> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.docexport.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.docexport.com/getting-started/item-level-vs.-board-level.md).

# Item Level vs. Board Level

DocExport always creates one of two document types. Choosing the right one upfront decides **which placeholders you use in your .docx template** and **how you can generate the PDF** - so it's worth getting this right before you build a template.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Quick rule:** Does your document describe **one record** or **a list of many**?

* One record (one client, one order, one task) → **Item Level**
* A table of many records (all tasks, all deals) → **Board Level**
  {% endhint %}

### Which one do I need?

|                       | Item Level                                                           | Board Level                                                                   |
| --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **What it contains**  | The data of **a single item** from your board                        | The **whole board** or specific columns (or filtered items) as a **table**    |
| **Typical use cases** | Contract, proposal, quote, invoice, certificate, letter, NDA         | Project report, timesheet, product/service list, lead pipeline, weekly status |
| **Placeholder style** | `{{Item.ColumnTitle}}`                                               | Word **merge tables** with `{{TableStart:Items}}` … `{{TableEnd:Items}}`      |
| **How you generate**  | Pick the item → preview → download (or one-click from the item card) | Board Print: group, filter, choose columns → preview → download               |

### A few examples

* **Item Level:** "Send this one client their contract." / "Create the invoice for this order." / "Generate a certificate for this attendee."
* **Board Level:** "Export all overdue tasks grouped by status." / "A weekly report of every deal in the pipeline." / "A product list of all warehouse items."

{% hint style="success" %}
**Mixing both is possible.** You can pull a table from **another board** into an item document, and you can **filter** a board document down to specific items. But the *base type* is always decided by the question above.
{% endhint %}

### Next step

Pick your path and follow it end to end:

* ➡️ [Item Level from A–Z](https://claude.ai/getting-started/item-level-from-a-z.md)
* ➡️ [Board Level from A–Z](https://claude.ai/getting-started/board-level-from-a-z.md)


---

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