AI Document Editor Agents: Structure-Safe Edits Across Formats

Apply edits to structured documents without breaking format, numbering, or schema constraints.

1 min readBy Morph Engineering Team
DOCX
Office Docs
XML/HTML
Structured
Markdown
Docs + KB

What Document Agents Need

Documents are structured data with strict rules. Morph Apply protects those rules while still allowing fast edits.

Structure Preservation

Keep tables, numbering, and schemas intact while updating text or sections.

Format‑Safe Updates

Apply edits without breaking markup, tags, or embedded metadata.

Reviewable Output

Return a clean merged file that can be diffed and audited before publishing.

Minimal Apply Payload

Use the same apply contract across formats. The “code” can be XML, HTML, Markdown, or DOCX‑derived text.

Instruction + Document + Update

<instruction>Update the warranty section to 24 months and keep numbering</instruction>
<code>1. Warranty
We provide a 12 month warranty...
2. Returns...</code>
<update>Change 12 month to 24 month in section 1 only.</update>

Failure Modes to Avoid

Document automation fails when structure breaks. Protect against these with explicit apply steps.

Common Pitfalls

  • Reordered list numbering or missing sections.
  • Broken XML/HTML tags or invalid attributes.
  • Accidental removal of placeholders or signatures.
  • Inconsistent terminology across versions.

Ship Trustworthy Document Agents

Apply structured edits without corrupting formatting or schema constraints.