A manager wants a list of open deals before the pipeline review. A rep needs a one-page proposal summary after a call. Usually that means copying data from Salesforce into Word, formatting it, exporting it and attaching it to an email by hand.
With AI Engine you can generate a PDF in Salesforce with AI directly from the record. Ask for it in the chat or pick a template your admin prepared. The PDF is built from your CRM data, partly written by the AI, styled in your company's look, and can be saved to Salesforce Files or attached to an email without leaving the page.
Two ways to generate a PDF in Salesforce with AI
| Ask in the chat | Use a template | |
|---|---|---|
| How you start | Type a request that mentions a PDF | Click π PDF on a record and pick a template |
| Good for | One-off documents, such as a list of your open opportunities | Repeatable documents, such as an account overview or a quote summary |
| Who designs it | The agent, from your request | Your admin, in the PDF Templates tab |
In the chat, type something like "Make a PDF with my open opportunities" or "Create a one-pager about this account". The agent collects the data, writes the text and shows a PDF card that moves from Generating PDF... to PDF ready. If you ask for a "report" without saying how, the agent asks How would you like it? and offers π¬ Show in chat (a chart in the chat) or π PDF document. For answers on screen, see Ask Salesforce questions in plain English.
From a template, open a record whose object has active templates and click π PDF in the Sales Agent's actions bar. Pick a template, untick any section you do not need under Select sections to include, and click β‘ Generate PDF. Full steps: Create PDF documents.
An AI proposal generator for Salesforce, built by your admin
A proposal summary or account one-pager usually mixes record facts, a list of related records and a few paragraphs of explanation. PDF templates are built around exactly that. An admin with the AI_Engine_Admin permission set opens Ai Agent Admin Setup, clicks π PDF Templates, sets the target object (such as Account, Opportunity or a custom object) and adds sections:
- Key Fields: field names and values of the record.
- Data Table: a list of related records, such as open opportunities.
- AI Generated Text: a paragraph the AI writes from the section's prompt.
- Static Text: fixed text, such as an introduction or a disclaimer.
Sections can be described in the designer's chat, dragged in from the π Fields panel or added by hand. π Preview generates the real PDF for a record you choose before users see the template.
One detail matters for the AI parts: an AI text section is written from its prompt and the record's name only, not the record's other fields. Put the facts the reader needs into a Key Fields or Data Table section next to it. Each AI text section is one AI request every time the PDF is generated, preview included; see What does AI in Salesforce cost to run?. The designer is covered in Design PDF templates.
One company look for every PDF
The PDF Settings tab sets one look for chat PDFs and template PDFs:
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Branding | Company name in the header, a PNG or JPG logo up to 98 KB, footer text |
| Colours | Primary and accent colour |
| Layout | Portrait or landscape A4; Helvetica, Times New Roman or Courier; three font sizes; filled, bordered or minimal sections |
| Options | Page numbers, on by default |
New settings apply to PDFs generated after saving. The Meet Prep brief is the exception, with its own β¬ Download PDF button and fixed layout (see AI meeting prep in Salesforce). Details: PDF settings.
Save to Files or attach to an email
When the PDF is ready, the card has three buttons:
- β¬ Download saves a copy to Salesforce Files and downloads it to your computer.
- πΎ Save saves the PDF to Salesforce Files.
- β Send Email saves the PDF to Files (unless you already saved it) and opens the β Send Email window with the PDF under ATTACHMENT.
Files are linked to the record you have open, or to your own Files if no record is open. β¬ Download always stores a new copy, so clicking both buttons leaves two. The email goes out through Salesforce as plain text, with you as the sender, and only when you click β Send. See Draft and send an email and AI email in Salesforce.
The PDF shows only what the user can see
PDFs are created in the browser, and the data in them is read with the user's own Salesforce access, so records and fields the user cannot see are left out. AI Engine does not store the full text of prompts and answers; the activity log keeps usage metadata plus a short error message when a call fails.
Limitations to know before you roll it out
- Fonts and accents. PDFs use standard fonts that cover Western European (Latin-1) characters. Many accented letters lose their accents (Ε becomes l, Γ© becomes e, ΓΌ becomes ue), and β¬ and Β£ print as EUR and GBP. Cyrillic, Greek and Asian scripts are left out. Only the PDF changes, not the data in Salesforce. For Polish, Czech or other languages with many diacritics, expect plain letters in the PDF.
- Tables show at most three columns, with common fields such as Name, Stage, Amount or Close Date first. Long values are cut to fit, and large tables take longer to generate.
- Key Fields labels use the field's API name (without
__c), not the field label. - Page size is A4.
Summary
- Ask for a PDF in the chat, or generate one from an admin template with π PDF.
- Templates combine key fields, related-record tables, AI-written paragraphs and fixed text.
- PDF Settings give chat and template PDFs the same branding and layout.
- Save the PDF to Files on the record, or attach it to an email in one click.
- Check accented characters and table width before using it for customer documents.
Want to generate a PDF from one of your own accounts? AI Engine is a native Salesforce package that works with your own OpenAI, Claude or Azure OpenAI key.
See AI Engine on your own data
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