What is it?
Contract Summary lets you automatically generate a structured summary of a document, capturing key data points and highlighting clause deviations between the original template and the negotiated version. The summary can be exported as DOCX or PDF.
Why use it?
Get a clear, side-by-side view of what changed during negotiation without manually comparing document versions
Automatically detect which clauses deviate from the standard text, with additions and deletions visually marked
Include approval workflow status alongside each clause so stakeholders can see what was approved, rejected, or pending
Export the summary in DOCX or PDF format for sharing with internal teams or archiving
How it works
1. Configure the Summary on your Template
Navigate to your template and open the Summary tab.
Configure the following settings:
General:
Autoname: Define how summary documents are named. You can include dynamic values such as the document title, user ID, or creation date.
Participant roles: Select which participant types are allowed to create summaries (e.g. "Buyer/Manager"). Only users with a matching role on the document will see the option.
Trigger: Choose when the summary creation prompt appears automatically — options include Document is completed, Document is signed, Document is ready to sign, Document is partially signed, or Document is being edited.
Allow users to refuse creation: When enabled, users can dismiss the summary prompt. When disabled, the prompt is mandatory once the trigger is met.
Custom headers and footers: Optionally select a PDF template to apply branded headers and footers to exported summaries.
Data:
Attributes: Select which document attributes (questionnaire answers) appear in the "Basic data" table of the summary.
Display question text: When enabled, shows the question text rather than the technical attribute name in the basic data table.
Tagged clauses: Select which clauses should be monitored for deviations. Clauses must be tagged in the editor first.
Show clause deviations from default values: When enabled, compares clauses against template defaults. When disabled, compares against the first draft of the document.
Show clause approval info: When enabled, adds "Approval Status" and "Approver" columns to the deviation analysis table.
2. Create a Summary from a Document
There are two ways a summary can be created:
Automatic creation: When the document reaches the trigger state you configured (e.g. when it is completed or signed), a dialog automatically appears prompting the user to create a summary. This only happens once per document.
Manual creation: Click the Create Summary button in the document topbar at any time after the trigger condition is met.
3. Select Clauses
The Create Summary dialog displays a checklist of clauses where deviations were detected. Only clauses that were tagged in the template settings and have actual changes are shown.
Select the clauses you want to include in the summary and click Create.
4. Review the Summary
A preview dialog opens with the generated summary containing two sections:
Basic data: a two-column table listing the selected attributes and their values from the document.
Deviation analysis: a table with columns for:
Clause name
Standard — the original clause text (from the template or first draft)
Updated — the current clause text with changes marked: additions in colour and deletions struck through
Approval status (if enabled) — shows "Approved", "Rejected", "Pending", or "N/A"
Approver (if enabled) — the name of the approver
5. Export the Summary
In the preview dialog, click the Export dropdown and choose:
DOCX - downloads the summary as a Word document
PDF - downloads the summary as a PDF
If custom headers and footers were configured on the template, they are applied to the exported file. The export uses landscape orientation for readability.
6. Access an Existing Summary
After a summary has been created, you can view it again from the Summary tab in the document sidebar.
Clicking on a document’s Properties will also display associated Summary information.
Summaries will also be accessible at a Document level, in a new sidebar tab called “Summary”, only visible to the relevant participant type. A new checkbox will be added to the document download options that will allow the user to download the document alongside the Summary.
Use case
A legal team uses Avvoka to negotiate NDAs with external parties. The template is configured with a summary trigger set to "Document is completed" and key clauses tagged for deviation tracking, such as Confidentiality Obligations, Term, and Liability.
Once negotiations conclude and the document is marked as completed, the assigned legal manager is prompted to create a summary. They select the clauses that changed during negotiation, review the side-by-side comparison showing exactly what was added or removed, confirm the approval status of each clause, and export the summary as a PDF to attach to their internal compliance records.
Instead of reviewing the full document to understand its structure, key terms, or status, users can quickly access a structured summary directly within the contract. This helps users understand what the contract contains, without needing to read it end-to-end.