How-To: Proposal Editor & Content Library

How the Proposal Editor is Structured

The proposal editor opens when you click Create Proposal from an RFP results page, or from Proposals in the main navigation. It has three panels:

ExcelaDoc auto-generates a section structure from the RFP. You can add, rename, or remove sections as needed.

The Editor Toolbar

The toolbar above the editor combines standard formatting tools with AI writing tools, scoped to the section you currently have open. Each tool applies to your text selection, the current paragraph, your cursor position, or the whole open section, as noted below.

The # column below numbers each button left to right in the toolbar (the small vertical dividers mark the start of a new group) so you can match a button in the screenshot to its row in the tables.

AI Writing Tools

These tools apply to the section you currently have open. They continue the numbering from the toolbar above (buttons 15–20) and only appear if your workspace has AI features enabled.

The Action Bar

Above the formatting toolbar, the action bar provides tools that work on the whole open section rather than a text selection:

How to Generate AI Drafts

ExcelaDoc can draft proposal content for you using your Content Library, either for the whole proposal at once or one section at a time.

Generate a first draft for the whole proposal

1. Open the proposal in the editor.
2. Click the menu (⋮) in the top header and select Generate First Draft.
3. In the panel that opens, choose which sections to include and configure your generation settings, then click Generate Draft.
4. ExcelaDoc pulls relevant content from your library and populates the selected sections.
5. Review and edit each section as needed — all generated content is fully editable.

Generate content for a single section

1. Click the section in the Outline panel.
2. In the action bar above the editor, click AI Suggest.
3. Click Generate Suggestions. ExcelaDoc drafts content using your library.
4. Accept, edit, or discard the suggestion.

How to Insert Content from the Library

To add an existing library item to a section as-is — without AI rewriting it — insert it directly from the Content Library.

1. Click the section in the Outline panel and place your cursor where you want the content.
2. Click Find Content in the action bar, or the Insert from Library icon in the formatting toolbar.
3. Search for the item you want in the Insert from Content Library dialog.
4. Select it and click Insert. Its content is added at your cursor.

To add new items to your library, edit existing ones, or import content from a past proposal, see How-To: Content Library.

How to Collaborate with Teammates

Multiple users in your organization can work on the same proposal simultaneously.

Add Someone to the Proposal Team

Only people who have been added to a proposal's team can be assigned to its sections. Add teammates to the proposal team once, and they'll be available in the Assign list for every section.

1. Go to Proposals in the main navigation.
2. Click the ⋮ menu on the right side of the proposal's row and select Team & Progress.
3. On the Team & Progress page, click Manage in Settings in the top right.
4. In the Proposal Settings dialog, open the Team tab.
5. Under Add Team Member, select a teammate and a role (Owner or Contributor), then click the + button.
6. Click Save Changes.

Assigning a section

1. In the left Outline panel, click the section name.
2. Click the Assign button in the upper right.
3. Select a teammate from your organization. They receive an in-app and email notification.

Commenting

1. In the right Context panel, click the Comments tab.
2. Type your comment. Type @ to mention a teammate by name.
3. Click Send (arrow icon).
4. Teammates can reply inline. Click Resolve to mark a comment as addressed.

How to Export Your Draft

1. Click Export in the top right of the editor.
2. Choose your format: Word (.docx) or PDF.
3. The file downloads to your computer.

Proposal Settings

Each proposal has its own settings, separate from your organization profile. To open them, go to Proposals, click the ⋮ menu next to a proposal, select Team & Progress, then click Manage in Settings. The Proposal Settings dialog has seven tabs.

General

Core details for this proposal: Title, Description, Client Name, Deadline, Contract Type, Project Value, and Win Probability. These details populate the cover page on export and appear throughout Analytics.

Win Themes

Win themes are the key messages that explain why your organization is the best choice for this opportunity. Add 3-5 win themes here, and ExcelaDoc weaves them into AI-generated content throughout this proposal.

AI Context

Proposal-specific writing guidance that supplements your organization's AI Writing Preferences:

Page Layout

Controls the physical layout of the exported document: Page Size, Orientation (Portrait or Landscape), Margins (top, bottom, left, and right), and Header and Footer text for the left, center, and right positions. Use {page} and {total} placeholders in headers or footers to insert page numbers, e.g. "Page {page} of {total}".

Document Styles

Controls the visual styling of the exported document.

• If the solicitation specifies formatting requirements, ExcelaDoc displays them at the top of this tab. Click Import from RFP to apply them automatically.
• Choose a Preset to quickly apply a coordinated set of styles.
• Customize Headings (font, color, and size for each heading level) and Body text (font, size, and color) individually.
• Adjust Spacing for lines and paragraphs.

Click Apply Styles to save your changes, or Reset to Defaults to discard them.

Export

Configures how this proposal is exported to Word and PDF:

Team

Add and manage who can work on this proposal, and assign a role to each person. See Add Someone to the Proposal Team above for the steps.

Auto-Save and Returning to a Draft

ExcelaDoc saves your work automatically. If you close the browser or step away, your draft is preserved exactly as you left it.

To return to a draft, go to Proposals in the main navigation, find your proposal in the list, and click its title to reopen the editor. Drafts are never deleted automatically.