Writing drafts
Writing a draft
The compose bar, post settings, automatic topics and tones, and how to aim a draft at just one or two platforms.
Updated
Everything starts in the compose bar at the bottom of the window. Type an idea, press Return, and Postout writes a draft for each platform you’ve selected.
What to type
Write the idea the way you’d explain it to someone, not the way you’d want the post to read. Postout handles the shaping. Good prompts tend to include:
- What happened or what you think. “Finished my first 10k this morning.”
- One specific detail. “Eleven weeks of training, and the last mile was the fastest.”
- A link, if there is one. Postout reads linked pages for context. See Using links in a prompt.
On iPhone and iPad, the compose bar grows as you type. Press Return to create; on a hardware keyboard, the same works on Mac and iPad.
Post settings
The Post settings button beside the compose bar opens the options for the next draft:
- Provider: which AI model writes this draft. Only providers you’ve set up appear here. See Choosing an AI provider.
- Topic: file the draft under a topic and steer it toward that subject. See Topics.
- Tone: pick one or more tone tags to nudge the style.
- Platforms: All Platforms is on by default. Turn it off to pick individual platforms, for example when an idea only makes sense on LinkedIn.
Each section has an Edit button that jumps to the matching list if you want to add or change entries.
Automatic topic and tone
If you don’t choose a topic or tone, Postout can pick them for you based on what you wrote. These are on by default and live in Settings → General → Drafts:
- Auto-Generate Topic: files the draft under a fitting topic, creating one if needed.
- Auto-Generate Tone: adds a tone tag that fits the idea.
If you turn off Auto-Generate Topic, Postout opens Post settings before creating so you can pick one yourself.
Confirming before you create
Prefer to review settings every time? Turn on Settings → General → Drafts → Confirm Settings Before Creating. Pressing Return then opens Post settings first, and you tap Create from there.
Starting a new draft
Tap New Post in the toolbar (or press ⌘N on Mac) to clear the detail view and start fresh. Your tone tags and platform choices carry over so you can keep working in the same context.
When a draft is already open, the compose bar’s button changes from Create to Reroll, which rewrites that draft. See Editing and rerolling drafts.
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