Register a work standard template file that your company uses, and you can export your Dive SOP in that format. Register the format your team uses in "Dictionaries / Templates", and select and use it from "Export" on the SOP details screen.
You can register Excel (.xlsx / .xlsm), Word (.docx / .docm), and PowerPoint (.pptx / .pptm) formats.
Available with the Enterprise plan. Team Administrators and above can register and delete formats. Anyone with permission to export an SOP can export. Use a PC browser.
What is an export format?
Dive's standard export outputs in the order Dive determines. When you use an export format, the SOP contents are transcribed into your organization's format while preserving gridlines, column widths, logos, headings, fonts, print settings, formulas, and macros exactly as they are.
In your file, write "merge tags" at the places where you want to insert content. The content corresponding to that tag goes into the location where you write the tag. Files with macros (.xlsm / .docm / .pptm) are exported while preserving the macros.
The only difference between formats is how the boxes expand
Steps are enclosed in a "box" from {{step_begin}} to {{step_end}} for each one. The writing method is the same for all three formats, but the behavior when steps increase differs.
| Format | How to place boxes | When steps increase |
|---|---|---|
| Word | Place only one box | Boxes increase by the number of steps |
| PowerPoint | If you place one step per slide, place only one box on that slide. If you place a table on one slide, the table row becomes the box | Slides or table rows increase |
| Excel | Place as many boxes as needed and write numbers like {{step_begin:1}} in the start tag | Do not increase. Unused boxes remain blank, and an error message appears if steps exceed the number of boxes |
Excel is different because adding or removing rows shifts the cell references that formulas, conditional formatting, print title rows, and macros reference. We design it so that no rows move at all.
Prepare a template
Create from a sample
When creating for the first time, using the samples provided by Dive as a foundation makes it faster.
- Open "Dictionaries / Templates" from the side menu
- "Templates" tab → Open "Export format"
- From "Excel sample template", "Word sample template", or "PowerPoint sample template", click the format you want to create
- Edit the downloaded file to match your company's format
If you already have a work standard file in use, you can also use it just by adding merge tags to that file.
Merge tags
Type the tag for the content you want to transcribe directly into the place where you want it. You can copy tags from the list on screen by clicking. If you type manually, a typo will leave that box empty, so copy and paste instead.
● Cover and shared
| Tag | Content that goes in |
|---|---|
| {{title}} | The SOP title |
| {{description}} | The SOP description |
| {{rev}} | Revision number (latest Rev) |
| {{cover_photo}} | The SOP cover image. It is pasted at a size that fits in the location where the tag is placed |
● Start and end of a step
| Tag | Content that goes in |
|---|---|
| {{step_begin}} | Start tag. One step begins here (for Word and PowerPoint) |
| {{step_begin:1}} | Start tag for arranging boxes. The number is the step number to be transcribed there (for Excel) |
| {{step_end}} | End tag. From the start tag to here is one step |
● Steps (tags to place between the start and end tags)
| Tag | Content that goes in |
|---|---|
| {{step_no}} | Step number (sequential from 1) |
| {{step_title}} | The step heading |
| {{step_detail}} | Work content |
| {{step_tips}} | Work tips |
| {{step_note}} | Quality Warning |
| {{step_safety}} | Important safety information |
| {{step_question}} | Question. Type (single choice etc.), question text and options |
| {{step_subtitles}} | The subtitles for that step (subtitles that are not displayed are excluded) |
| {{step_url}} | The URL to open that step. It becomes a clickable link |
| {{step_photo}} | The step image. It is pasted at a size that fits in the location where the tag is placed |
| {{step_qr}} | The QR Code to open that step. It is pasted at a size that fits in the location where the tag is placed |
● Revision history (1, 2, 3... newest first)
| Tag | Content that goes in |
|---|---|
| {{rev_begin}} | Start tag. Written the same way as for steps |
| {{rev_begin:1}} | Start tag for arranging boxes. The number is the number in newest-first order (for Excel) |
| {{rev_end}} | End tag. From the start tag to here is one history entry |
| {{rev_no}} | Rev number (with latest / editing indicators) |
| {{rev_comment}} | Revision details |
| {{rev_drafter}} | Proposer |
| {{rev_started}} | Proposal date |
| {{rev_approved}} | Approval date |
| {{rev_approvers}} | Approvers |
Determine where one step starts and ends
{{step_begin}} to {{step_end}} is one step. One step can span multiple rows or paragraphs. The end tag can be written on the same cell or paragraph as other tags. A dedicated row or column for the end tag is not needed.
Word places only one box. Boxes increase by the number of steps, so no numbers are needed.
PowerPoint: if you place one step per slide, place only one box on that slide. If you place a table on one slide, the table row becomes the box and rows increase. Only when you want to arrange two or more on one slide, write numbers the same way as Excel and arrange the boxes.
Excel: place as many boxes as needed and write numbers in the start tag. If you export an SOP with 15 steps, arrange 15 sets of {{step_begin:1}} to {{step_end}} boxes, changing the numbers.
Revision history works the same way; place {{rev_begin}} to {{rev_end}} as one entry.
Tips for creating templates
Common to all three formats
- Column order, width, gridlines, headings, fonts, and colors remain as they are. Feel free to edit to match your company's format
- Gather step tags in one place. If placed in both the body and the header, the header side will be blank
- Do not copy merge tags in the explanatory text within the template. Anywhere in the document, they are treated as real tags, and that explanation becomes a second box
- Page repetition and page numbers are handled by Word's table heading row and page numbers, Excel's print title row and &P / &N, so they do not break even when the number of steps changes
Excel
- Create one complete box, then copy and arrange them by changing numbers for speed
- Unused boxes remain as blank rows (gridlines do not disappear). Decide the number to arrange based on the paper size
- One tag fits in one cell and does not flow to the next row. For items that become long like work content, merge cells vertically or increase row height
- Images and QR codes are pasted at a size that fits in the cell where the tag is placed (or that range if merged). Do not overlay other shapes on the cell where photos are placed
- Type tags directly into cells. Tags in text boxes or shapes are not eligible
Word
- Place only one box. Rows increase by the number of steps
- Long text wraps automatically, so height adjustment is not needed
- You can also write tags in headers and footers. However, if you place something that expands by number of entries like revision history in the footer, the bottom of all pages will expand. We recommend placing revision history at the end of the body
PowerPoint
- Keep step boxes uniform in design. Mixing "one step per slide" and "table row" in one template makes it impossible to decide which to use from the second entry onwards
- Place the photo tag in a photo-only text box by itself. Since it is pasted to match the size and position of that shape, if you write it in the same box as the body text, it will overlap on the text
- Tags with only one value per document, like document name, description, revision, and cover photo, can also be placed in slide masters or layouts. You can use them in report headers printed on all pages. Step and revision history tags cannot be placed there because one master is shared by all slides and you cannot decide which entry to put in
- When writing on a slide master, draw a text box instead of a placeholder ("click to enter" box). Text inside a placeholder does not appear on the slide
- If you use a table row as a box, the table may extend beyond the bottom of the slide if there are many steps. For SOPs with many entries, "one step per slide" format is more suitable
Register an export format
- Open "Dictionaries / Templates" from the side menu
- "Templates" tab → Open "Export format"
- Click "Register an export format"
- Type the template name (Example: Our own work standard format). This name appears in the export menu
- Drop the file you created or click to select it
- Click "Register"
The registered format can be used by all team members. In the list, you can check the template name, file name, format, registration date, and person who registered. You can download the original file from "Open".
Item headings
In the list's "Item headings", you can toggle whether to add a heading like "Work tips:" before the body text when transcribing work tips, quality warnings, and important safety information. If your format column already has headings, setting it to "Do not add" makes it more readable.
Export an SOP
- Open the details screen of the SOP you want to export
- "Export" → Open the format type you want to use ("Excel", "Word", or "PowerPoint")
- "Standard" (Dive's standard order) and the names of registered export formats are listed
- Select the format you want to use
If no export formats of that type have been registered, "Excel", "Word", and "PowerPoint" appear as separate items as before, and export occurs in Dive's standard order.
When transcription does not work well
| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| The message "There is no place to insert Step ◯ in the template" appears and export does not occur | There are not enough boxes for the number of steps. Add the box with the number displayed in the message to the template. If you arrange boxes on one slide in PowerPoint, setting it to one box makes slides increase by the number of steps |
| The message "Merge tags are not found in the template" appears | Check whether tags are entered directly into cells, body text, or slides. In Excel, tags inside text boxes or shapes are not eligible |
| Only a specific box is blank | A tag typo is likely. Copy from the list on screen and paste again |
| The message "There is an error in the combination of start and end tags" appears | There is a place where only the start tag or only the end tag remains. Always enclose each box with both tags |
| The message "Because there are two or more boxes with the same number, the same content is transcribed in multiple places" appears | Numbers are duplicated when arranging boxes. Re-number them |
| The message "Because step tags also exist in the header and footer, those were left blank" appears | Step tags are split between the body and header/footer. Gather steps in one place |
| The message "Step and revision history tags cannot be placed on slide masters or layouts" appears | In PowerPoint, place step and revision history tags on slides. Only document name, description, revision, and cover photo can be placed on masters or layouts |
| The message "Tags written in a placeholder do not appear on the slide" appears | Draw a text box instead of a placeholder ("click to enter" box) on the slide master and write the tag inside |
| Photos do not fit or positions are off | In PowerPoint, place the photo tag in a photo-only text box by itself. In Excel, do not overlay other shapes on the cell where photos are placed |
| Revision history only partially enters | There are not enough revision history boxes. Only as many as will fit are transcribed in newest-first order, and a message appears at export time |
| Text is cut off | In Excel, cell height is insufficient. For items that become long, merge cells vertically or increase row height |