How to Use Plain Text Quotes (No AI)

Create professional branded PDFs using your own words — no AI rewriting.

Last updated: April 2026

TailoredQuote’s AI writes professional scope text from a brief description. But sometimes you already know exactly what you want to say — and you don’t want an AI rewriting it. That’s what Plain Text mode is for.

Tick one checkbox and your text goes straight onto the PDF exactly as you typed it. Same branded letterhead, same professional layout, same downloadable PDF — just your words, untouched.

When to Use Plain Text Mode

You already have your own scope template — you know the wording you want and don’t need AI help
Legal or contractual language — specific terms that must appear verbatim
Simple jobs — a one-liner like “Supply and fit new composite front door, including removal of existing door and frame”
Repeat work — you send the same scope to multiple customers and just change the price
You prefer full control — some builders simply prefer to write their own scope

Step-by-Step Guide

1 Go to New Quote

Click New Quote in the navigation bar.

2 Fill in the quote details

Enter the customer name, address, property reference, and total price as normal.

3 Type your scope of work

Write your full scope in the Work to be Completed text area. Use line breaks to separate sections. This text will appear on the PDF exactly as you type it.

4 Tick “Plain text — no AI”

The checkbox sits directly below the text area, above the Total Price field. It reads: “Use the text above exactly as typed — DO NOT tick if you want AI expansion of text.”

5 Click Generate Quote PDF

The system skips the AI entirely. Your text goes straight into the PDF builder. The progress bar jumps from 10% directly to 65% (skipping the “Writing description” stage) because there’s no AI call to wait for.

6 Download and send

The finished PDF appears with your letterhead, your text, and the customer details. Download it, send it for signature, or save it to your Saved Quotes page — exactly the same as an AI-generated quote.

Tip: Plain text quotes are saved and stored identically to AI quotes. You can edit them later, repeat them, mark them as paid, and export them for your accountant — every feature works the same way.

Formatting Your Text

The PDF builder preserves your line breaks. To create separate paragraphs or bullet-style sections, press Enter between each item:

Each line break becomes a new paragraph on the PDF
Wrap text in **double asterisks** to make it bold on the PDF
Leading numbers or dashes are preserved (e.g. “1. Supply and fit...”)

Plain Text vs AI: When to Use Which

Use AI when you have a rough brief and want the system to expand it into professional QS-style scope text
Use Plain Text when you already have the exact wording you want and don’t want any changes
Both produce the same professional PDF with your letterhead
Both save to Saved Quotes and support every downstream feature (edit, repeat, mark paid, e-signature, version history)

Tip: You can mix approaches across quotes. Use AI for complex multi-trade renovations where you want detailed scope breakdowns, and Plain Text for simple one-line jobs or repeat invoices where you already know the wording.

Things to Know

Plain Text mode is available on both Essentials and Pro plans
The checkbox only affects the current quote — it doesn’t change your account settings
You can attach photos to a plain text quote the same way you would with an AI quote
Editing a plain text quote later (via Edit Quote) preserves your original text — no AI is applied retroactively

Professional quotes, your words.

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