documentation
 ### Maintenance
 ### Refactoring
+- Improve Template and WorkflowState builders ([#778](https://github.com/opensearch-project/flow-framework/pull/778))
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandler.java
index 8fcfd1207..18f0a9780 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandler.java
@@ -357,7 +357,8 @@ public void initializeConfigIndex(ActionListener<Boolean> listener) {
      * @param listener action listener
      */
     public void putInitialStateToWorkflowState(String workflowId, User user, ActionListener<IndexResponse> listener) {
-        WorkflowState state = new WorkflowState.Builder().workflowId(workflowId)
+        WorkflowState state = WorkflowState.builder()
+            .workflowId(workflowId)
             .state(State.NOT_STARTED.name())
             .provisioningProgress(ProvisioningProgress.NOT_STARTED.name())
             .user(user)
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/Template.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/Template.java
index a99b87c4b..f4d2ae600 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/Template.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/Template.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 import org.opensearch.core.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 import org.opensearch.core.xcontent.XContentParser;
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.exception.FlowFrameworkException;
-import org.opensearch.flowframework.model.Template.Builder;
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.util.ParseUtils;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -137,13 +136,13 @@ public static class Builder {
         /**
          * Empty Constructor for the Builder object
          */
-        public Builder() {}
+        private Builder() {}
 
         /**
          * Construct a Builder from an existing template
          * @param t The existing template to copy
          */
-        public Builder(Template t) {
+        private Builder(Template t) {
             this.name = t.name();
             this.description = t.description();
             this.useCase = t.useCase();
@@ -294,6 +293,23 @@ public Template build() {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Instantiate a new Template builder
+     * @return a new builder instance
+     */
+    public static Builder builder() {
+        return new Builder();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Instantiate a new Template builder initialized from an existing template
+     * @param t The existing template to use as the source
+     * @return a new builder instance initialized from the existing template
+     */
+    public static Builder builder(Template t) {
+        return new Builder(t);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public XContentBuilder toXContent(XContentBuilder builder, Params params) throws IOException {
         XContentBuilder xContentBuilder = builder.startObject();
@@ -352,7 +368,7 @@ public XContentBuilder toXContent(XContentBuilder builder, Params params) throws
      * @return the updated template.
      */
     public static Template updateExistingTemplate(Template existingTemplate, Template templateWithNewFields) {
-        Builder builder = new Template.Builder(existingTemplate).lastUpdatedTime(Instant.now());
+        Builder builder = Template.builder(existingTemplate).lastUpdatedTime(Instant.now());
         if (templateWithNewFields.name() != null) {
             builder.name(templateWithNewFields.name());
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/WorkflowState.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/WorkflowState.java
index 6b1593b6e..6a4b81a55 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/WorkflowState.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/WorkflowState.java
@@ -126,6 +126,15 @@ public static Builder builder() {
         return new Builder();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Constructs a builder object for workflowState from an existing state
+     * @param existingState a WorkflowState object to initialize the builder with
+     * @return Builder Object initialized with existing state
+     */
+    public static Builder builder(WorkflowState existingState) {
+        return new Builder(existingState);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Class for constructing a Builder for WorkflowState
      */
@@ -143,7 +152,23 @@ public static class Builder {
         /**
          * Empty Constructor for the Builder object
          */
-        public Builder() {}
+        private Builder() {}
+
+        /**
+         * Builder from existing state
+         * @param existingState a WorkflowState object to initialize the builder with
+         */
+        private Builder(WorkflowState existingState) {
+            this.workflowId = existingState.getWorkflowId();
+            this.error = existingState.getError();
+            this.state = existingState.getState();
+            this.provisioningProgress = existingState.getProvisioningProgress();
+            this.provisionStartTime = existingState.getProvisionStartTime();
+            this.provisionEndTime = existingState.getProvisionEndTime();
+            this.user = existingState.getUser();
+            this.userOutputs = existingState.userOutputs();
+            this.resourcesCreated = existingState.resourcesCreated();
+        }
 
         /**
          * Builder method for adding workflowID
@@ -254,6 +279,44 @@ public WorkflowState build() {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Merges two workflow states by updating the fields from an existing state with the (non-null) fields of another one.
+     * @param existingState An existing Workflow state.
+     * @param stateWithNewFields A workflow state containing only fields to update.
+     * @return the updated workflow state.
+     */
+    public static WorkflowState updateExistingWorkflowState(WorkflowState existingState, WorkflowState stateWithNewFields) {
+        Builder builder = WorkflowState.builder(existingState);
+        if (stateWithNewFields.getWorkflowId() != null) {
+            builder.workflowId(stateWithNewFields.getWorkflowId());
+        }
+        if (stateWithNewFields.getError() != null) {
+            builder.error(stateWithNewFields.getError());
+        }
+        if (stateWithNewFields.getState() != null) {
+            builder.state(stateWithNewFields.getState());
+        }
+        if (stateWithNewFields.getProvisioningProgress() != null) {
+            builder.provisioningProgress(stateWithNewFields.getProvisioningProgress());
+        }
+        if (stateWithNewFields.getProvisionStartTime() != null) {
+            builder.provisionStartTime(stateWithNewFields.getProvisionStartTime());
+        }
+        if (stateWithNewFields.getProvisionEndTime() != null) {
+            builder.provisionEndTime(stateWithNewFields.getProvisionEndTime());
+        }
+        if (stateWithNewFields.getUser() != null) {
+            builder.user(stateWithNewFields.getUser());
+        }
+        if (stateWithNewFields.userOutputs() != null) {
+            builder.userOutputs(stateWithNewFields.userOutputs());
+        }
+        if (stateWithNewFields.resourcesCreated() != null) {
+            builder.resourcesCreated(stateWithNewFields.resourcesCreated());
+        }
+        return builder.build();
+    }
+
     @Override
     public XContentBuilder toXContent(XContentBuilder builder, Params params) throws IOException {
         XContentBuilder xContentBuilder = builder.startObject();
@@ -492,7 +555,7 @@ public Map<String, Object> userOutputs() {
     }
 
     /**
-     * A map of all the resources created
+     * A list of all the resources created
      * @return the resources created
      */
     public List<ResourceCreated> resourcesCreated() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/CreateWorkflowTransportAction.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/CreateWorkflowTransportAction.java
index 0732fc106..930feef90 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/CreateWorkflowTransportAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/CreateWorkflowTransportAction.java
@@ -243,7 +243,8 @@ protected void doExecute(Task task, WorkflowRequest request, ActionListener<Work
                         Template existingTemplate = Template.parse(getResponse.getSourceAsString());
                         Template template = isFieldUpdate
                             ? Template.updateExistingTemplate(existingTemplate, templateWithUser)
-                            : new Template.Builder(templateWithUser).createdTime(existingTemplate.createdTime())
+                            : Template.builder(templateWithUser)
+                                .createdTime(existingTemplate.createdTime())
                                 .lastUpdatedTime(Instant.now())
                                 .lastProvisionedTime(existingTemplate.lastProvisionedTime())
                                 .build();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/GetWorkflowStateResponse.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/GetWorkflowStateResponse.java
index 6f8b9e14b..517126c2b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/GetWorkflowStateResponse.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/GetWorkflowStateResponse.java
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ public GetWorkflowStateResponse(WorkflowState workflowState, boolean allStatus)
         if (allStatus) {
             this.workflowState = workflowState;
         } else {
-            this.workflowState = new WorkflowState.Builder().workflowId(workflowState.getWorkflowId())
+            this.workflowState = WorkflowState.builder()
+                .workflowId(workflowState.getWorkflowId())
                 .error(workflowState.getError())
                 .state(workflowState.getState())
                 .resourcesCreated(workflowState.resourcesCreated())
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportAction.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportAction.java
index b1a4cc5da..44eb07df4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportAction.java
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ protected void doExecute(Task task, WorkflowRequest request, ActionListener<Work
                                 logger.info("updated workflow {} state to {}", request.getWorkflowId(), State.PROVISIONING);
                                 executeWorkflowAsync(workflowId, provisionProcessSequence, listener);
                                 // update last provisioned field in template
-                                Template newTemplate = new Template.Builder(template).lastProvisionedTime(Instant.now()).build();
+                                Template newTemplate = Template.builder(template).lastProvisionedTime(Instant.now()).build();
                                 flowFrameworkIndicesHandler.updateTemplateInGlobalContext(
                                     request.getWorkflowId(),
                                     newTemplate,
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/util/EncryptorUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/util/EncryptorUtils.java
index 3ba26a386..02daeaff0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/util/EncryptorUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/util/EncryptorUtils.java
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ private Template processTemplateCredentials(Template template, Function<String,
             processedWorkflows.put(entry.getKey(), new Workflow(entry.getValue().userParams(), processedNodes, entry.getValue().edges()));
         }
 
-        return new Template.Builder(template).workflows(processedWorkflows).build();
+        return Template.builder(template).workflows(processedWorkflows).build();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -240,10 +240,10 @@ public Template redactTemplateSecuredFields(User user, Template template) {
         }
 
         if (ParseUtils.isAdmin(user)) {
-            return new Template.Builder(template).workflows(processedWorkflows).build();
+            return Template.builder(template).workflows(processedWorkflows).build();
         }
 
-        return new Template.Builder(template).user(null).workflows(processedWorkflows).build();
+        return Template.builder(template).user(null).workflows(processedWorkflows).build();
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/TemplateTests.java b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/TemplateTests.java
index 0ce66c2de..d8550682b 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/TemplateTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/TemplateTests.java
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public void testUpdateExistingTemplate() {
             now,
             null
         );
-        Template updated = new Template.Builder().name("name two").description("description two").useCase("use case two").build();
+        Template updated = Template.builder().name("name two").description("description two").useCase("use case two").build();
         Template merged = Template.updateExistingTemplate(original, updated);
         assertEquals("name two", merged.name());
         assertEquals("description two", merged.description());
@@ -128,7 +128,8 @@ public void testUpdateExistingTemplate() {
         assertEquals("1.1.1", merged.compatibilityVersion().get(1).toString());
         assertEquals("one", merged.getUiMetadata().get("uiMetadata"));
 
-        updated = new Template.Builder().templateVersion(Version.fromString("2.2.2"))
+        updated = Template.builder()
+            .templateVersion(Version.fromString("2.2.2"))
             .compatibilityVersion(List.of(Version.fromString("2.2.2"), Version.fromString("2.2.2")))
             .uiMetadata(Map.of("uiMetadata", "two"))
             .build();
@@ -164,4 +165,23 @@ public void testStrings() throws IOException {
         assertTrue(t.toYaml().contains("a test template"));
         assertTrue(t.toString().contains("a test template"));
     }
+
+    public void testNullToEmptyString() throws IOException {
+        Template t = Template.parse("{\"name\":\"test\"}");
+        assertEquals("test", t.name());
+        assertEquals("", t.description());
+        assertEquals("", t.useCase());
+
+        XContentParser parser = JsonXContent.jsonXContent.createParser(
+            NamedXContentRegistry.EMPTY,
+            DeprecationHandler.IGNORE_DEPRECATIONS,
+            "{\"name\":\"test\"}"
+        );
+        ensureExpectedToken(XContentParser.Token.START_OBJECT, parser.nextToken(), parser);
+        t = Template.parse(parser, true);
+        String json = t.toJson();
+        assertTrue(json.contains("\"name\":\"test\""));
+        assertTrue(json.contains("\"description\":\"\""));
+        assertTrue(json.contains("\"use_case\":\"\""));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/WorkflowStateTests.java b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/WorkflowStateTests.java
index 04c3655d3..ca7873036 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/WorkflowStateTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/model/WorkflowStateTests.java
@@ -90,4 +90,77 @@ public void testWorkflowState() throws IOException {
         }
     }
 
+    public void testWorkflowStateUpdate() {
+        // Time travel to guarantee update increments
+        Instant now = Instant.now().minusMillis(100);
+
+        WorkflowState wfs = WorkflowState.builder()
+            .workflowId("1")
+            .error("error one")
+            .state("state one")
+            .provisioningProgress("progress one")
+            .provisionStartTime(now)
+            .provisionEndTime(now)
+            .user(new User("one", Collections.emptyList(), Collections.emptyList(), Collections.emptyList()))
+            .userOutputs(Map.of("output", "one"))
+            .resourcesCreated(List.of(new ResourceCreated("", "", "", "id one")))
+            .build();
+
+        assertEquals("1", wfs.getWorkflowId());
+        assertEquals("error one", wfs.getError());
+        assertEquals("state one", wfs.getState());
+        assertEquals("progress one", wfs.getProvisioningProgress());
+        assertEquals(now, wfs.getProvisionStartTime());
+        assertEquals(now, wfs.getProvisionEndTime());
+        assertEquals("one", wfs.getUser().getName());
+        assertEquals(1, wfs.userOutputs().size());
+        assertEquals("one", wfs.userOutputs().get("output"));
+        assertEquals(1, wfs.resourcesCreated().size());
+        ResourceCreated rc = wfs.resourcesCreated().get(0);
+        assertEquals("id one", rc.resourceId());
+
+        WorkflowState update = WorkflowState.builder()
+            .workflowId("2")
+            .error("error two")
+            .state("state two")
+            .provisioningProgress("progress two")
+            .user(new User("two", Collections.emptyList(), Collections.emptyList(), Collections.emptyList()))
+            .build();
+
+        wfs = WorkflowState.updateExistingWorkflowState(wfs, update);
+        assertEquals("2", wfs.getWorkflowId());
+        assertEquals("error two", wfs.getError());
+        assertEquals("state two", wfs.getState());
+        assertEquals("progress two", wfs.getProvisioningProgress());
+        assertEquals(now, wfs.getProvisionStartTime());
+        assertEquals(now, wfs.getProvisionEndTime());
+        assertEquals("two", wfs.getUser().getName());
+        assertEquals(1, wfs.userOutputs().size());
+        assertEquals("one", wfs.userOutputs().get("output"));
+        assertEquals(1, wfs.resourcesCreated().size());
+        rc = wfs.resourcesCreated().get(0);
+        assertEquals("id one", rc.resourceId());
+
+        now = Instant.now().minusMillis(100);
+        update = WorkflowState.builder()
+            .provisionStartTime(now)
+            .provisionEndTime(now)
+            .userOutputs(Map.of("output", "two"))
+            .resourcesCreated(List.of(wfs.resourcesCreated().get(0), new ResourceCreated("", "", "", "id two")))
+            .build();
+
+        wfs = WorkflowState.updateExistingWorkflowState(wfs, update);
+        assertEquals("2", wfs.getWorkflowId());
+        assertEquals("error two", wfs.getError());
+        assertEquals("state two", wfs.getState());
+        assertEquals("progress two", wfs.getProvisioningProgress());
+        assertEquals(now, wfs.getProvisionStartTime());
+        assertEquals(now, wfs.getProvisionEndTime());
+        assertEquals("two", wfs.getUser().getName());
+        assertEquals(1, wfs.userOutputs().size());
+        assertEquals("two", wfs.userOutputs().get("output"));
+        assertEquals(2, wfs.resourcesCreated().size());
+        rc = wfs.resourcesCreated().get(1);
+        assertEquals("id two", rc.resourceId());
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/rest/FlowFrameworkRestApiIT.java b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/rest/FlowFrameworkRestApiIT.java
index 21a4935fe..6a454dc75 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/rest/FlowFrameworkRestApiIT.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/rest/FlowFrameworkRestApiIT.java
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ public void testCreateAndProvisionLocalModelWorkflow() throws Exception {
             )
             .collect(Collectors.toList());
         Workflow missingInputs = new Workflow(originalWorkflow.userParams(), modifiednodes, originalWorkflow.edges());
-        Template templateWithMissingInputs = new Template.Builder(template).workflows(Map.of(PROVISION_WORKFLOW, missingInputs)).build();
+        Template templateWithMissingInputs = Template.builder(template).workflows(Map.of(PROVISION_WORKFLOW, missingInputs)).build();
 
         // Hit Create Workflow API with invalid template
         Response response = createWorkflow(client(), templateWithMissingInputs);
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ public void testCreateAndProvisionCyclicalTemplate() throws Exception {
             List.of(new WorkflowEdge("workflow_step_2", "workflow_step_3"), new WorkflowEdge("workflow_step_3", "workflow_step_2"))
         );
 
-        Template cyclicalTemplate = new Template.Builder(template).workflows(Map.of(PROVISION_WORKFLOW, cyclicalWorkflow)).build();
+        Template cyclicalTemplate = Template.builder(template).workflows(Map.of(PROVISION_WORKFLOW, cyclicalWorkflow)).build();
 
         // Hit dry run
         ResponseException exception = expectThrows(ResponseException.class, () -> createWorkflowValidation(client(), cyclicalTemplate));
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/CreateWorkflowTransportActionTests.java b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/CreateWorkflowTransportActionTests.java
index 776ce1460..265d1d52d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/CreateWorkflowTransportActionTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/CreateWorkflowTransportActionTests.java
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ public void testUpdateWorkflow() {
             ActionListener<GetResponse> getListener = invocation.getArgument(1);
             GetResponse getResponse = mock(GetResponse.class);
             when(getResponse.isExists()).thenReturn(true);
-            when(getResponse.getSourceAsString()).thenReturn(new Template.Builder().name("test").build().toJson());
+            when(getResponse.getSourceAsString()).thenReturn(Template.builder().name("test").build().toJson());
             getListener.onResponse(getResponse);
             return null;
         }).when(client).get(any(GetRequest.class), any());
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ public void testUpdateWorkflowWithField() {
         ActionListener<WorkflowResponse> listener = mock(ActionListener.class);
         WorkflowRequest updateWorkflow = new WorkflowRequest(
             "1",
-            new Template.Builder().name("new name").description("test").useCase(null).uiMetadata(Map.of("foo", "bar")).build(),
+            Template.builder().name("new name").description("test").useCase(null).uiMetadata(Map.of("foo", "bar")).build(),
             Map.of(UPDATE_WORKFLOW_FIELDS, "true")
         );
 
@@ -463,7 +463,8 @@ public void testUpdateWorkflowWithField() {
 
         updateWorkflow = new WorkflowRequest(
             "1",
-            new Template.Builder().useCase("foo")
+            Template.builder()
+                .useCase("foo")
                 .templateVersion(Version.CURRENT)
                 .compatibilityVersion(List.of(Version.V_2_0_0, Version.CURRENT))
                 .build(),