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Mastering Contract Collaboration: Editing, Redlining, and Version Control

Overview: Collaborating on contracts requires precision. Whether you are fixing a typo or negotiating complex terms with multiple stakeholders, choosing the right tool for the job is essential. This guide outlines the best ways to utilize our editing capabilities, "Track Changes" integration, and sharing features to draft and finalize your contracts efficiently.

1. For Quick Fixes: In-App Editing

Sometimes you don't need a full review process; you just need to correct a date, a name, or a typo.

  • When to use it: Minor edits, spelling corrections, or quick updates that do not require a version history of who changed what.

  • How it works: Open the file directly in the In-App Viewer. You can edit text directly on the page.

  • Important Note: Edits made here will not generate redlines or "Track Changes." These changes are saved directly to the document but are not visually highlighted as "edits" for future viewers.

2. For Deep Collaboration: Word Integration

If you are on the Finalize or Maximize plan, you have access to our seamless Word integration. This is the gold standard for substantive drafting and negotiating.

The Workflow

  1. Open in Word: From the application, choose to open the file directly in Word on your Desktop or Office 365.

  2. Redline & Comment: Enable Track Changes in Word. You can now edit text, strike through clauses, and leave comments in the margins.

  3. Save Back Automatically: When you save the file in Word, those changes and comments save directly back into the system as a new version.

Internal Collaboration

Internal stakeholders with access to the system can view these new versions immediately. They can see the redlines and comments inside the application, or open the file back up into Word to accept/reject changes and reply to comments.

Pro Tip: This cycle ensures a "single source of truth" remains in the system, rather than scattered across various email attachments.

3. Best Practice: The Check-In / Check-Out Process

When multiple internal team members are working on the same document, version control is critical.

We strongly suggest leaning into the Check-In / Check-Out process.

  • Check-Out: Locks the file so others know you are currently working on it. This prevents two people from saving conflicting edits at the same time.

  • Check-In: Once you save your work back to the system, "Check-In" the file to unlock it for the next collaborator.

4. Collaborating with External Parties

When you need to send a draft to a counterparty or a stakeholder who does not have access to the system, you have two primary options:

Goal Recommended Method
Review Only Send from App: Send the file directly from the system. They receive a copy to review.
Co-Authoring Word Sharing: Open the file in Word (O365) and utilize Word's native sharing functionality. This unlocks direct redlining and commenting capabilities for external users, allowing them to participate in the editing loop before the file is saved back to the system.

5. Finalizing the Contract

Once the collaboration loop is complete:

  1. Open the file one last time in Word.

  2. Accept all changes and resolve all comments to create a clean copy.

  3. Save the clean version back to the system.

  4. Route the document for Approvals and Signing using the system's workflow tools.