How to Compare Two Word Contracts for Legal Redlining
Question details
The user needs to compare an original and a revised Word contract to identify and mark the differences, commonly known as legal redlining or blacklining.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Reviewing text additions, deletions, and modifications between two versions of a legal contract.
- Observed behavior
- The user wants to generate a combined document that clearly highlights all tracked changes between the original and the revised files.
Ensure you have both the original and the revised versions of the contract saved locally on your computer where they can be easily accessed.
Use the Built-in Compare Feature in Microsoft Word
This is the standard and most effective method to perform a legal blackline or redline comparison between two Word documents.
Microsoft Word includes a dedicated tool that creates a 'legal blackline', combining two documents and showing the differences as tracked changes.
Open Microsoft Word, create a new blank document, and navigate to the 'Review' tab located on the top ribbon.
Click on 'Compare' in the Compare group, then select 'Compare...' from the drop-down menu to open the Compare Documents dialog box.
Under the 'Original document' section, click the folder icon to browse your computer and select the older, original version of your contract.
Under the 'Revised document' section, click the corresponding folder icon to find and select the updated version of your contract.
Click 'More' to expand your options. Here, you can choose exactly what types of changes to flag (e.g., formatting, case changes, white space). Once configured, click 'OK' to generate your redlined document.
Compare Contracts Easily with WPS Writer
WPS Office offers a powerful Document Compare feature that works seamlessly with Microsoft Word documents, allowing you to instantly identify differences between two contract versions with a clear redline view.
- 1. Open WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office, open a document, and navigate to the 'Review' tab on the top menu bar.
- 2. Launch the Compare Tool: Click on the 'Compare' button in the ribbon to open the comparison dialog interface.
- 3. Select Your Contracts: Browse and select your original contract in the first field, and your revised contract in the second field.
- 4. Generate the Redline: Click 'OK' to instantly generate a clear, redlined document that highlights all text insertions, deletions, and formatting modifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a legal blackline and redlining in Word?
In Microsoft Word, 'legal blackline' is the built-in terminology for what legal professionals commonly refer to as 'redlining'. Both terms refer to the exact same process of comparing two versions of a document and marking the differences using tracked changes.
Can I save the compared document as a new file?
Yes. When Word generates the comparison, it creates a new, third document by default. You can easily save this by going to File > Save As, which allows you to keep the redlined document without overwriting your original or revised source files.
Why are minor formatting changes cluttering my compared document?
By default, Word compares formatting changes as well as text modifications. When setting up the comparison, click 'More' in the Compare Documents dialog box and uncheck 'Formatting'. This forces the tool to ignore font, margin, or layout changes and focus purely on the text content differences.
