Writing recipes

Start with a visible result

Each recipe names the context, the exact request, what success looks like, and how to recover. The screenshots use the in-app assistant, where the context chip names its scope. The rewrite example uses the selection quick action, so that result has proposal, Apply, and Undo controls. An ordinary freeform request may update the document directly. In the standalone Mac edition, the local Claude or Codex plugin can run the same document recipes. Name the exact TextText path in your request, read the updated document, and ask for a smaller correction if needed.

Turn notes into a Living brief

Before you start: Put the source notes in one folder, open that folder, and connect an agent.
Ask: Read the notes in this folder and create a Living brief. State the audience and purpose. Give every source an ID and captured version, give every factual claim an ID and supporting evidence, and keep the source-to-claim relationship visible. Add three concise writing rules. Do not invent evidence or publish anything.
Success: A Living brief appears with readable prose, an addressable claims ledger, a source ledger, and writing rules.
Undo or recover: Open the brief and choose Check what changed in my sources. Refresh only the claims TextText marks as affected.

This is the real Living brief renderer, not a diagram. Open the example to inspect its claims, sources, evidence, and writing rules.

Next, open the brief and choose Create a publication draft. The agent uses only supported claims and enabled publication rules, keeps the source references visible, and leaves the result private.

Draft from notes

Before you start: Open the notes folder or the source notes, and connect an agent.
Ask: Read the notes in this folder. Create a new article that preserves the concrete facts, groups related ideas, and marks any unanswered questions. Do not publish it.
Success: A new article appears with the source ideas organized into a readable draft.
Undo or recover: Open the new article to review it. Move the draft to Trash if you do not want to keep it.

TextText Notes folder beside Claude after a request to draft an article in Blog — Left: the source folder stays visible while the assistant completes the request. Right: the finished result is a real, private draft in Blog.

TextText Blog showing the newly created article What makes quiet tools work — Left: the source folder stays visible while the assistant completes the request. Right: the finished result is a real, private draft in Blog.

Rewrite a selection

Before you start: Use the in-app assistant, open a document, and select only the passage you want to change.
Ask: Rewrite the selected text for clarity and rhythm. Preserve its meaning, facts, links, and point of view. Change nothing outside the selection.
Success: The proposal names the selected passage and previews the replacement before it is applied.
Undo or recover: Choose Undo beside the applied proposal to restore the original selection.

TextText rewrite preview comparing the selected original sentence with a clearer replacement before Apply — Review the exact replacement, apply it, and keep Undo within reach.

TextText after applying the clearer sentence, with Undo still available beside the proposal — Review the exact replacement, apply it, and keep Undo within reach.

Find related work

Before you start: Open the document whose subject should guide the search.
Ask: Find the TextText items most closely related to this document. Return a short list with one sentence explaining each connection. Do not change any documents.
Success: The response names specific workspace items and explains why each one is relevant.
Undo or recover: No document changes are made. Narrow the topic or folder and ask again if the list is too broad.

Capture a conversation

Before you start: Use a connected AI app with a conversation worth keeping.
Ask: Save this conversation to TextText as a note. Use a clear title, keep the useful decisions and context, and include the source conversation link when available.
Success: A new note appears in TextText with a readable title and the useful conversation context.
Undo or recover: Move the captured note to Trash, or edit it directly if only part of the capture is wrong.

Publish and collaborate

Before you start: Use the standalone native assistant or hosted MCP, open a finished article, and know who should receive access.
Ask: Prepare this article for publication, then ask for confirmation before publishing it. After it is live, invite editor@example.com as an editor and report the public link.
Success: The agent asks before the guarded actions, then shows the public link and collaborator after confirmation.
Undo or recover: Unpublish the article or remove the collaborator from Share settings.

Update a project changelog

Before you start: Open the project record or tell the agent its exact TextText path.
Ask: Update this project's TextText changelog with the work completed today. Add one concise user-facing entry, do not duplicate an existing entry, and keep the previous history intact.
Success: The project record gains exactly one new entry that describes the completed outcome.
Undo or recover: Edit the entry directly, or ask the agent to remove the duplicate and read back the final changelog.

Keep the request small

Start with one document and one outcome. Review the visible result, then continue. For setup, use the AI connection guide. For exact tool behavior, use the MCP reference.