# Proposal templates and default sections

URL: https://engiprose.com/help/set-up-your-firm/proposal-templates
Updated: 2026-08-31
Audience: admin

Build a reusable section structure so every new proposal starts with the right outline.

A proposal template defines the default list of sections a new proposal
starts with. Organization Admin or Admin manages templates from Settings.

:::checklist title="What you'll do"
- Create a template and add its sections
- Reorder sections and mark one as AI-assisted
- Set a template as the default for new proposals
:::

## A fresh organization starts empty

A brand-new organization has no templates. If you open **Templates** before
creating one, you'll see "No templates yet, Create a template to define
default section structures." That's expected: templates are yours to build,
not preset, so the fix is to create your first one.

:::figure src="/help-figures/set-up-your-firm/proposal-templates-1.png" alt="The Proposal Templates list showing one template, Standard Engineering Proposal, marked Default, with 6 sections" caption="A template list with one default template" route="/admin/settings/templates"
:::

## Create a template

::::steps
:::step
Open **Templates**, under Settings, and click **Create Template**.
:::
:::step
Enter a **Template Name** (required) and an optional **Description**.
:::
:::step figure="/help-figures/set-up-your-firm/proposal-templates-2.png" alt="The template editor showing the Template Name, Description, and a Sections list with the Cover / Header section expanded, including its description, guidance notes, and an AI assistance suggested toggle" caption="Editing a section: name, description, and guidance notes" route="/admin/settings/templates"
Click **Add Section** for each section your proposals usually need. Give
each one a name, an optional description, and optional guidance notes. The
**AI assistance suggested** toggle marks a section as one the AI should
offer to help draft.
:::
:::step
Use the up and down arrows to reorder sections, or the trash icon to remove
one. Save when you're done.
:::
::::

## Set as default, or delete

A template's row menu offers **Edit** always, and **Set as default** or
**Delete** for any template that isn't already the default. The default
template can't be deleted directly; set a different template as default
first if you need to retire it.

::::faq title="Common questions"
:::q question="What happens to proposals already using a template I edit?"
Editing a template changes what new proposals start with. It doesn't
rewrite sections already added to an existing proposal.
:::
:::q question="Do I need more than one template?"
No. Many firms run with a single default template. Add a second one if
different proposal types genuinely need a different section structure.
:::
::::