How to Create Custom AI Writing Templates

AI writing templates are tools that simplify and speed up content creation. They provide structured outlines - like headings, placeholders, and instructions - that guide AI to generate tailored outputs. These templates save time, improve productivity by up to 66%, and help maintain a consistent tone and style. Here's how to create and use them effectively:

• Build a structure: Use section headings to organize content logically (e.g., "Intro", "Body", "Conclusion").
• Set placeholders: Add [variables] to customize details for different scenarios.
• Define tone and style: Specify formality, emotional tone, and complexity to match your audience.
• Use tools like Revise: Analyze writing samples, set custom rules, and refine templates for specific tasks.

Templates are dynamic tools that evolve with your needs. Regular testing and refinement ensure they deliver accurate, polished results for emails, blog posts, or social media content. Tools like Revise (starting at $8/month) make creating and managing these templates easier, offering features like tone control, in-document chat, and integration with platforms like Google Docs and LinkedIn.

Key takeaway: Start with a clear structure, refine with examples, and test across tasks to create templates that streamline your writing process.

How to Build Your AI Writing System: The FULL Walkthrough

Core Components of Custom AI Templates

Creating a reliable AI writing template starts with understanding the core components that make it function effectively. These elements serve as the foundation, ensuring the AI generates content tailored to your specific needs. Essentially, they transform generic outputs into personalized results.

Key components include section headings that outline the document's structure, placeholders enclosed in square brackets [ ] to mark where variable details will go, and AI instructions in round brackets ( ) to guide how the AI processes and formats the content. Together, these elements form the backbone of your template, which is further refined through the following steps.

Setting Up Template Structure

The structure of your template defines how information flows from beginning to end. Section headings act as the framework, guiding the AI on what type of content belongs in each part. For instance, a business report might include sections like "Executive Summary", "Key Findings", and "Recommendations", while an email template might simply feature "Greeting", "Body", and "Closing."

Arrange these sections in a logical sequence that aligns with your industry's workflows. For example, medical professionals might follow the SOAP format (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan), while marketers often use AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action). To further refine the process, place AI instructions near placeholders or as overarching directives, and adjust the tone and style to suit your audience and purpose.

Setting Tone and Style

Tone and style settings ensure the content resonates with your audience and serves its intended purpose. This involves more than just choosing between "formal" or "casual" - it includes defining specific attributes like formality, emotional tone, and complexity. For example, technical documentation requires precise, detailed language, while social media content might lean toward an upbeat, conversational tone.

You can include sample snippets to anchor the AI to your desired tone and style. As noted by Twofold:

"One of the most effective ways to improve the accuracy and consistency of your custom template is to include example snippets in your Section Content".

These examples help minimize output variability. Additionally, a "Do Not Mention" list can be incorporated to set clear boundaries, such as avoiding specific topics, competitors, or unnecessary jargon.

Adding Placeholders for Variable Content

Placeholders, identified by square brackets (e.g., [Client Name]), indicate where variable details should be inserted. This keeps the template consistent while allowing it to adapt to different situations. The framework remains intact, but the content can be customized for each use case.

To ensure precise control, pair placeholders with specific instructions. For instance, [Medications] (numbered list with dosing details) tells the AI what data to include and how to format it. As Heidi Health explains:

"Placeholders act as markers for specific information that will be automatically inserted into the template".

You can also apply global instructions to maintain consistency across the entire document. For example, (Never use bullet points; use full sentences and paragraph format) ensures a narrative flow throughout, making the content cohesive and easy to read.

Creating Templates with Revise

Revise makes it simple to turn your core template elements into a flexible, reusable framework. By leveraging its AI capabilities, you can create templates that align with your unique voice and style.

Collecting Reference Material

Start by gathering writing samples that reflect your preferred tone and style. These examples help Revise understand your word choice, sentence structure, and personality quirks. Organize your samples based on audience and platform:

• Audience-specific organization: Writing for small business owners might call for a conversational, action-driven tone, while executive communications often demand a formal, data-focused approach.
• Platform-specific organization: Instagram content is usually playful and casual, while LinkedIn posts require a more authoritative voice.

Once your samples are ready, let Revise analyze them to identify tone and style patterns. This analysis can help you create a formal style guide for your templates. Additionally, prepare a "Do Not Mention" list to exclude competitors, sensitive topics, or slang, ensuring your templates remain professional and aligned with your goals.

These refined references will seamlessly integrate with Revise's customization tools in the next steps.

Using Revise's Customization Features

Revise offers powerful tools to tailor templates to your exact needs. You can define custom style rules and prompts, ensuring the AI follows specific instructions across all your projects. For example, you might:

• Set rules to maintain consistent terminology.
• Avoid passive voice in marketing copy for a more direct tone.

The tone control feature allows you to fine-tune how formal or casual the output should be. You can opt for light edits or request complete rewrites, depending on your needs. Michael Smith, a Growth Marketer, shared his experience:

"Revise can understand my language and style of writing to improve it greatly. Whether it's technical documentation or marketing copy, the platform consistently delivers polished, contextually appropriate content."

Revise also includes an in-document brainstorming chat, where you can explore ideas and refine your template structure. To ensure accuracy, you can upload relevant documents or data, allowing the AI to incorporate specific details. For sections with variable content, you can set fallback logic - default phrases the AI uses when certain data is unavailable (like "No new action items identified").

When your template feels just right, you’re ready to save it for ongoing use.

Saving and Reusing Your Templates

Once your template is complete, save it within Revise by defining custom style rules and prompts in your account settings. These saved rules ensure consistency in every project, and the AI continues to adapt as you accept or reject its suggestions.

For frequently used templates, you can create separate rule sets tailored to different contexts. If you’re on Revise’s Pro plan, you’ll benefit from unlimited rules, custom prompts, and generous word limits.

Revise integrates seamlessly with tools like Gmail, Google Docs, Word Online, Outlook, and LinkedIn. This means you can apply your templates wherever you write. Plus, its real-time collaboration features allow teams to refine templates together, making it easier to maintain consistent standards across your organization.

sbb-itb-df9dc23

Testing and Improving Your Templates

Once you've saved your custom template in Revise, the next step is to see how it performs in real-world writing tasks. Try it out on different assignments - whether it’s an email, a blog post, or a product description - and evaluate the results. Does the tone feel right? Is the structure solid? Are there any details missing or inconsistencies in the output?

Dave Eagle, known for his expertise in writing and AI, puts it this way: "Templates are starting points, not final destinations. The best results come from treating them as intelligent frameworks that you can mold to fit your unique voice and requirements." In other words, templates aren’t meant to be perfect out of the gate. If you notice recurring issues, like overly formal language or missing details, tweak your template instructions to address those specific gaps.

Applying Templates to Different Writing Tasks

Templates often behave differently depending on the task, so it’s important to test them in various scenarios. For example, an email template might be great for cold outreach but might not work as well for internal updates. Similarly, a blog post template designed for SEO might need adjustments for opinion pieces or thought leadership articles. Testing your template across a range of writing tasks ensures it performs consistently.

Keep the unique demands of each task in mind. For professional documents like project briefs or product requirement documents (PRDs), ensure the template delivers the right level of technical detail and proper formatting. For social media, make sure the tone and structure match the platform - LinkedIn posts should sound professional, while Instagram captions can be more relaxed and conversational. If you find yourself repeatedly making the same edits, it’s a clear sign your template needs refinement. Adjust the instructions to better align with the specific needs of each writing scenario.

Getting Feedback and Making Changes

Feedback is key to improving your templates. Ask end users for their thoughts on tone, clarity, and overall consistency. Fresh perspectives often reveal issues you might overlook after spending so much time fine-tuning a template.

When refining your templates, consider adding snippets of your best writing directly into the instructions. These "gold standard" examples give the AI a clearer picture of what you’re aiming for, reducing guesswork and improving output quality. If the results still miss the mark, revisit and adjust your tone and formatting guidelines. Also, keep updating your exclusion list to address new issues as they arise. The goal is to keep iterating - each test and adjustment brings your templates closer to delivering exactly what you need.

Key Takeaways

Custom AI writing templates improve over time with consistent use. Start by outlining your desired structure, tone, and placeholders, and then use Revise's customization tools to shape the template to match your personal writing style. With adjustable intensity settings, you can decide whether you want subtle edits or more extensive rewrites, offering flexibility for various writing tasks.

Once your framework is in place, test the templates across different formats - like emails, blog posts, and product descriptions - to identify what works well and what needs adjustment. If you notice recurring issues, refine your custom prompts and style rules to address them.

AI writing tools can reduce first-draft creation time by up to 80% and enhance content performance by 58%. However, many organizations experience a steep drop in usage - from 90% initial adoption to just 20% or 30% within weeks - if the tools fail to meet specific needs. Regularly updating and fine-tuning your templates ensures they remain effective for everyday tasks.

Revise is designed to adapt to your preferences. The Pro version, priced at $8 per month, includes unlimited custom rules, support for up to 200,000 words each month, change tracking, and an in-document chat feature. As Storm Silva, a History Professor, shared:

"For 8 bucks a month, it replaces my very expensive proofreader."

Think of your templates as dynamic tools that grow and evolve alongside your writing needs.

FAQs

How can I make sure my AI writing templates keep a consistent tone across different platforms?

To keep your AI writing templates consistent in tone, start by defining a clear tone profile. For instance, if you prefer a "friendly but professional" style, outline specific rules like using contractions, skipping jargon, and following American spelling. Once you’ve nailed down your tone, import it into Revise as a custom style guide and activate tone control. This ensures your outputs stick to your chosen style.

When designing templates for various platforms, create a master template to serve as your foundation. From there, tweak only the structural elements - like headings or character limits - while maintaining the same tone. Test your templates by generating sample content for each platform, checking for tone consistency, and fine-tuning your style guide as needed. Make it a habit to revisit and update your tone settings regularly to keep your brand voice sharp and aligned.

What are the benefits of using placeholders in AI writing templates?

Placeholders are like dynamic slots in AI writing templates, making them more flexible and easy to reuse. By including markers such as [square brackets] or {curly braces}, you provide clear instructions to the AI on where to insert specific details. This approach minimizes confusion and ensures the output stays focused and relevant.

They’re also a huge time-saver. Instead of rewriting entire prompts for every task, placeholders let you tweak just the necessary parts. Plus, they help maintain a consistent tone and format across various content types, whether it’s emails, blog posts, or reports. Teams reap the benefits too - new members can quickly get up to speed with existing processes, while shared templates make collaboration smoother and help preserve quality.

How can I test and improve AI writing templates for different tasks?

To fine-tune your AI writing templates, start by choosing a specific task - like crafting a marketing email or a blog introduction. Clearly outline the desired tone, length, and critical elements the template should cover. Generate a draft using your AI tool, then carefully review it for structure, tone, and completeness. Make adjustments to the wording, placeholders, or style rules as necessary, and run the template again to compare the updated version with the original. Once you're happy with the results, save the refined template for future use. Repeat this process for other writing tasks to create a dependable library of templates tailored to your goals.