A Compiling Philosophy
The easiest way to think about compiling your project is that Scrivener give you multiple preset outputs for different ways to export your project. You can export it as a PDF, a simple text file, several different Microsoft Word formats, screenplays and various e-book formats. You can also use multi-markdown as well. These preset compile settings cannot be edited, however they can be duplicated. A duplicated copy of the default Compile Format settings can be edited and adjusted to fit your needs.
This series will review some of the same information in several different ways. By doing this, I hope this complex topic will become easier to understand. If one of my explanations does not make sense, then looking another way may help you understand.
The Compile command is probably the safest place in all of Scrivener to experiment with. It can’t and doesn’t change the underlying project, and you can’t change the Compile Formats that come with Scrivener only duplicate and then edit them.
My strong suggestion is to try one of the default templates for a sample output in any of the different formats you are thinking of outputting to. Look at the results to see if they already meet your needs. If the result is way off of what you want, then try a different one of the default templates.
Step 1 Organize and Decide:
First, check the Section Types and the Include in Compile status of all the documents in the Manuscript/Draft. The easiest way to do this is in the Outliner view and check the Include in Compile and Section Type columns.
Are all the documents in your Manuscript set to Compile?
Are the Different Section Types assigned correctly?
Is your novel divided by Acts or Parts and have these been assigned correctly?
Do your Chapters serve as simple dividing points in your novel or do they include text? Do all the chapters have the same Section Type?
Do your Scenes have Titles or just Text? Have all the Scenes been assigned the same Section Type?
Do you have a Prologue or an Epilogue? Have they been assigned the correct Section Type?
Are you including Front and Back Matter? Have they been assigned the correct Section Type?
Are you decide your novel structure how do check to make sure the correct Section Types are being used"
You can view this in the Outliner to get a big picture view and change incorrect settings in this view. (Section Type and Include in Compile are columns you can display in the Outliner.
You can do Project Searches by Section Type to make sure they have been assigned correctly.
You can check the third panel in the Compile Panel which displays the Compile Status and Section Type of all the files you have chosen to Compile and you can change this information in this panel.
You can check the Inspector’s Metadata tab as well.
Setting up the Outliner to check this should look like the image below.
Now check the third panel to make sure you have chosen the Manuscript to Compile and NOT something else.
#1. This is what you are compiling. Normally you are choosing the Draft/Manuscript folder for your novel. (A). However, you can choose the Current Selection (B) which will be the currently highlighted files in the Binder. Or you could choose (C) which is a Collection. This can be useful if you set up a test Compile collection. (see below)
#2. This is the Filter Icon and using this will further refine what documents are included to be compiled. There are various settings here which will be discussed later in this series.
Don’t leave setting up the compiler to the last minute, close to a deadline.
Pro Tip - Use Collections to create a mini version of your book elements to test the Compile Formats ahead of your deadline to work out the kinks. Include one or two chapters, your Front and Back Matter, any cover art, and an Acts (or Parts) page if have one. Having a small slice of the future book to practice on allows you to fine tune the appearance of the Compile output quickly and make adjustments as you go.
2. Decide your Output Format for the novel/project.
Will it be a Word document, screenplay, PDF, or ebook.
Each of these choices will have different options which must be chosen.
For example, for e-book formatting you should include a cover image, front matter, back matter and at least an Act, 1-2 Chapters, and several scenes with text. This will give you all the main elements you would find with an e-book. Trying a sample Compile will allow you to customize how your book outputs. The key point to remember with e-books is that each reader will view your file differently and may use different fonts as well so don’t worry so much about the perfect font. With e-books, the other element’s appearance, such as Chapters with Scenes with or without titles, is more important.
3. Choose a Compile Format.
You can use a default or custom format. Often the default format can serve as a starting point to begin with and tweak to get the output result you want. Who you are sending the Compile output will effect how you Compile your project.
For more choices and freedom about how you format your output other programs are available as well. Basic formatting for sharing projects for editing and beta reading are all well within Scrivener's capabilities. The basic settings for e-book should function reasonably well also.
These compile formats can be saved for just one project or be used systemwide. Project Formats are specific to one project. My Formats are systemwide. Whenever you are finished saving a format, you have the option to save it either as a Project Format or as a My Format.
You should export these custom Compile Formats and save them in a folder on your computer. Over time, Compile Formats can degenerate and begin to have errors. Keeping a pristine copy to use again and again will be helpful.
Pro Tip- As you are experimenting with a Compile Format, consider naming the versions, in case you decide you actually like an earlier version. By having the versions numbered or lettered, you can go back and select a version that you want rather than remembering what steps/settings you used to create it. When you are done, you can delete the version copies.
All settings not related to a specific Output type (word, pdf, ebook), are hidden when you switch file types. Any settings that would conflict or are not available for your current output type will not be shown in the Compile Format Designer, which is for editing aspects of the current format you are using. So, for example, the CSS pane will vanish when you switch to a PDF output format, but available if you switch formats. But if you change the font size for your Chapter Heading layout in one output, this will then change settings across various outputs. Settings which are universal across all Compile outputs will change if modified for a specific format. In most cases that is considered desirable. You wouldn’t want to have to redo everything if you switched from RTF to ODT for example.
When you are creating a project in Scrivener, you are creating CONTENT. You can give it (while writing) attributes that make it easier to create, such as comfortable fonts for you, spacing, notes, tags, etc. Those are for YOU (only) while you CREATE.
But sharing with others is a whole separate thing, and Scrivener knows it. That's why Compiling tends to be rather complicated.
4. Who/Why are you Compiling your Project for?
Who you are sending it to, may have very specific requirements.
A submission to an editor or publisher using their required formatting rules
Putting the manuscript into the format required for Kindle Direct Publishing
Submitting just a section of your work to a critique group
Submitting the required first chapter to a writing contest using the required formatting
5. Assign a formatting style (Section Layout) to every part (Section Type) of your Novel.6. The final novel/project output appearance is affected by:
The Section Layouts you choose, but also your choices on the Separators (spacing between different documents), Styles of font, text layout, and any Transformations. You will also need to look at Page settings which affect the appearance of the header and footer of each page.
7. Check the Settings in the third pane of the Compile Panel.
The options available here will change based on your chosen Compile output. The cogwheel icon has many setting on what to include or not for your compile output.
If you uncheck items to be compiled that will change their settings in the project as well. Changes in the third compile panel about Compile status and Section Type will be reflected in corresponding changes in your project. Changing these in the Project will change settings in the third panel of the Compile Panel.
Updated 8/30/25.