Prepare a contract version comparison for review
Show what changed between two contract editions. Keep changed wording connected to the original pages for the reviewer.
How this works
Show what changed between two contract editions. Keep changed wording connected to the original pages for the reviewer.
Produce a reviewable comparison between two editions of the same agreement. Separate text movement and formatting changes from altered duties, money, dates and definitions, without treating the assistant’s interpretation as legal advice.
Before you start
Defined operating scope
Revised agreements circulate before approval and require manual comparison.
Required source material
Obtain Previous contract; Revised contract. If connectors are unavailable, use authorized files with the same fields.
Decision and exception rules
A clause moved without wording changes. Mark it moved and retain both locations.
Prepare the inputs
- agreement_id
- Required
String
Both files must concern the same agreement.
- previous_version
- Required
Document with version date
Keep complete text and pagination.
- revised_version
- Required
Document with version date
Identify annexes and missing pages.
- comparison_scope
- Required
Sections and material field list
State whether schedules and attachments are included.
Implementation, step by step
Establish the working record
- Confirm the selected records, effective versions and responsible owner.
- Check agreement_id, previous_version, revised_version, comparison_scope before beginning. Record the source version and the selected scope; an unavailable value stays unknown rather than becoming an inferred fact.
Checkpoint: The input record identifies the selected agreement_id and any missing required fields.
Confirm both files belong to the same agreement
- Verify document identity, page completeness and the revision sequence before comparing.
- Spot-check every monetary and deadline change in both original pages.
Checkpoint: A saved intermediate result for: Confirm both files belong to the same agreement.
Extract text and align comparable clauses
- Align clauses by numbering, heading and text similarity; preserve moved clauses instead of reporting them as unrelated deletion and addition.
- Review unmatched clauses to distinguish a moved passage from deletion.
Checkpoint: A saved intermediate result for: Extract text and align comparable clauses.
Highlight wording, amounts and date changes with references
- Generate literal before-and-after passages and flag changed money, dates, obligations and defined terms.
- Spot-check every monetary and deadline change in both original pages.
Checkpoint: A saved intermediate result for: Highlight wording, amounts and date changes with references.
Route the comparison to the responsible reviewer
- Prepare a reviewer packet that separates observed wording changes from questions about their possible consequences.
- Review unmatched clauses to distinguish a moved passage from deletion.
Checkpoint: A saved intermediate result for: Route the comparison to the responsible reviewer.
Package the result and unresolved work
- A legal or commercial reviewer checks omissions and interprets consequences.
- Do not silently edit either source version.
Checkpoint: A source-linked report of contract changes. Unresolved items remain visible in the review record.
Decisions along the way
A clause moved without wording changes.
Mark it moved and retain both locations.
An appendix is absent from one file.
Report comparison incomplete for that appendix; do not label its obligations removed.
OCR makes a material number unreadable.
Inspect the original page and hold that comparison until the value is confirmed.
What you will produce
contract-version-comparison-result.json
JSONA source-linked report of contract changes. Label proposed and completed states separately.
Include: clause_match · previous_location · revised_location · change_type · before_text · after_text · status · evidence_reference · review_note
contract-version-comparison-review.md
MarkdownKeep the evidence and unresolved decisions needed to apply this result, including exceptions involving comparison_scope.
Include: source_reference · question · owner · next_action
Check the result
- Spot-check every monetary and deadline change in both original pages.
- Review unmatched clauses to distinguish a moved passage from deletion.
- Inspect agreement_id and previous_version in both the original and output; confirm that record identity and interpretation survived the transformation.
- A legal or commercial reviewer checks omissions and interprets consequences.
When something goes wrong
A clause moved without wording changes.
Mark it moved and retain both locations. Retain the affected evidence and recovery status.
An appendix is absent from one file.
Report comparison incomplete for that appendix; do not label its obligations removed. Retain the affected evidence and recovery status.
OCR makes a material number unreadable.
Inspect the original page and hold that comparison until the value is confirmed. Retain the affected evidence and recovery status.
A worked example
SYNTHETIC EXAMPLE · NOT A REPORTED BUSINESS RESULT
Request
Prepare a contract version comparison for review for the following bounded example; prepare the result for review.
Inputs
Synthetic example: Old clause 4 requires payment in 30 days. New clause 5 retains the text but changes 30 to 45. An old annex is missing from the new upload.
Expected result
Synthetic expected result: Record clause 4 to 5 as moved and modified: payment period 30 to 45 days. Flag the annex as unavailable rather than deleted.
Run a small pilot
Start small
Trial a representative batch containing the ordinary case and the exception demonstrated above.
Record the baseline
Record current preparation time, review effort and correction types for the same records.
Agree success criteria
Agree acceptable review and error limits; measure missed changes; false differences; reviewer preparation time.
Stop or revise
OCR makes a material number unreadable. Pause affected records and apply this recovery: Inspect the original page and hold that comparison until the value is confirmed.
Keep the scope clear
- Do not silently edit either source version.
- A qualified reviewer interprets consequences and approves contractual wording.
Check before using
A legal or commercial reviewer checks omissions and interprets consequences.
Business activities
- Deliver recurring client work
- Maintain shared company knowledge
FROM A RECIPE TO YOUR WORKFLOW
Bring the company context together.
This workflow needs reliable inputs before it needs a better prompt. Moat8 Vault brings working information into a readable archive for the AI tools you use.
For this recipe: Previous contract · Revised contract
Start with one recurring task, agree which sources to use, and review the first result with your team.
Discuss this workflow