⭐️ Pipeline is a new Add-On Feature available to Grow subscribers.
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With proposal builder, you can seamlessly turn your lead information into well-designed proposal documents. By uploading your existing Microsoft Word (.docx) proposals and applying dynamic tags, Monograph will automatically inject specific details from your lead directly into your templates.
The following video serves as a visual guide to using this feature. Below, you will find a step-by-step guide.
Getting Started
Your proposal template must be a Microsoft Word document (.docx). If you are working out of Google Docs or another platform, download your template as a .docx file onto your computer first.
Step 1: Upload and Tag Your Template
To create your first template, we suggest starting with a recent, well-designed, robust proposal. Open it in your favorite editor (Google Docs or Microsoft Word). Then, as described above, tag the lists that should be replaced with lead data. Save that file as a .docx document when you are done (if it's not already a .docx file).
Uploading to Monograph
Once your .docx file is ready:
Go to Monograph Settings > Templates.
Click New Proposal Template.
Upload your template directly from Google Drive or OneDrive. Otherwise, choose Upload a file and select the .docx template from your computer.
Click Next to open the interactive tagging view.
Interactive Tagging Interface
Once uploaded, you will enter the visual tagging dashboard. Your job here is to tell Monograph what information goes where by highlighting areas of the document.
Select Content: Click at the very beginning of a section or block of text you want to make dynamic, and then click at the very end of it to highlight the section.
Assign Tags: A menu will appear prompting you to choose which type of information belongs in this space (e.g., Client Info, Project Description). Select the appropriate tag from the list of Supported Tags provided above.
💡You can apply the same tag to multiple areas of your document if you need that data to repeat across different pages.Add Custom Instructions (AI Prompts): If you need the layout or text structured a specific way, you can click on the tag you just placed and write custom instructions. For example, you can tell the system: "Include markups for the consultant fees shown in this table."
Step 2: Generate a Proposal From a Lead
Once your template is finalized and saved, you are ready to create proposals for prospective clients using your active Leads data.
Confirm Your Lead Details
Before generating a proposal, verify that your Lead profile in Monograph is fully filled out. Open your lead and check that the following information is accurate:
Overview tab: Look over the project location/address, target square footage, and project notes/descriptions.
Budget & Plan tab: Ensure your phases are set up correctly. If you have chosen 5 phases, make sure their budgets are assigned, project-level consultants are added, and the specific roles required across those phases (e.g., Principal, Project Designer) are configured with rates.
Run the Proposal Builder
Inside the lead profile, click Create Proposal.
Select your newly created proposal template from your saved list.
Click Next.
The Generation Process
Building a proposal utilizes deep AI processing to format tables, compile text, and apply custom rules. This background process typically takes between 2 to 5 minutes (and up to 7 minutes for highly complex files).
While the processing spinner is running, feel free to navigate anywhere else in Monograph. You can safely log timesheets, track project tracking dashboards, log expenses, or send invoices. Keep an eye on the status panel; the loading icon will switch to a green checkmark when your proposal document is ready.
Step 3: Review and Make Last-Minute Edits
When the document has finished generating, click it to open the final preview. Before sending the document to your client, you have an opportunity to make manual final adjustments:
Click Edit in Microsoft Word.
Modify text directly to tailor the tone. For example, you can warm up an introductory sentence, customize a specific phase deliverable, or remove an unnecessary sentence.
The editor uses cloud auto-save functionality. When you are happy with the changes, simply close the editor tab in the browser.
Back in Monograph, ensure the edits look good before clicking Done Editing to sync your final edits back to your project record.
Understanding Tags
As mentioned above, to ensure lead information is pulled into the document correctly, templates use specific tags. These tags act as placeholders that Monograph replaces with lead data when generating a proposal or document.
🚨 Rule: Every dynamic section must start with one of the specific tags below and end with a {{mg:end}} tag before another section can begin. Think of them as open and close parentheses wrapping your content.
Click on the toggle below to view the list of supported tags.
Supported Tags
Supported Tags
{{mg:phase_list}}- Place this tag before a list of phases. It easily handles prices, dates, and durations while trying to preserve phase descriptions if present.Example Content to Tag:
Schematic Design — $5,000 (Duration: 4 weeks) Design Development — $10,000 (Duration: 6 weeks)
{{mg:phase_and_consultant_list}}- A "manual" tag that does the same thing as phase_list.{{mg:consultant_list}}- Place this tag before a list of project or phase consultants with possible descriptions. It also handles budgets and markup percentages.Example Content to Tag:
Structural Engineering: Core Structural Specialists. Budget: $7,500 (Includes 10% markup).
{{mg:role_list}}- Place this tag before a list or table of team roles and billing rates. It handles descriptions, assignees, and rate schedules.Example Content to Tag:
Principal Architect: $250/hr — Directs design vision and project strategy. Project Designer: $150/hr — Manages day-to-day drafting and documentation.
{{mg:client_info}}- It extracts and formats all available lead data like client name, company name, phone number, and address (as long as the info is available).Example Content to Tag:
Prepared for: John Doe | Acme Corporation | 123 Main Street, Austin, TX 78701
{{mg:phase_description_list}}- Place this tag before a list of phase descriptions, services, or deliverables. Include all possible phases in your template; Monograph will automatically remove any phases that aren't part of your active lead during generation. It also includes prices, dates, and duration.Example Content to Tag:
Schematic Design — $5,000 (4 Weeks) Includes 3 site plan options, zoning review, and massing models.
Construction Documents — $15,000 (8 Weeks) Finalization of detailed technical drawings and specifications for permit submission.
{{mg:project_description}}- Builds a contextually accurate description of the scope by looking at what's in your template snippet and mixing it with your lead's Project Notes.Example Content to Tag:
The client intends to construct a modern 4-bedroom residential property on a steep, coastal slope site to maximize panoramic ocean views.
{{mg:expense_budgets}}- Place this tag before a reimbursable expense budget list or total. It displays itemized categories (like travel or printing) or simply outputs the grand total.Example Content to Tag:
Estimated Reimbursable Expenses:
Travel & Lodging: $1,200
Printing & Reproductions: $500
{{mg:end}}- Place this tag at the end of each dynamic section. A dynamic section must end with a{{mg:end}}tag before another tag can begin.For example, if a proposal template includes a list of roles and rates, place
{{mg:role_list}}before the list and{{mg:end}}immediately after it.
Tags - Example Screenshots
Tags - Example Screenshots
The visual tagging interface in Monograph may not render background images, complex text boxes, or advanced formatting tools from Microsoft Word perfectly. If these design elements prevent you from using the interactive tagging, you can easily use the Manual Tagging method detailed below.
Click on the toggle below to learn how to add tags manually.
How to Add Tags Manually
How to Add Tags Manually
If your document has background graphics, text overlays, or advanced Word layouts that make it difficult to use the visual tagger, you can insert tags manually using your keyboard.
In the template builder view, click on the Pencil (Edit) icon. This will open your template document in an editable cloud document view.
Type your tags directly into the text using double curly brackets
{{ }}.Crucial Rule: Every dynamic section must have an opening tag and must close with a
{{mg:end}}tag before you begin a new one. Think of these tags as parentheses surrounding the content you want Monograph to replace.
Use the following syntax for manual keyboard tagging:
Phases:
{{mg:phase_list}}... your phase text/table here ...{{mg:end}}Consultants:
{{mg:consultant_list}}... your consultant text/table here ...{{mg:end}}Roles & Rates:
{{mg:role_list}}... your roles text/table here ...{{mg:end}}Phase Descriptions:
{{mg:phase_description_list}}... your total deliverables text here ...{{mg:end}}Project Description:
{{mg:project_description}}... your placeholder description here ...{{mg:end}}Expense Budgets:
{{mg:expense_budgets}}... your expense list or total here ...{{mg:end}}Client Info:
{{mg:client_info}}... your client block here ...{{mg:end}}
Example: If you always include a pricing table for roles and rates in your layout, type it like this directly into the editor: {{mg:role_list}} [Insert Your Word Table Here] {{mg:end}}
While inside this manual editing view, you can also tweak your boilerplate text, fix punctuation, or add text formatting. Your updates auto-save to the cloud. When finished, simply close that document tab. Back in Monograph, click Done Editing to pull the updated version of the document back into the system.
Sending your Proposal
Your proposal is now complete, saved, and ready to be sent. Send the final version to your client for e-signature!
Fill out the "Get e-signature" form.
Select an approver from the drop-down
Click on Copy additional people to CC others
Optionally, add a note to the client
Select a Due date using the calendar
If you want to send a reminder to your client on the due date, check the Send reminder on the due date box
Click Send.
Voids, Replacements, and History
Voiding: If you need to make changes after sending a signature request, click Void. This revokes client access immediately.
Replacing: If a proposal hasn't been sent yet, you can replace it with a different template or a new file upload.
Activity Log: Every proposal includes a history tracking of when it was created, edited, viewed, and signed.
Permissions
Admins and users with Manage Leads permissions can create and manage templates.