---
url: https://pencel.ai/docs/guides/create-documents-with-ai.md
description: >-
  Step-by-step instructions for drafting documents, slide decks and spreadsheets
  with AI, tailoring an existing document, editing and summarizing with AI, and
  exporting to Word, PDF, PowerPoint or Excel.
---

# Create documents, spreadsheets and slides with AI

Use this when you need a first draft fast: a capability statement, a client proposal, a board deck, a tracking sheet. Pencel drafts it using what it knows about your business, and you review and edit before anything is final. Everything here happens in [Documents](/concepts/documents).

::: tip Better drafts start in Knowledge
Pencel drafts with your company facts and documents in mind. If a draft gets your business wrong, fix the source in [Knowledge](/concepts/knowledge) and it stays fixed for next time.
:::

## Draft a document

1. Click **Documents** in the left sidebar, then **Draft with AI**.
2. Under **What document do you want to create?**, describe the goal, who it's for and what it should cover. For example: "A one-page capability statement for school district facilities managers, covering our janitorial services, certifications and three recent contracts."
3. Click **Plan Document**. Pencel shows the guidelines, memories and reference files it found in your workspace. Untick anything you want left out.
4. Answer **A few quick questions** if Pencel asks any, and add anything else under **Additional context (optional)**.
5. Click **Generate Outline**. (**Skip** goes on without your answers.)
6. Review the plan. Edit the title, **Audience**, **Tone** and **Length**. Edit, reorder or remove sections, or add one with **Add section**.
7. Click **Approve & Draft**. The document opens and Pencel writes it section by section while you watch.

## Draft a slide deck

1. In **Documents**, click **Draft with AI**, then **Slide deck**. If you already have files, click **New file ▸ Slides** in the file list instead, then **Generate with AI**.
2. Under **What presentation do you want to create?**, describe the topic, the audience and what to cover.
3. Click **Generate Outline**. Review the design (title, **Audience**, **Tone**, number of slides, and a preview of the colors and fonts) and the **Slide Outline**.
4. Click **Generate Slides**, check the preview, then click **Create Slides**.
5. The deck opens in the slide editor. Click **Present** to show it full screen.

## Draft a spreadsheet

1. In **Documents**, click **Draft with AI**, then **Spreadsheet**. If you already have files, click **New file ▸ Spreadsheet** in the file list instead, then **Generate with AI**.
2. Under **What spreadsheet do you want to create?**, describe what you want to track. For example: "A bid tracker with agency, due date, estimated value, status and owner."
3. Click **Generate Spreadsheet**. Review the title, the columns and the **Data Preview**.
4. Click **Create Spreadsheet**.

To work with it later, right-click a cell and choose **Ask AI…** (or press ⌘I), then say what you want, like "sum column B" or "sort by due date."

## Tailor an existing document

Use this to fit a document you already have, like a past proposal or a résumé, to a new set of requirements.

1. In **Documents**, click **Tailor a document** (or **Tailor** at the top of **Recent files**).
2. Under **Base document**, **Choose a document to tailor**, or click **Upload from computer**. Word files and Pencel documents keep their formatting; a PDF comes in as text only. Your original is never changed.
3. Under **Requirements**, paste the requirements or click **Upload file** to use the RFP, job post or evaluation criteria.
4. Click **Analyze requirements**. Pencel turns each requirement into a check and shows how many your document already passes, partly meets or fails.
5. Untick any requirement you'd rather leave alone, then click **Apply changes**.
6. Pencel creates a tailored copy and opens it with each proposed change marked in place. Click **Accept** or **Reject** on each one, or **Accept all**.

For government bids, the [RFP Operations](/programs/rfp-operations) room can start this for you from an opportunity, with the requirements already filled in.

## Edit with AI

* **Quick fixes.** Select some text and click **Improve** or **Shorten**. For anything else, click **More AI** and describe the change under **Transform with AI**.
* **Write more.** Type **/** on an empty line and choose **Write with AI**, **Continue writing** or **Translate…**.
* **Review every suggestion.** Each one appears in the document where it would go. Click **Accept**, **Reject** or **Retry**.
* **Bigger changes.** Click **Show chat panel** at the top right and ask in plain words: "Add a pricing section after the overview" or "Make the tone warmer." Pencel knows which file you have open. Each change shows the before and after, and nothing changes until you click **Accept**.

## Summarize a document

* **In a document you can edit**, type **/** on an empty line and choose **Summarize document**. The summary appears as a suggestion. Click **Accept** to keep it.
* **For any file, including an imported PDF**, open it, click **Show chat panel** and ask: "Summarize this in five bullets for my team." The summary appears in the chat.

## Ask a room to write it

A room can write documents as part of its work. This is handy when the document depends on what the room already knows, like the bids it found or the emails it read.

1. In the room, ask for it: "Write a one-page summary of this week's best bid opportunities."
2. The room writes the document. It appears on the wall in the **Artifacts** tab, and in Documents under **Rooms ▸ room name**.
3. Click **Open** to read it or **Open in editor** to edit it.
4. To change it, click **Ask for changes** on the **Artifacts** tab. A "Revise" chip appears above the message box. Say what to change and send.

## Export

Open the file and click the download button at the top.

| File | Choose |
|---|---|
| Document | **Word (.docx)**, **PDF (.pdf)**, **Markdown (.md)**, **HTML (.html)**, or **Print...** |
| Slide deck | **PowerPoint (.pptx)**, **PDF (.pdf)** or **HTML (.html)** |
| Spreadsheet | **Excel (.xlsx)** |

## Tips

* **Say who it's for.** "For a school district facilities manager" gets a better draft than "for a client."
* **Name the must-haves.** List the sections, numbers or examples the document has to include.
* **Save a version before big changes.** Click **Save** under **Versions** in the document sidebar. You can **Restore** it later.

## Related

* [Documents](/concepts/documents)
* [Knowledge](/concepts/knowledge)
* [Programs and rooms](/concepts/programs)
* [RFP Operations](/programs/rfp-operations)