> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getvirtualbrain.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Controlling the Output Format

> Five techniques that engineer the same layout on every run, plus cross-app consistency and keeping reasoning out of the deliverable

When an App runs many jobs, the results must come out in the same, or at least immediately recognizable, layout every time. Layout consistency is engineered, through five techniques.

## The five techniques

<Steps>
  <Step title="Specify the skeleton verbatim">
    Write the exact headers and table columns into the Output format section, character for character ("## Executive Summary", "| Criterion | Score (1-5) | Evidence | Risk |"). The Mainframe reproduces what you specify; it improvises what you leave open.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Give one concrete example">
    For any non-obvious format, one filled-in sample row or section beats three paragraphs of description. An example is the strongest formatting instruction you can give.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Prefer tables for structured results">
    Tables are the most layout-stable output: fixed columns force the same shape on every run. Use them for scores, comparisons, and checklists. Keep prose for narrative sections, and pin those down with fixed headers and length budgets ("3-5 sentences").
  </Step>

  <Step title="Design for simple rendering">
    VirtualBrain renders like a Word document: headers, bullets, numbered lists, and tables display cleanly. Nested structures, custom markup, or deep hierarchies degrade: keep formats flat.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Bound every section">
    Unbounded sections balloon differently on every run. "Exactly five risks, one line each" produces the same shape across jobs; "list the risks" does not.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Cross-app consistency

When several Apps produce the same family of deliverable (for example, assessment reports), reuse one "layout contract": the same header set and table shapes pasted into each App's final block. Users then recognize every result instantly, whichever App produced it.

## Keep reasoning out of the deliverable

If a block needs to reason extensively, do it in a Hidden upstream block and pass only the conclusion forward. The visible output stays clean and identically shaped.

<Note>
  Generated slides build on whichever template you pick: your own [personal slide templates](/features/personalization/document-templates), or the admin-managed [company templates](/features/admin-dashboard/slide-templates). Specify the section order in your prompt and the template handles the visual styling.
</Note>

## Next

<CardGroup cols={1}>
  <Card title="Prototyping with AI" icon="wand-magic-sparkles" href="/apps-academy/prototyping">
    Go from idea to working prototype in minutes with the built-in assistants.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>