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

# Creating Reports from Scratch

> Build a report manually with your own title and structure

# Creating Reports from Scratch

While Finch Fusion excels at AI-powered report generation, you can also create a blank report and build it manually. This is useful when you want full control over the structure and content from the start.

## When to Use This Option

Creating a report from scratch is ideal when:

* You have a specific structure in mind that doesn't match standard report types
* You want to write content manually and use AI editing selectively
* You need a blank canvas to organize your own research
* You want to combine AI-generated sections with custom-written content

## Creating a Blank Report

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the New Report Dialog">
    Click the **New Report** button in the header bar to open the creation dialog.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Report from Scratch">
    Select the **Report from Scratch** option instead of AI-powered generation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter Report Details">
    Fill in the report details:

    * **Title** - Give your report a descriptive name
    * **Description** - Briefly describe the purpose or scope of the report
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create the Report">
    Click **Create** to generate a blank report. It will appear in your project's report list and open in the main content area.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Building Your Report

Once created, you can build your report by:

### Adding Sections

Click the **Add Section** button to create new sections. Each section has:

* A heading/title
* A content area where you can write or paste text

### Writing Content

Click on any section to activate the rich text editor. You can:

* Write content directly
* Format text with bold, italic, headings, and lists
* Add links and references
* Paste content from external sources

### Using AI Assistance

Even in a manually created report, you can use the chat panel to:

* Ask the AI to write or expand a section
* Request edits to existing content
* Get suggestions based on your uploaded documents
* Enrich sections with entity recognition

## Combining Approaches

A common workflow is to:

1. Create a blank report with your desired structure
2. Write some sections manually
3. Use the AI chat to generate content for other sections
4. Edit and refine all sections to your standards

<Tip>
  You can convert any finished report into a template for reuse. See [Creating Templates](/templates/creating-templates) for details.
</Tip>

## Comparison: AI-Powered vs. From Scratch

| Aspect        | AI-Powered                          | From Scratch                |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------- | --------------------------- |
| Structure     | Auto-generated based on report type | You define the structure    |
| Content       | AI-written from your documents      | You write the content       |
| Speed         | Fast (2-5 minutes)                  | Depends on your writing     |
| Customization | Edit after generation               | Full control from the start |
| Best for      | Standard report formats             | Unique structures           |