Reaction templates were extracted as SMIRKS patterns using RDChiral, which we modified to consider an additional ca. 70 commonly occurring functional and protecting groups as determined by an analysis of the underlying datasets and extended to commonly used protecting groups in the wider literature. These are automatically identified through a substructure search of the encoded protecting groups and included in the templates alongside the reaction center and first degree nearest neighbor atoms. The reaction center is defined as atoms and bonds that change during the reaction.