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Step 7: Generate Your First Document

Time to complete: ~1 minute
What you'll do: Run your automation and generate your first document
What you'll need: All previous steps completed

This is the moment of truth - let's generate your first document and see Gdocify in action!

UI Navigation

Where to find it: Click the "Run" or "Generate" button, typically in the bottom-left area of the editor or in the automation dashboard.

Running Your Automation

  1. Go to your automation in Gdocify
  2. Click the "Run" or "Generate" button
  3. Choose which records to process:
    • All records: Generate documents for every record in your data source
    • Specific records: Select individual records to process
  4. Click "Generate Documents"

Watching the Generation Process

Once you click generate, you'll see:

  • Progress indicator: Shows how many documents are being generated
  • Status updates: Real-time feedback on the process
  • Success/error messages: Confirmation when each document is created

The process typically takes a few seconds per document, depending on:

  • Document complexity
  • Number of placeholders
  • Image processing (if using image placeholders)

Viewing the Generated Document

After generation completes:

  1. Check the status: You'll see a success message
  2. Open Google Drive: Navigate to the folder you configured
  3. Find your document: Look for the filename you specified
  4. Open and verify: Check that all placeholders were filled correctly

Understanding What Happened

Here's what Gdocify did:

  1. Read your data: Retrieved the record(s) from your data source
  2. Opened your template: Loaded the Google Doc template
  3. Replaced placeholders: Filled in each {{placeholder}} with actual data
  4. Applied formatting: Maintained your template's styling
  5. Generated output: Created the Google Doc and/or PDF
  6. Saved to Drive: Placed files in your specified folder

Verifying the Results

Check that:

  • ✅ All placeholders were replaced with data
  • ✅ Formatting looks correct
  • ✅ Document is saved in the right location
  • ✅ Filename matches your template
  • ✅ Content is accurate

What Happens Next?

If everything looks good, you're ready to scale up! Continue to Step 8: Test with Multiple Records to generate documents for all your data.

Troubleshooting

If something didn't work:

  • Missing data: Check that your placeholders are mapped correctly
  • Wrong location: Verify your result settings
  • Formatting issues: Review your template
  • Errors: Check the execution history for details

See our Troubleshooting Guide for more help.

Tips

  • Review carefully: Check the first document thoroughly before generating many
  • Make adjustments: If something's not right, fix it now before scaling
  • Celebrate: You just automated document generation! 🎉