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build recipe

Draft documents from a template

Teach Claude your format once in Claude Desktop, then generate consistent, on-brand documents from it again and again.

easy ~15 min

you'll end up with A reusable template Claude fills in correctly every time, so your docs stay consistent.

The steps

  1. Open your example in Claude Desktop

    Find one document you're happy with — a proposal, a brief, a contract — put it in a folder, open that folder in the Claude Desktop app, and let Claude study its structure.

    paste this to Claude
    Here's a proposal I like. Study its structure, tone, and sections so you can produce more in the same style.

  2. Have it extract the template

    Ask Claude to turn that example into a reusable skeleton with clearly-marked blanks. Review the new template file in the diff and accept it.

    paste this to Claude
    Pull this into a reusable template with placeholders for the parts that change — client name, scope, price, timeline. Save it as proposal-template.md.

  3. Generate a new one

    Now feed Claude the specifics for a new document in the chat and let it fill the template in — then review the draft in the file pane.

    paste this to Claude
    Using proposal-template.md, write a proposal for Acme Co — a 6-week website redesign, $12k, starting in March.

  4. Make it a one-instruction command

    Save the whole process as a skill so future documents are a single instruction away — in the Desktop chat or the terminal.

    paste this to Claude
    Save this as a skill called 'proposal' so next time I can just say 'write a proposal for [client], [scope], [price]' and you handle the rest.
tips & best practices
  • Give Claude a real document you're proud of — a good example teaches the format faster than a description.
  • Use clearly-marked [placeholders] for the parts that change, so nothing important gets missed.
  • Read the first generated draft closely in the file pane; once the template is right, later ones need only a glance.
  • Save it as a skill when the format is locked, so future drafts are a single instruction.

Questions people ask

Do I need to install anything?
Just the Claude Desktop app. Put one document you're happy with in a folder, open it in Claude Desktop, and ask Claude to extract a reusable template. The only thing you provide is a good example to learn from.
How does Claude learn my format?
Give it a real document you're proud of — a good example teaches the format faster than any description. Claude studies its structure, tone, and sections, then turns it into a skeleton with clearly-marked `[placeholders]` for the parts that change.
How do I make sure later drafts stay consistent?
Read the first generated draft closely in the file pane; once the template is right, later ones need only a glance. Use clearly-marked `[placeholders]` so nothing important gets missed, and save the format as a skill to lock it in.
Can I reuse this without re-explaining it every time?
Yes. Once the format is locked, save it as a skill, so future drafts are a single instruction — "write a proposal for [client], [scope], [price]" — and Claude fills in the rest.