Setup — Proposal Content
Create and manage the templates that fill your proposals with company information, project history, testimonials, and custom sections.
Who this is for
Builders, estimators, and subcontractors who want to set up professional proposal templates once and reuse them across all estimates. This module is most useful for builders and estimators who produce multiple proposals that share the same company information, terms, or project examples.
What this module is for
When you produce a proposal in Core Estimator, the system pulls in pre-written content from templates you build here. Instead of typing the same company history, testimonials, or legal terms into every estimate, you set them up once in Proposal Content, then they automatically populate any proposal that uses those templates. This saves time and keeps your messaging consistent across all estimates.
Things worth knowing upfront
All tabs follow the same pattern: build a library of named templates in a list, then click a row to edit its content.
The "New" button at the top of each tab creates a fresh template; clicking a row in the list opens that template for editing.
Template names must be unique within each section—you cannot have two "Standard Cover" templates in the Cover Section tab.
When you edit a template and save, any proposal using that template will show the updated content the next time the proposal is opened.
Email Templates have a narrower editing panel (600px) than other sections (800px) due to the nature of email formatting.
How to get there
Setup → Proposal Content
From anywhere in the platform, click the Setup header tab at the top, then click Proposal Content in the left menu.
What you'll see
The Proposal Content screen opens with nine tabs across the top:
Cover Section — the cover page template for your proposal
Client Letter — an optional introductory letter
About Us — company background and overview
Past Projects — case studies or completed project examples
Meet The Team — staff profiles or team introduction
Testimonials — client quotes and feedback
Terms & Conditions — legal terms to include in proposals
Custom Sections — any other content you want to add
Email Templates — email messages used when sending proposals
The Cover Section tab is open by default. You'll see a list of any existing cover page templates (if you've created them before) with a New Cover button at the top. The list has one column: Template Name.
Step-by-step: Create a new proposal template
Click the tab for the section you want to add a template to (e.g., Testimonials, Terms & Conditions).
Click the New button at the top of the list. The button text changes depending on the tab—for example, New Testimonial on the Testimonials tab, New Terms & Conditions on Terms & Conditions.
A panel opens on the right side with fields for your template.
Enter a Template Name — this is what you'll see in the list and what you'll select when building proposals. Make it specific so you can find it later (e.g., "Standard Residential T&C" instead of just "Terms").
Fill in the content below the name. The content area supports rich text (bold, links, formatting).
Click Save at the bottom of the panel.
The template is now saved and appears in the list. You can edit it any time by clicking its row in the list.
Step-by-step: Edit an existing template
Navigate to the Proposal Content tab you want to edit (e.g., Testimonials).
Click the row of the template you want to change.
The edit panel opens on the right side showing the template name and current content.
Make your changes—update the name, content, or both.
Click Save at the bottom of the panel.
The panel closes and you're back at the list. The updated template is immediately ready to use.
What happens to proposals after you edit a template: Editing a template only affects proposals you produce from that point on. Any proposal that was already built using this template will not change automatically. If you want the updated content to appear in an existing draft proposal, you'll need to reload that section from the content library when producing the proposal.
Worked example
You're a small residential builder finishing your first year. You want to create a standard testimonial template and a set of company terms that will appear in every proposal going forward.
Create a testimonials template
Go to Setup > Proposal Content.
Click the Testimonials tab.
Click New Testimonial.
In the Template Name field, type:
Standard Client Testimonials.In the content area, add this text:
"The whole process was seamless from start to finish. Communication was clear and the team delivered on time and on budget." — Sarah Mitchell, Mitchell Residence, 2025
"Attention to detail was exceptional. They managed the project with professionalism and didn't cut corners." — James Chen, Chen Commercial Fitout, 2025
Click Save.
The template is saved. You can now use it in any proposal you create.
Create a terms and conditions template
Click the Terms & Conditions tab.
Click New Terms & Conditions.
In the Template Name field, type:
Standard Residential T&C.In the content area, add your standard terms—deposit requirements, payment schedule, warranty, etc.
Click Save.
Now, when you create a new estimate and move to the proposal stage, you can select both of these templates. The proposal will automatically include the testimonials and terms you just set up. If you later want to update the testimonials or terms, you edit them here and they'll apply to any new proposals you produce from that point. Existing draft proposals won't update automatically — you'd need to reload that section from the content library if you want the changes to appear there.
Tips
Name templates by job type or client tier. Instead of "Testimonials 1" and "Testimonials 2", use "Commercial Project Testimonials" and "Residential Project Testimonials". This makes it clear which template to pick when building a proposal.
Keep templates focused. A Cover Section template should be the cover only; a separate About Us template should handle company background. This gives you flexibility to mix and match templates for different proposal types.
Copy a template you like. If you have a Terms & Conditions template that's almost right but needs a small change, create a new template and copy the content across. This way you keep the original if you need to refer back to it.
Test your templates in a draft proposal. Before rolling out a new cover section or terms template, build a test proposal using it to see how it looks and reads end-to-end.
Troubleshooting
Symptom | Cause | Fix |
I saved a template but can't find it in the list | The save didn't complete — the panel may have closed before the save finished, or there was an error. | Go back to the tab where you were working. If the template isn't there, create it again. Click Save at the bottom of the panel and wait for the panel to close before navigating away. |
I edited a template but the change isn't showing in an existing proposal | Template edits only apply to proposals produced from that point on. Existing proposals are not updated automatically. | To get the updated content into an existing draft proposal, reload that section from the content library when producing the proposal. |
Two templates have similar names and I'm not sure which one to use | Templates were named without enough context to tell them apart. | Go to Proposal Content and rename the templates to be more specific. Edit each one, update the Template Name field, and save. |
I can't edit a template created by someone else on my team | Your account role may not have permission to edit templates created by other team members. | Contact the person who created it and ask them to make the edit, or check with your account administrator about permissions. |
Understanding the tabs
Each tab in Proposal Content is a separate library of templates. You can have multiple templates in each section, and when you build a proposal, you choose one template from each section to include. Not every proposal needs to use every section—you might use the Cover Section and Terms & Conditions in one proposal but skip the Meet The Team section for another.
Tab | What it contains | How it's used in proposals |
Cover Section | The first page of your proposal, typically with your company logo, name, and project summary | Appears as the cover page when the proposal is opened or printed |
Client Letter | Optional introductory letter from you to the client | Inserted after the cover if you choose to include it |
About Us | Company background, experience, and credentials | Inserted in the body of the proposal to tell your story |
Past Projects | Case studies or examples of completed work | Demonstrates your capability to the client |
Meet The Team | Staff bios and photos | Builds trust by showing who will be working on their project |
Testimonials | Client quotes and feedback | Social proof—shows past clients were satisfied |
Terms & Conditions | Payment terms, warranty, conditions of work | Legal framework for the project |
Custom Sections | Any other content you want to add (warranty details, guarantees, process, etc.) | Flexible—you control where and how it's used |
Email Templates | Pre-written emails to send when delivering proposals | Used when you click "Send Proposal" to deliver the estimate to the client |
Related articles
Produce Proposal — how to build a proposal from your templates and send it to a client
Setup — Notification Settings — configure what notifications are sent when proposals are viewed or accepted
Still stuck?
If you can't find what you need, reach out to our support team through the chat bubble in the bottom right of Core Estimator.