Blocks & formats
TMN doesn't pour an article out of a single template. It assembles each one from small building blocks — so no two articles share a fixed skeleton, and commercial blocks are placed by strategy rather than pasted on at the end. Think Lego, not templates.
Three block families
Every article is composed from blocks in three families:
Editorial blocks — the prose and structure: intros, sections, key takeaways, FAQs, step lists, conclusions. No product or profile data.
Product blocks — bound to a product (real, from your catalog, or AI-synthesized): product cards, comparison tables, pros & cons, rating breakdowns, where-to-buy.
Conversion blocks — bound to a profile: CTA, pricing, testimonials, trust signals. These carry the monetization in lead-gen and SaaS articles.
Blocks are rendered by Content Egg. For the full catalog and what each block looks like, see the Content Egg docs: EggBlocks introduction and the block reference.
Formats
A format is the kind of article — review, how-to, comparison, and so on. It's a genre guideline, not a rigid template: the AI decides the exact outline and block mix within the format's boundaries. TMN has 16 formats, in two groups:
Product-first formats — the article is built around products, so products are resolved before the outline is written. Examples: product reviews, roundups ("best of"), comparisons, alternatives, gift guides.
Content-first formats — the content comes first; where product slots fit, they're filled afterward with products relevant to that section. Examples: how-tos, buying guides, troubleshooting, explainers, FAQs.
See the Article formats reference for the full list.
How blocks and formats come together
You don't place blocks by hand. For each article, the AI composes the block mix from three inputs:
Format — sets the natural shape (a review reads differently than a how-to).
Intent — money/mixed articles include commercial blocks; info articles stay editorial.
Monetization model — decides whether the commercial blocks are product blocks or profile-driven conversion blocks.
A few blocks are simply switched on or off by your Generation Preset — for example price-comparison blocks, YouTube embeds, or the table of contents. Everything else is composed automatically.
What you control
Per article — set the Format and Intent in the node drawer; see Edit your Topic Map.
Which formats a plan may use — in the new-plan wizard, under Basics → Advanced settings → Allowed formats, you can limit TMN to specific formats. Leave it empty (recommended) so TMN picks the best format for each topic.
Across a plan — toggle optional blocks and writing style in your Generation Preset; see Use presets.
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