How to Create & Upload a Company Template in ProposalGPT

Created by Harsha Cuttari, Modified on Mon, Jul 7 at 11:36 PM by Harsha Cuttari

1. Why templates matter

Company templates let every proposal share the same polished look—logo, colors, cover page, styles—while ProposalGPT automatically fills in the content with shortcodes (place-holders) pulled from your workspace. Keeping the required blocks ensures ProposalGPT can still auto-build a compliant proposal.

2. Before you start

Requirement	Why it matters
File type: `.docx`	Only Word documents are accepted and validated.
Uses Word “Heading 1/2/3…” styles	Lets ProposalGPT create numbered sections & the auto-TOC.
Internet Explorer–style merged fields are not supported	Use the built-in shortcodes instead.

3. Download the sample template

Open Templates ➞ Company Templates in the left-hand sidebar.
Click Download Sample Template.
You’ll receive ProposalGPT Template.docx—a working file that already carries every required shortcode and section.

4. Customize the template

Area	What to change	Keep as-is
Cover page	Replace the stock logo & background image. Add your tagline or certification badges.	Every `<<metadata.*>>` shortcode (e.g., `<<metadata.company_name>>`)—these populate automatically.
Branding	Tweak fonts, theme colors and paragraph spacing in Word ➞ Styles.	Style names—rename the look, not the style itself (e.g., keep “Heading 1”).
Table of contents	Update its visual style if you wish.	Leave the TOC field and `<<rs_sections>>` shortcode in place so it refreshes.
Past Performance block	Rearrange layout, add client logos.	Preserve the entire `<<rs_PAST_PERFORMANCE_BLOCK>> … <<es_PAST_PERFORMANCE_BLOCK>>` section delimiters.
Resumes block	Adjust column widths, fonts, borders.	Keep all resume-related shortcodes (e.g., `<<rs_RESUMES_BLOCK>>`) intact.
Optional content	Delete any sample paragraphs you don’t need.	Do not remove unused shortcodes unless you are certain ProposalGPT will never need that field.

Tip: If you must hide a shortcode, wrap it in a 1-pt-tall paragraph and set the text font to white instead of deleting it. That way the placeholder stays available without being visible in print.

5. Style tweaks in one place

Open Home ➞ Styles Pane (or Design ➞ Styles in newer Word versions).
Right-click each style (Heading 1, Normal, Table Text…) and choose Modify to set:
- Font family & size
- Color palette
- Paragraph spacing & indentation
Save the file—those style definitions travel with the template.

6. Upload & validate

Return to Templates ➞ Company Templates.
Click Upload Template, choose your .docx, and wait a few seconds.
ProposalGPT checks that:
- All required blocks still exist.
- Headings are mapped to Word styles.
- The file is under 20 MB.
If validation passes, you’ll see a green success banner. If something is missing, an error list will point to the exact shortcode or style to fix.

7. Set your default & manage versions

You may store up to 5 company templates.
Hover over any template row and click Set as Main to make it the default for new proposals.
When creating a proposal, use the Template dropdown to pick a different one on the fly.

8. Troubleshooting quick-hits

Error message	Likely cause	Fix
“Missing required block: `rs_PAST_PERFORMANCE_BLOCK`”	You deleted the Past Performance section delimiters.	Copy them back from the sample template.
“Unsupported file type”	Uploaded a PDF or `.dotx`.	Re-save as `.docx`.
“Heading 2 style not found”	Renamed built-in Heading styles.	Re-apply Word’s native Heading styles or map your custom style to them.

9. FAQ

Can I rename shortcodes?
No. ProposalGPT looks for the exact tokens shown in the sample doc.
Can I hide the TOC?
Yes—set its font to white or place it in a hidden Word bookmark.
Is there a size limit?
20 MB per template. Large image assets are the usual culprit.
What happens if I upload two templates with identical names?
The newest upload appears at the top, but giving each template a clear name (e.g., “RFP Brand 2025”) makes it easier to locate.