Produce a formatted output

Tool: Cowork
Source status: Mostly liftable from Agent Academy

A good Cowork run should produce something you can reuse: a brief, a table, a document, a spreadsheet, a PDF, a draft email, or a checklist. The trick is to define the shape before Cowork writes.

Steps

1. Decide the output format before you run the task: markdown, Word document, Excel table, PDF, email draft, or Teams-ready summary.
2. Add an output contract to your prompt or skill. Name the exact sections, fields, and order.
3. Tell Cowork what to do when data is missing. Use a rule like: If unknown, write "unknown" and list what evidence would resolve it.
4. Use built-in skills when they help:
   • Word for polished documents.
   • Excel for rows, comparisons, calculations, and tracking.
   • PDF for reading or packaging fixed documents.
   • Email for composing, replying, forwarding, sending, or saving drafts.
5. Ask for a first draft in markdown if you need to inspect the structure.
6. After the structure is right, ask Cowork to convert it: Create this as a Word document or Put the table into Excel with one row per item.
7. Save the output contract inside your reusable skill so every run returns the same shape.

You'll know it worked when... a second run produces the same sections in the same order, even when the input data changes.

Example output contract

## Output contract

Return exactly these sections:

1. Executive summary — 3 bullets max.
2. Evidence table — one row per source with date, source type, claim, and confidence.
3. Recommended action — one paragraph.
4. Risks — bullets, each with owner and mitigation.
5. Open questions — only questions that block action.

Formatting rules:
- Use markdown headings.
- Do not merge sections.
- If a field is missing, write "unknown".
- Keep the whole output under one page unless I ask for detail.

Stable shapes make agents useful

Re-running only works when the output shape is predictable. If yesterday's answer is a memo and today's answer is a poem, you cannot compare them.

Apply it to your scenario

Pick the artifact your scenario needs at demo time. Then define its contract in the skill: section names, field names, length limits, and missing-data behavior. Use Word, Excel, PDF, or Email only when that format makes the result easier to use.