diff --git a/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/BaseTemplateParametersStep.tsx b/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/BaseTemplateParametersStep.tsx
index ba96f4ed4d..3b0e63f0e9 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/BaseTemplateParametersStep.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/BaseTemplateParametersStep.tsx
@@ -109,7 +109,11 @@ export const BaseTemplateParametersStep: FC<
 	};
 
 	const fields: ConfigurationFieldDefinition[] = variables.map((v) =>
-		variableToField(v, values[v.name] ?? "", handleChange),
+		variableToField(
+			v,
+			values[v.name] ?? defaultPlaceholder(v.default) ?? "",
+			handleChange,
+		),
 	);
 
 	return (
diff --git a/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/ModuleSettingsStep.tsx b/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/ModuleSettingsStep.tsx
index c801ab684a..538b754ed9 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/ModuleSettingsStep.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/ModuleSettingsStep.tsx
@@ -135,8 +135,11 @@ export const ModuleSettingsStep: FC<ModuleSettingsStepProps> = ({
 					const vars = moduleVariables[mod.id] ?? {};
 
 					const toField = (v: TemplateBuilderModuleVariable) =>
-						variableToField(mod.id, v, vars[v.name] ?? "", (name, val) =>
-							handleChange(mod.id, name, val),
+						variableToField(
+							mod.id,
+							v,
+							vars[v.name] ?? defaultPlaceholder(v.default) ?? "",
+							(name, val) => handleChange(mod.id, name, val),
 						);
 
 					const requiredVars = configurableVars.filter((v) => v.required);