Formatting Word-documents with Markdown in your workflow

Formatting Word documents in your workflow can be quite complicated. However, if you're familiar with Markdown, the process becomes much easier. Markdown is a lightweight markup language used to format text in a simple and readable way. We use Markdown because AI models rely on structured formatting for better comprehension and automation. This article covers the basics of Markdown and provides a structured Word template to help users implement it effectively.

What is Markdown and why use it?

Markdown is a text-based formatting system that converts plain text into structured documents. It is widely used for AI-based content processing due to its simplicity and efficiency. Markdown allows you to create professional-looking documents without needing complex formatting tools.

Basic Markdown Syntax

Headings: Use # for titles (e.g., # Title for H1, ## Subtitle for H2, ### Subtitle1 for H3 etc.).
Bold and Italic: Use **bold** for bold text and *italic* for italics.
Lists: Create unordered lists with - and ordered lists with numbers.

Integrating Markdown into Word Documents

You're building a workflow, and the end result should be a Word document. Here’s how to do it effectively using Markdown and settings items:

Add the "Write Docx" Block
- Insert the "Write Docx" block into your workflow.
Connect the Output Using Settings Items
- Link the required output to the "Write Docx" block by using "settings items". These represent different sections or chapters of your document.
- In the example underneath, the settings items are the chapters of the development plan. The settings items are called "talents", "growthpotential" and "suggestions".
Define the Chapters and Sections
- In your Word document, write a header for each section.
- Under each header, add the corresponding settings item.
- For chapter "Talents", add the settings item like this: {~~talents} . Do the same for the other chapters. Use the names of the "settings items" in between {~~...} , not the names of the blocks in your workflow.
- Download the Word document and upload it in "fileId".

How to get desired output in your Word document

How It Works

By placing the settings items within {~~...} , you inform the system (and AI) where the output should be placed and how it should be structured.