Cover Letter Template System and Migration

Goals

Add template system alongside existing single-pass AI generation
Enable users to create reusable cover letter templates with consistent structure
Migrate single-pass generation to use default template under the hood
Handle missing job data gracefully with fallback system
Provide choice: quick generation vs. customized control

Problem Statement

Current: Single-pass AI generation with no reusability or user control over structure

Solution: Hybrid approach - keep single-pass for quick users, add templates for power users

Example Templates

Default Template (Single-Pass Replacement):

{{COVERLETTER_HEAD}}

{{COPILOT_GENERATE_ALL}}

{{COVERLETTER_SIGNATURE}}

Custom Template Example:

{{COVERLETTER_HEAD}}

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am excited to apply for the {{JOB_TITLE}} position at {{COMPANY_NAME|"your organization"}}. 

{{COPILOT_COMPANY_APPEAL}}

My background includes {{MY_YEARS_EXPERIENCE}} years in software development, with expertise in {{MY_KEY_SKILLS}}. {{COPILOT_EXPERIENCE_HIGHLIGHT}}

{{COPILOT_ROLE_FIT}}

I am {{MY_AVAILABILITY|"available immediately"}} and would love to discuss how I can contribute to your team's success.

{{COVERLETTER_SIGNATURE}}

Variable Resolution Example:

{{COMPANY_NAME|"your organization"}} → Job Tracker: "Stripe" → AI Extract: "Stripe Inc." → Inline: "your organization" → User Default: "the hiring company" → System: "your organization"
{{JOB_TITLE}} → Job Tracker: missing → AI Extract: "Software Engineer" → User Default: "this role" → System: "this opportunity"
{{USER_FULL_NAME}} → Always available from user profile: "John Smith"
{{MY_CERTIFICATION}} → User-defined content: "AWS Certified Solutions Architect"

Core Requirements

Feature Checklist

MVP Features

[X] Template system alongside existing single-pass AI generation
[X] Create/edit/delete custom templates
[X] Variable substitution system ({{VARIABLE}} syntax)
[X] 5 static variables: COMPANYNAME, JOBTITLE, USERFIRSTNAME, USERLASTNAME, USERFULLNAME, USER_EMAIL, DATE
[X] 2 structural variables: COVERLETTERHEAD, COVERLETTERSIGNATURE (customizable)
[X] 1 e2e AI variable: COPILOTGENERATEALL (replaces single-pass generation)
[X] 3-5 granular AI variables (COPILOTCOMPANYAPPEAL, COPILOTROLEFIT, etc.)
[X] Basic custom variables (user-defined static text)
[X] Fallback system with inline overrides for missing data variables: {{COMPANY_NAME|"custom fallback"}}
[X] User-wide fallback configuration for COMPANYNAME and JOBTITLE only
[X] AI extraction toggle setting to attempt extraction from job descriptions
[X] Default template using COPILOTGENERATEALL
[X] 2-3 additional default templates (Professional, Technical)
[ ] Template editor with variable insertion
[X] Cover letter generation from templates
[X] Edit generated cover letters
[X] Migrate single-pass to use default template under the hood

Technical Requirements

[X] TipTap editor integration for templates
[ ] Variable validation and syntax highlighting
[X] AI prompt system for COPILOT_ variables
[X] Template storage and management
[X] Customizable head/signature configuration interface
[X] User-wide fallback settings panel (for COMPANYNAME, JOBTITLE only)
[X] AI extraction toggle setting
[ ] Inline fallback override parsing ({{VARIABLE|"fallback"}} syntax)

Nice-to-Have

[ ] Template preview with sample data
[ ] Variable testing interface
[ ] A/B testing between single-pass and template approaches
[ ] Template analytics
[ ] Performance optimization for AI calls

Implementation Notes

Variable Types:

Static: {{COMPANY_NAME}}, {{JOB_TITLE}}, {{USER_FIRST_NAME}}, {{USER_LAST_NAME}}, {{USER_FULL_NAME}}, {{USER_EMAIL}}, {{DATE}}
Structural: {{COVERLETTER_HEAD}}, {{COVERLETTER_SIGNATURE}} (user-customizable)
AI E2E: {{COPILOT_GENERATE_ALL}} (full cover letter generation)
AI Granular: {{COPILOT_COMPANY_APPEAL}}, {{COPILOT_ROLE_FIT}}, {{COPILOT_EXPERIENCE_HIGHLIGHT}}
Custom: {{MY_CERTIFICATION}}, {{MY_AVAILABILITY}} (user-defined static text)

Fallback System:

Inline Override: {{COMPANY_NAME|"your organization"}} (template-specific override)
User-Wide Defaults: Global fallbacks for missing data variables only (COMPANYNAME, JOBTITLE)
AI Extraction Toggle: User setting to enable AI extraction of missing company/job info from job descriptions
System Defaults: Built-in fallbacks ("this opportunity", "your organization")

Fallback Priority for Missing Data Variables (COMPANYNAME, JOBTITLE):

Job Tracker data (if job saved)
AI extraction from job description (if user enabled + job description available)
User-configured fallback (inline or user-wide setting)
System default fallback ("this opportunity", "your organization")

No Fallbacks Needed:

User Variables: {{USER_*}} - we always have this data
Custom Variables: {{MY_*}} - user defines the content directly
Structural Variables: {{COVERLETTER_HEAD/SIGNATURE}} - user customizes or uses defaults

Head/Signature Customization:

Default {{COVERLETTER_HEAD}}: "{{USERFULLNAME}}\n{{DATE}}"
Default {{COVERLETTER_SIGNATURE}}: "Best regards,\n{{USERFULLNAME}}"
Users can override with custom formatting, additional contact info, etc.

Migration Strategy:

Keep existing single-pass generation UI
Behind the scenes, convert to use default template with {{COPILOT_GENERATE_ALL}}
Add "Customize Template" option for users who want more control

Success Metrics

Template adoption rate among power users
Retention of quick-generation users after migration
User satisfaction with both generation methods
Variable resolution success rate (target >95%)
Time to generate cover letter (maintain current speed for default template)lo

Simplify