This white paper template is a fill-in outline for anyone writing a white paper: a B2B company explaining a problem and its approach, a research group writing for decision makers, or a public body setting out proposals. Copy the block below, replace each prompt with your own text and keep the word counts in mind. It follows the white paper format most organisations use, with notes on each section, a filled example and layout advice underneath.
The white paper template (copy this)
Select the block, copy it, and paste it into your document. Square brackets are the parts you replace. Word counts assume a 3,000-word white paper; scale them to your length.
[TITLE: the problem or the outcome, 6 to 12 words]
[SUBTITLE: the approach, in plain words]
[Organisation] | [Author(s)] | [Month and year]
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (150 to 250 words, one page at most)
The problem in one sentence, with one cited number.
Why it matters now. The approach in two sentences.
The main recommendation. What the reader should do next.
KEY TAKEAWAYS: 3 to 5 bullets a reader could repeat.
1. INTRODUCTION (about 200 words)
Who this paper is for. What it covers and what it does not.
What the reader will be able to decide after reading it.
2. THE PROBLEM (about 450 words)
2.1 What is wrong or changing: [with 2 to 3 cited data points]
2.2 Who it affects and what it costs: [time, money, risk, people]
2.3 Why current approaches fall short: [fairly, without naming rivals]
3. WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS (about 600 words)
3.1 Finding 1: [what the research shows, cited; how strong it is]
3.2 Finding 2: [...]
3.3 Where the evidence is weak, mixed or from another setting
4. THE APPROACH (about 650 words)
4.1 The principles: [what any good solution must do, from the evidence]
4.2 How the approach works: [method, product or programme]
4.3 Results so far: [your own data, labelled as yours]
4.4 Limits: [when this approach is not the right choice]
5. IMPLEMENTATION (about 400 words)
Steps | Timeline | What it takes (people, cost, systems) | Risks
6. RECOMMENDATIONS (about 250 words)
1. [Specific action] for [who], first step: [...]
2. [...]
3. [...]
7. CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEP (about 150 words)
The case in three sentences. One clear next step and how to take it.
ABOUT [ORGANISATION OR AUTHORS] (about 80 words)
Who wrote this and why they are qualified to. Contact.
REFERENCES (one style throughout, e.g. APA 7)
FIGURES TO MAKE: 2 to 4 charts or tables, each with its data and source
Notes on each section
The white paper structure works because each part answers a question the reader has at that point. If your organisation's format merges two parts, keep both jobs.
| Section | What the reader checks | Common fault |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Is this about my problem? | A product name with no problem in it |
| Executive summary | Could I act on this page alone? | A table of contents in prose |
| Introduction | Is this paper for me? | Company history |
| The problem | Is it real, current and costly? | Numbers with no source |
| The evidence | Can I trust these claims? | Only the studies that agree |
| The approach | Does it follow from the evidence? | The product before the principles |
| Implementation | What will it take me? | No costs, no risks |
| Recommendations | What exactly should I do? | "Consider exploring options" |
| Conclusion | What is the one next step? | Three calls to action |
For the reasoning behind each section, read how to write a white paper. For page counts, fonts and layout, see the white paper format post.
A filled example (invented)
Example only. The organisation, product and numbers are invented to show the level of detail each section needs. Citations are left as (Author, Year) placeholders.
Title: Keeping Vaccines Cold Between Deliveries
Subtitle: Continuous fridge monitoring for hospital pharmacies
Executive summary (excerpt): Vaccine fridges in hospital pharmacies are often checked by hand twice a day, so a failure overnight can go unnoticed for hours (Author, Year). Discarded stock costs money and can delay clinics. This paper reviews what is known about temperature excursions in hospital storage, sets out what a monitoring system must do, and describes one approach: wireless sensors that alert staff within minutes. We recommend that pharmacies map their current checks against the three requirements in section 4 before choosing any system.
Key takeaways:
- Manual checks can miss excursions that happen between readings.
- Any monitoring system should log continuously, alert a named person and keep an audit trail.
- [Organisation] reports that in its pilot at [number] sites, [result as stated in the pilot report].
Recommendation 1: Pharmacy managers should record, for one month, every fridge check and its time, so the size of the gap between checks is known before buying anything.
For complete white papers of each kind, with notes on what each does well, see the white paper examples post.
Layout and design notes
- One idea per page spread. Put a heading, a short paragraph and a figure together; readers skim headings and figures first.
- Pull out the numbers. Each key statistic can sit in a callout, with its source under it.
- Use the organisation's template, but keep body text at a readable size and the executive summary on one page.
- Figures need sources. Every chart says where its data came from, in the caption.
- End with the next step and a contact, not a full-page advert.
How to fill this template in AI for Research
You can fill the template by hand, open it blank in the editor, or have the White paper module draft it from your topic.
- Open the Writing Studio and choose White paper under Deliverables.
- Enter the topic, then pick the kind (problem–solution, scientific, technical, policy, industry report, backgrounder or numbered list), the reader and the voice: educational and neutral, or make the case for your approach.
- Under Write, pick the whole white paper or one part: executive summary; the problem; what the evidence says; the approach; or recommendations and next steps.
- Paste or upload your own material (your approach, product or results). It is used exactly as given; anything missing becomes a [placeholder].
- The draft comes back with a title, subtitle, the sections, citations to real papers and a Suggested figures section. Open it in the editor, where citations stay live in your chosen style, then export to Word or PDF.
| Way to fill it | What you get | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Copy the block above | The outline as text | 0 |
| Writing Studio, blank White paper template | Headings with a hint under each, in the editor | 0 |
| White paper module, one section | One section, cited | 3 |
| White paper module, whole paper | A full first draft with suggested figures | 15 |
The Free plan has 45 credits a month. See pricing for paid plans. Without an account, the free white paper generator drafts about 1,500 words.
What this template and the AI do not do
- There is no Word or PDF download of the template. Copy it, or open it in the editor and export from there.
- Neither the template nor the AI designs the paper. Layout is your design team's or your template's job.
- The AI does not know your product, prices, customers or results unless you give them. It leaves placeholders.
- It never invents statistics or case studies, so a paper with no data of your own will have gaps to fill.
- Your organisation's legal or compliance review still applies to any claim about a product.
Other white paper templates
- Technical white paper template: architecture, requirements, performance and a comparison table.
- Policy white paper template: proposals, options considered and consultation questions.
- Scientific white paper: the state of the science for decision makers.
Last updated 2026-11-13