diff --git a/glass-easel/src/behavior.ts b/glass-easel/src/behavior.ts
index 74a010a..04944be 100644
--- a/glass-easel/src/behavior.ts
+++ b/glass-easel/src/behavior.ts
@@ -1605,6 +1605,10 @@ export class Behavior<
     return this._$template
   }
 
+  _$updateTemplate(template: { [key: string]: unknown }) {
+    this._$template = template
+  }
+
   /** Check whether the `other` behavior is a dependent behavior of this behavior */
   hasBehavior(other: string | GeneralBehavior): boolean {
     if (this._$unprepared) this.prepare()
diff --git a/glass-easel/src/component.ts b/glass-easel/src/component.ts
index e5e95a0..e9f8a92 100644
--- a/glass-easel/src/component.ts
+++ b/glass-easel/src/component.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ import {
   getDeepCopyStrategy,
 } from './data_proxy'
 import { Relation, generateRelationDefinitionGroup, RelationDefinitionGroup } from './relation'
-import { Template, TemplateEngine } from './template_engine'
+import { Template, TemplateEngine, TemplateInstance } from './template_engine'
 import { ClassList } from './class_list'
 import { GeneralBackendContext, GeneralBackendElement } from './node'
 import { DataPath, parseSinglePath, parseMultiPaths } from './data_path'
@@ -251,6 +251,22 @@ export class ComponentDefinition<
     return this.behavior.getComponentDependencies()
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Update the template field
+   *
+   * This method has no effect if the template engine does not support template update.
+   */
+  updateTemplate(template: { [key: string]: unknown }) {
+    this.behavior._$updateTemplate(template)
+    if (this._$detail?.template.updateTemplate) {
+      this._$detail.template.updateTemplate(this.behavior as unknown as GeneralBehavior)
+    } else {
+      triggerWarning(
+        `The template engine of component "${this.is}" does not support template update`,
+      )
+    }
+  }
+
   isPrepared(): boolean {
     return !!this._$detail
   }
@@ -376,6 +392,8 @@ export class Component<
   _$external: boolean
   shadowRoot: ShadowRoot | ExternalShadowRoot
   /** @internal */
+  _$tmplInst: TemplateInstance | undefined
+  /** @internal */
   _$relation: Relation | null
   /** @internal */
   _$idPrefix: string
@@ -751,6 +769,7 @@ export class Component<
     // init template with init data
     if (propEarlyInit && initPropValues !== undefined) initPropValues(comp)
     tmplInst.initValues(dataGroup.innerData || dataGroup.data)
+    comp._$tmplInst = tmplInst
     dataGroup.setUpdateListener(tmplInst.updateValues.bind(tmplInst))
 
     // bind behavior listeners
@@ -936,6 +955,25 @@ export class Component<
     return this.shadowRoot as ShadowRoot
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Apply the template updates to this component instance
+   *
+   * This method has no effect if the template engine does not support template update.
+   */
+  applyTemplateUpdates(): void {
+    if (this._$tmplInst?.updateTemplate) {
+      const dataGroup = this._$dataGroup
+      this._$tmplInst.updateTemplate(
+        this._$definition._$detail!.template,
+        dataGroup.innerData || dataGroup.data,
+      )
+    } else {
+      triggerWarning(
+        `The template engine of component "${this.is}" does not support template update`,
+      )
+    }
+  }
+
   static listProperties<
     TData extends DataList,
     TProperty extends PropertyList,
diff --git a/glass-easel/src/template_engine.ts b/glass-easel/src/template_engine.ts
index 91a5a2d..b961b59 100644
--- a/glass-easel/src/template_engine.ts
+++ b/glass-easel/src/template_engine.ts
@@ -5,17 +5,57 @@ import { DataChange, DataValue } from './data_proxy'
 import { NormalizedComponentOptions } from './global_options'
 import { ExternalShadowRoot } from './external_shadow_tree'
 
+/**
+ * A template engine that handles the template part of a component
+ */
 export interface TemplateEngine {
+  /**
+   * Preprocess a behavior and generate a preprocessed template
+   *
+   * This function is called during component prepare.
+   * The `_$template` field of the behavior is designed to be handled by the template engine,
+   * and should be preprocessed in this function.
+   */
   create(behavior: GeneralBehavior, componentOptions: NormalizedComponentOptions): Template
 }
 
+/**
+ * A preprocessed template
+ */
 export interface Template {
+  /**
+   * Create a template instance for a component instance
+   */
   createInstance(elem: GeneralComponentInstance): TemplateInstance
+
+  /**
+   * Update the content of the template (optional)
+   *
+   * Implement this function if template update is needed (usually used during development).
+   * The behavior is always the object which used when creation.
+   */
+  updateTemplate?(behavior: GeneralBehavior): void
 }
 
+/**
+ * A template instance that works with a component instance
+ */
 export interface TemplateInstance {
+  /**
+   * The shadow root of the component
+   *
+   * This field should not be changed.
+   */
   shadowRoot: ShadowRoot | ExternalShadowRoot
 
+  /**
+   * Apply the updated template content (optional)
+   *
+   * Implement this function if template update is needed (usually used during development).
+   * The template is always the object which used when creation.
+   */
+  updateTemplate?(template: Template, data: DataValue): void
+
   initValues(data: DataValue): void
 
   updateValues(data: DataValue, changes: DataChange[]): void
diff --git a/glass-easel/src/tmpl/index.ts b/glass-easel/src/tmpl/index.ts
index 35155eb..d3f5311 100644
--- a/glass-easel/src/tmpl/index.ts
+++ b/glass-easel/src/tmpl/index.ts
@@ -60,18 +60,28 @@ export class GlassEaselTemplateEngine implements templateEngine.TemplateEngine {
 }
 
 class GlassEaselTemplate implements templateEngine.Template {
-  genObjectGroupEnv: ProcGenEnv
-  updateMode: string
-  disallowNativeNode: boolean
+  genObjectGroupEnv!: ProcGenEnv
+  updateMode!: string
+  disallowNativeNode!: boolean
   eventObjectFilter?: (x: ShadowedEvent<unknown>) => ShadowedEvent<unknown>
 
   constructor(behavior: GeneralBehavior) {
-    if (typeof behavior._$template !== 'object' && behavior._$template !== undefined) {
+    this.updateTemplate(behavior)
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Update the underlying template content
+   *
+   * This method does not affect created instances.
+   */
+  updateTemplate(behavior: GeneralBehavior) {
+    const template = behavior._$template
+    if (typeof template !== 'object' && template !== undefined) {
       throw new Error(
         `Component template of ${behavior.is} must be a valid compiled template (or "null" for default template).`,
       )
     }
-    const c = (behavior._$template as ComponentTemplate | null | undefined) || {
+    const c = (template as ComponentTemplate | null | undefined) || {
       content: DEFAULT_PROC_GEN_GROUP,
     }
     this.genObjectGroupEnv = {
@@ -89,15 +99,26 @@ class GlassEaselTemplate implements templateEngine.Template {
 }
 
 class GlassEaselTemplateInstance implements templateEngine.TemplateInstance {
-  template: GlassEaselTemplate
   comp: GeneralComponent
   shadowRoot: ShadowRoot
-  procGenWrapper: ProcGenWrapper
+  procGenWrapper!: ProcGenWrapper
+  forceBindingMapUpdate!: BindingMapUpdateEnabled
   bindingMapGen: { [field: string]: BindingMapGen[] } | undefined
-  forceBindingMapUpdate: BindingMapUpdateEnabled
 
   constructor(template: GlassEaselTemplate, comp: GeneralComponent) {
-    this.template = template
+    this.comp = comp
+    this.shadowRoot = ShadowRoot.createShadowRoot(comp)
+    this.shadowRoot.destroyBackendElementOnDetach()
+    this._$applyTemplate(template)
+  }
+
+  updateTemplate(template: GlassEaselTemplate, data: DataValue) {
+    this._$applyTemplate(template)
+    this.shadowRoot.removeChildren(0, this.shadowRoot.childNodes.length)
+    this.bindingMapGen = this.procGenWrapper.create(data)
+  }
+
+  private _$applyTemplate(template: GlassEaselTemplate) {
     const procGen = template.genObjectGroupEnv.group('') || DEFAULT_PROC_GEN_GROUP('')
     if (template.updateMode === 'bindingMap') {
       this.forceBindingMapUpdate = BindingMapUpdateEnabled.Forced
@@ -106,15 +127,13 @@ class GlassEaselTemplateInstance implements templateEngine.TemplateInstance {
     } else {
       this.forceBindingMapUpdate = BindingMapUpdateEnabled.Enabled
     }
-    this.comp = comp
-    this.shadowRoot = ShadowRoot.createShadowRoot(comp)
-    this.shadowRoot.destroyBackendElementOnDetach()
     this.procGenWrapper = new ProcGenWrapper(
       this.shadowRoot,
       procGen,
       template.disallowNativeNode,
       template.eventObjectFilter,
     )
+    this.bindingMapGen = undefined
   }
 
   initValues(data: DataValue): ShadowRoot | ExternalShadowRoot {
diff --git a/glass-easel/tests/core/misc.test.ts b/glass-easel/tests/core/misc.test.ts
index 8aab4f6..3b31e5c 100644
--- a/glass-easel/tests/core/misc.test.ts
+++ b/glass-easel/tests/core/misc.test.ts
@@ -359,6 +359,36 @@ describe('component utils', () => {
     expect(elem.getShadowRoot()!.childNodes[0]).toBeInstanceOf(glassEasel.Component)
   })
 
+  test('template content update', () => {
+    const compDef = componentSpace
+      .define()
+      .template(tmpl('ABC-{{num}}'))
+      .data(() => ({
+        num: 123,
+      }))
+      .registerComponent()
+    const elem = glassEasel.createElement('root', compDef.general())
+    glassEasel.Element.pretendAttached(elem)
+    const shadowRoot = elem.getShadowRoot()!
+    expect(shadowRoot.childNodes[0]!.asTextNode()!.textContent).toBe('ABC-123')
+    elem.setData({ num: 456 })
+    expect(shadowRoot.childNodes[0]!.asTextNode()!.textContent).toBe('ABC-456')
+
+    compDef.updateTemplate(tmpl('DEF-{{num}}'))
+    expect(shadowRoot.childNodes[0]!.asTextNode()!.textContent).toBe('ABC-456')
+    const elem2 = glassEasel.createElement('root', compDef.general())
+    const shadowRoot2 = elem2.getShadowRoot()!
+    expect(shadowRoot2.childNodes[0]!.asTextNode()!.textContent).toBe('DEF-123')
+
+    elem.applyTemplateUpdates()
+    expect(shadowRoot.childNodes[0]!.asTextNode()!.textContent).toBe('DEF-456')
+    elem.setData({ num: 789 })
+    expect(shadowRoot.childNodes[0]!.asTextNode()!.textContent).toBe('DEF-789')
+
+    elem2.applyTemplateUpdates()
+    expect(shadowRoot2.childNodes[0]!.asTextNode()!.textContent).toBe('DEF-123')
+  })
+
   test('property dash name conversion', () => {
     const childComp = componentSpace
       .define()