Article Summary
AutoRFP.ai automatically detects dropdown fields and table columns in your RFP documents and uses them to enhance response accuracy. You can customize the criteria for these fields and configure conditional response generation based on compliance values. This guide explains how to configure dropdown criteria, skip response generation for specific compliance options, and update settings after project creation.
Estimated Time
2-5 minutes
Prerequisites
Active AutoRFP project with detected dropdown fields or compliance columns
Understanding of your typical compliance response requirements
Edit permissions for the project
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Create Project and Access Dropdown Configuration
Navigate through the project creation workflow in AutoRFP until you reach the Importer Screen.
Navigate to the requirements table where dropdowns or compliance columns are displayed.
Locate the dropdown field or compliance column you want to configure.
Click the pop-out box icon next to the field to open the customization window.
Step 2: Review and Customize Selection Criteria
In the customization window, click "Show Criteria for Selection" to view the current criteria settings.
Review the automatically generated criteria (for detected Excel dropdowns) or add custom criteria (for custom dropdowns and horizontal compliance columns).
For Automatically Detected Dropdowns:
The criteria will be pre-populated based on the dropdown options found in your Excel document. Review these to ensure they match your intended compliance values.
For Custom Dropdowns or Compliance Columns:
If no criteria are populated, you can manually add custom criteria that define what each compliance option means. This helps AutoRFP understand how to respond based on different compliance selections.
Step 3: Configure Conditional Response Generation
What This Feature Does: Some RFP requirements only need a written response conditionally based on your compliance status. For example, you might only need to provide an explanation when compliance is marked "No" but not when marked "Yes."
Click the pop-out button next to the compliance field to open your compliance options.
2. Click the toggle "Skip response generation for some options" to enable conditional response generation.
3. Select which compliance options you would like AutoRFP.ai to SKIP (not generate responses for).
Example Scenario:
If a requirement asks "Do you comply with SOC 2 Type II certification?" and your answer is "Yes," you may not need additional explanation. Configure AutoRFP.ai to skip response generation for "Yes" selections and only generate responses when marked "No."
Step 4: Complete Project Creation
After configuring all dropdown criteria and conditional response rules, continue with your standard project creation process.
Select your content sources and configure response settings.
Click Create Project to finalize.
What Happens Next:
AutoRFP.ai will draft responses to your compliance fields and text responses based on your customization settings, automatically skipping response generation for compliance options you've configured to skip.
Managing Compliance Settings After Project Creation
Editing Selections and Compliance on Live Projects
You can revisit and modify your dropdown configurations and compliance settings at any time after project creation.
Navigate to your project and click Edit Project.
Select Edit Selections to access your requirements table.
Update your selections, compliance criteria, or conditional response rules as needed.
Re-run responses where appropriate to apply the new settings.
💡 Tips & Best Practices
Configure during initial setup - Set up conditional response rules during project creation to avoid re-running responses later
Use skip logic strategically - Only skip responses for compliance values that truly need no explanation (e.g., "Yes" for straightforward requirements)
Document your criteria - For custom dropdowns, write clear criteria that accurately reflect your compliance definitions
Test with a small batch first - When updating compliance settings on live projects, test changes on a few requirements before applying broadly. Re-generating requirements can permanently delete historical work
✋🏼 Common Mistakes to Avoid
Over-using skip logic - Don't skip responses for compliance options that might benefit from supporting detail or context
Deleting requirements without review - Always carefully review the change overview before confirming deletions; they cannot be recovered
Inconsistent criteria definitions - Ensure custom criteria align with how your organization actually defines compliance levels
Forgetting to re-run responses - After updating compliance settings on live projects, remember to re-run affected responses to apply changes
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📚 Learning Centre: learn.autorfp.ai/en