An essay outline generator with a word budget for every section
This essay outline generator gives you a clear plan before you write. Choose the kind of essay — argumentative, expository, compare and contrast, narrative, cause and effect or a research paper — type your topic or thesis, choose how many body points you need and your target length, and you get a structured outline: the introduction with hook and thesis, a topic sentence, evidence and analysis slot for every body paragraph, a counter-argument where it belongs, and a conclusion that does more than repeat itself.
Each section gets a word budget worked out from your target, so a 1,000-word essay doesn’t end up with a 400-word introduction. Every heading and bullet is editable; add or remove points, then copy the outline as Markdown or as Word-friendly text, download it, or print it. The templates are written by hand and applied by fixed rules — no AI is involved and your text never leaves your browser.
How to use the Essay Outline Generator
- Choose the essay type and set the target length in words.
- Type your topic or, better, your one-sentence thesis statement.
- Choose the number of body points (or events, causes, sections). Optionally list your own main points, one per line, to fill the topic sentences.
- For compare and contrast, name subjects A and B and choose point-by-point or block organisation; for cause and effect, choose causes, effects or a chain.
- Press Generate outline, edit any line, then copy, download or print it.
Essay Outline Generator features
Six essay structures
Argumentative, expository, compare and contrast (two organisations), narrative, cause and effect (three structures) and research paper.
Word budget per section
Introduction and conclusion get about 10% each, a counter-argument about 15%, and body paragraphs share the rest evenly.
Your points built in
Main points you list become the topic sentences, and your thesis appears where your reader expects it.
Fully editable
Rename headings, rewrite bullets, add or remove points; edits are saved in this browser.
Copy, download, print
Markdown for notes apps, numbered plain text that pastes cleanly into Word or Google Docs, a .md file, or a clean printout.
How the word budget is calculated
Fixed sections take a share of the target and are rounded to the nearest 5 words: the introduction and conclusion about 10% each, an argumentative counter-argument 15%, a research paper’s literature review 15%, and a narrative’s climax 18%. Whatever remains is divided equally among the body sections, and the last body section absorbs any rounding so the total always matches your target.
For a 1,000-word argumentative essay with three reasons and a counter-argument, that is 100 words for the introduction, 215, 215 and 220 for the three body paragraphs, 150 for the counter-argument and 100 for the conclusion. As a rule of thumb, one paragraph holds roughly 100–200 words, so the outline also suggests a paragraph count.
Which essay structure should I use?
| Essay type | Purpose | Typical body sections |
|---|---|---|
| Argumentative | Persuade the reader to accept a claim | Reasons with evidence, then a counter-argument and rebuttal |
| Expository | Explain or inform, without taking sides | Main points, each explained with examples |
| Compare and contrast | Show similarities and differences and what they mean | Point by point, or all of A then all of B |
| Narrative | Tell a story that makes a point | Events that build to a climax, then reflection |
| Cause and effect | Explain why something happens or what it leads to | Causes, effects or a chain of links |
| Research paper | Answer a question using sources | Literature review, sections per sub-question, limitations |
Tips for turning the outline into an essay
- Write the thesis first: one sentence that someone could disagree with (for argument) or that states your controlling idea.
- Draft body paragraphs before the introduction — it is easier to introduce what you have already written.
- Keep each paragraph to one idea: topic sentence, evidence, analysis, link.
- Track sources as you go and format them with the citation generator; check your length with the word counter and your clarity with the readability checker.
Essay Outline Generator FAQ
How do I make an essay outline?
Decide your thesis, list the main points that support it, and arrange them as introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. The essay outline generator lays this out for six essay types and fills in your thesis and points.
How many words should each paragraph be?
In a typical school or college essay, 100–200 words. This tool budgets the introduction and conclusion at about 10% of the total each and splits the rest among body paragraphs.
What is a five-paragraph essay outline?
An introduction, three body paragraphs and a conclusion. Choose expository or argumentative, set 3 body points and untick the counter-argument for the classic five-paragraph structure.
Does this use AI?
No. The outlines come from fixed templates written for each essay type and simple rules for the word budget. Nothing is sent to a server. If you want an AI-written outline, the AI blog outline generator on this site can draft one.
Can I edit the outline?
Yes. Every heading and bullet is editable, and you can add or remove points. Your changes are saved in this browser and included when you copy, download or print. Pressing Generate again replaces them.
How do I paste the outline into Word or Google Docs?
Use “Copy for Word / Docs”: it copies numbered plain text with Roman numerals for sections and letters for points, which pastes cleanly into any word processor.