Adding and managing sections

Think of sections as the chapters in your business story—each one focused on a specific topic that guides your reader through your offering. Whether you're introducing your company, outlining services, presenting pricing, or detailing next steps, sections help you organize information in a way that feels natural and logical to your prospects.

Adding and Managing Sections in Proposify gives you the flexibility to create documents that flow exactly how you want them to. Instead of wrestling with rigid page layouts, you can build documents that expand and contract based on your content needs, ensuring every section gets the space it deserves.

Understanding Proposify's Section System

Proposify takes a refreshingly different approach to document structure. Rather than forcing your content into predetermined page layouts, sections work more like digital canvases that adapt to fit your content perfectly.

Pageless Design Philosophy Each section in Proposify is "pageless," meaning it stretches vertically to accommodate whatever content you add. This means your comprehensive contract terms section can grow as long as needed without awkward page breaks, while your concise next steps section stays compact and focused. It's like having an infinitely expandable canvas for each topic.

Section as Content Containers Think of each section as a focused container for related information:

• Cover Section: Your document's first impression with branding and key messaging
• About Us: Company background and credibility builders
• Services: Detailed offerings and solutions
• Pricing: Clear, professional cost presentation
• Case Studies: Success stories and social proof
• Terms & Conditions: Legal details and project specifics
• Next Steps: Clear calls-to-action and process outline

This modular approach means you can easily rearrange, duplicate, or customize sections based on what each specific client needs to see.

Creating New Sections

Adding sections to your document is designed to feel intuitive—you can expand your document's structure as your ideas develop.

Quick Section Addition The fastest way to add a new section is right from the document canvas:

1. Locate the Plus (+) Button at the top of any existing section
2. Click the button to instantly create a new section
3. Your new section appears ready for content and customization

When to Add New Sections Consider creating separate sections when you have distinct topics that deserve focused attention:

• Switching Topics: Moving from company background to service details
• Different Audiences: Content that appeals to different decision-makers
• Varied Content Types: Transitioning from text-heavy content to pricing tables
• Logical Breaks: Natural stopping points where readers might take a pause

Naming Your New Sections When you create a new section, it starts with a generic name like "Untitled Section." Take a moment to give it a descriptive name that makes sense for your content—this helps both you during editing and your readers as they navigate through the document.

Section Management and Organization

Keeping your sections well-organized is crucial for creating documents that tell a compelling story in logical order.

Accessing the Sections Panel The Sections Button in the left sidebar is your command center for document organization. Click it to slide open the sections list, where you can see your entire document structure at a glance. This view is particularly helpful when working with longer, more complex documents.

Reordering Sections with Drag and Drop Sometimes the perfect section order isn't obvious until you see your content taking shape. The sections panel makes reordering simple:

1. Open the Sections Panel from the left sidebar
2. Click and hold any section name
3. Drag it to the desired position in your document flow
4. Release to place the section in its new location

Strategic Section Ordering Think about your reader's journey when arranging sections:

• Opening Strong: Start with sections that capture attention and establish credibility
• Building Value: Follow with sections that demonstrate your expertise and solutions
• Presenting Investment: Move to pricing after you've established value
• Closing Confidently: End with clear next steps and compelling reasons to move forward

Advanced Section Management Options

For more precise control over your document structure, each section offers additional management options through its context menu.

Accessing Section Options

1. Open the Sections Panel
2. Locate the section you want to modify
3. Click the Three-Dot Menu (•••) next to the section name
4. Choose from the available options

Move Up and Move Down Options These options give you granular control over section positioning:

• Move Up: Shifts the section one position higher in your document
• Move Down: Moves the section one position lower in your document

This is particularly useful when you need to make small adjustments to section order without the drag-and-drop interface.

When to Use Menu vs. Drag-and-Drop

• Drag-and-Drop: Best for major reordering or when moving sections several positions
• Menu Options: Ideal for fine-tuning order or making single-position adjustments

Removing Sections

Sometimes less is more, and removing unnecessary sections can strengthen your document's impact.

Safe Section Deletion To remove a section you no longer need:

1. Navigate to the section in your document
2. Click the Delete Button (🗑️) at the top of the section
3. Confirm the deletion when prompted

Before You Delete: Consider These Alternatives

• Content Migration: Move valuable content to other sections before deleting
• Section Reuse: Consider if the section might be useful for future documents
• Template Integration: Save useful sections to templates for later use

What Happens When You Delete When you remove a section, all its content is permanently deleted. Make sure you've saved any content you might want to use elsewhere before confirming the deletion.

Section Design and Content Strategy

Effective section management goes beyond just organization—it's about creating a document flow that engages readers and guides them toward your desired outcome.

Content Balance Across Sections Consider how content weight distributes across your sections:

• Avoid Front-Loading: Don't put all your detailed information in early sections
• Maintain Engagement: Mix content types (text, images, tables) across sections
• Strategic Emphasis: Give more space to sections that directly address client concerns

Visual Flow Between Sections Each section transition is an opportunity to maintain reader engagement:

• Logical Progression: Ensure each section naturally leads to the next
• Consistent Styling: Maintain visual consistency while allowing for section-specific needs
• Clear Endings: Help readers understand when one topic concludes and another begins

Mobile Considerations Remember that many prospects will view your documents on mobile devices:

• Section Length: Very long sections can feel overwhelming on small screens
• Content Density: Consider breaking dense sections into multiple focused sections
• Navigation: Well-organized sections make mobile navigation much easier

Common Section Organization Patterns

Different types of documents benefit from different section structures. Here are some proven approaches:

Service-Based Business Structure

1. Cover
2. About Us
3. Understanding Your Needs
4. Our Approach
5. Service Details
6. Investment
7. Next Steps

Product Sales Structure

1. Cover
2. Executive Summary
3. Product Overview
4. Features & Benefits
5. Pricing Options
6. Implementation
7. Support & Warranty

Consulting Engagement Structure

1. Cover
2. Situation Analysis
3. Proposed Solution
4. Methodology
5. Timeline & Deliverables
6. Investment
7. Terms & Conditions

Troubleshooting Section Management

Sections Not Appearing in Expected Order If your sections seem out of order:

• Check the sections panel to verify the actual document structure
• Remember that changes in the panel immediately affect document flow
• Use the preview mode to see exactly how sections appear to readers

Difficulty Moving Sections If drag-and-drop isn't working as expected:

• Try using the menu options (Move Up/Move Down) instead
• Refresh your browser tab and try again
• Ensure you're clicking and holding on the section name itself

Content Formatting Issues After Section Changes If moving sections affects formatting:

• Check that section-specific styles are still applied correctly
• Verify that any section-dependent variables are still functioning
• Preview your document to ensure everything appears as intended

Best Practices for Section Success

Start with Structure Before diving deep into content creation, sketch out your section structure. This roadmap helps ensure your document tells a complete, compelling story without unnecessary detours.

Keep Sections Focused Each section should have a clear purpose and stick to it. If you find yourself covering multiple unrelated topics in one section, consider breaking it into separate, focused sections.

Test Your Flow Regularly step back and read through your section titles in order. Do they tell a logical story? Would a prospect understand the progression? Sometimes the best insights come from this high-level view.

Use Sections for A/B Testing Different prospects may respond to different approaches. Consider creating alternative sections for different situations—perhaps a technical details section for engineer evaluations and a business benefits section for executive reviews.

Regular Section Maintenance As your business evolves, so should your section templates. Regularly review and update your standard section structures to reflect your current best practices and market positioning.

Making Sections Work for Your Business

Sections are more than just organizational tools—they're strategic assets that can significantly improve your document effectiveness. By thoughtfully structuring your content into logical, focused sections, you make it easier for prospects to find the information they need and understand your value proposition.

The flexibility of Proposify's section system means you can adapt your document structure to match your unique business needs and client preferences. Whether you're creating comprehensive technical documents or concise executive summaries, sections help ensure your message comes across clearly and persuasively.

Remember, the best section structure is one that serves your readers first. When prospects can easily navigate your document and find relevant information quickly, they're much more likely to engage positively with your offering.

Need More Help? If you're looking to enhance your sections with compelling content, check out our guides on Working with Text Formatting and Styles and Adding and Managing Media in Documents. Our support team is also available through the in-app chat for personalized assistance with any section management questions.