template-engine_skill

Overview

This skill automates filling document templates with structured data, effectively providing a mail-merge engine for any file format. It supports Word, Excel, PowerPoint and plain formats using Jinja2-style placeholders and simple Python helpers. Use it to generate personalized letters, reports, certificates, invoices, and bulk document batches.

How this skill works

Define templates containing Jinja2-style placeholders (e.g., {{ name }}, {% if %}, {% for %}). Provide a data mapping or CSV and the skill renders each template with the supplied values, saving output files per record. Backends include docxtpl for Word, openpyxl for Excel, python-pptx for slides, and simple string replacement for plain text or CSV-driven mail merges. Bulk operations iterate over CSV rows to produce one output per row.

When to use it

• Generate personalized letters, contracts, or certificates at scale
• Create recurring reports or dashboards populated from data exports
• Produce invoices or packing slips from order data
• Auto-fill forms and application templates with user-provided fields
• Batch-generate marketing or onboarding materials for mailing

Best practices

• Use clear, consistent placeholder names (e.g., {{ client_name }})
• Validate and normalize data before rendering to avoid broken outputs
• Provide default values or conditional blocks to handle missing fields gracefully
• Keep templates under version control and document expected data keys
• Test with small sample datasets before running full bulk jobs

Example use cases

• Mail merge welcome letters from a contacts CSV into individual DOCX files
• Generate monthly performance reports by rendering Excel templates with metrics
• Create course completion certificates from a list of participant names and achievement data
• Produce customized PowerPoint decks for client pitches using a single template
• Auto-fill regulatory or legal forms from structured application data