Tools
Claude (or another assistant), Word or Google Docs
Price
Free with Claude's Free plan
Time
5 min per document
Level
Beginner

An AI assistant does not "fix" a document the way a word processor does: it rewrites the whole thing and hands it back. Most of the time the rest is identical. But a reworded date, a rounded amount or a shortened clause easily slips through in a quote, terms and conditions or a contract. These prompts apply a basic tip from Anthropic's documentation: be explicit about what you want, and about what you do not want.

First: work on a copy

  1. Duplicate the fileKeep the original intact and name the copy with the date, for example contract-v2-2026-10-17.docx. In Google Docs, version history (File, then Version history) also lets you go back.
  2. Paste only the part that mattersIf only clause 4 needs to change, give only clause 4. The less text the AI holds, the less it can damage.

The 5 prompts

1. Set the scope

Prompt
Here is a document between <document> tags.
Change ONLY: [e.g. the payment term in clause 4, from 45 to 30 days].
Everything else must stay identical down to the character: words, punctuation, figures, dates, formatting, paragraph order.
If the requested change would force you to alter another passage, do not alter it: flag it at the end.

<document>
[paste the text]
</document>

2. Demand a change log

Prompt
After the edited document, add a "Change log" table with one row per change:
location (clause or paragraph) | text before (exact) | text after (exact) | reason.
If you changed nothing at a location, it must not appear in the table. Do not group several changes in one row.

3. Suggest before applying

Prompt
Do not rewrite the document. Read it and suggest at most [5] numbered improvements, each in this form:
current passage (exact) → suggestion → why.
I will tell you which numbers I accept. You will apply only those, using the scope prompt.

4. Compare both versions

Do this in a new conversation, so the AI does not "remember" what it meant to change.

Prompt
Compare these two versions of the same document. List ALL differences, however small (a word, a comma, a figure, a capital letter), in a table:
location | version A | version B.
Do not judge the changes and do not suggest anything. If both versions are identical somewhere, do not mention it.

<version_A>[original]</version_A>
<version_B>[edited version]</version_B>

5. Check the untouchable items

Prompt
In each of the two versions below, extract every amount, percentage, date, deadline, person and company name, and number (company ID, clause, invoice).
Show them side by side in a table: item | version A | version B | identical (yes/no).
End with the list of items that differ. Do not interpret anything.

<version_A>[original]</version_A>
<version_B>[edited version]</version_B>

The safety net: automatic comparison

An AI comparing two texts can itself miss a difference. For a binding document (contract, signed quote, terms and conditions), finish with a classic comparison tool that guesses nothing:

  • Word: Review tab, Compare, then "Compare two versions of a document". Word creates a third document showing every difference, without changing the two files being compared.
  • Google Docs: File, Version history, See version history. You need edit access to the file to see it.

Good to know

  • These prompts reduce the risk; they do not remove it. The final read-through is still yours.
  • Formatting (bold, tables, automatic numbering) is often lost when you paste text into an assistant. Apply the approved changes in the original file rather than pasting back the whole returned text.
  • On a long document, work section by section: omissions are easier to spot.

Confidentiality. A contract often holds names, amounts and information about your clients. Before pasting it into an AI assistant, check your account's privacy settings and what your agreement with the client allows. Replace names with brackets if in doubt.

Sources

Your quotes and contracts can also be generated from a locked template, without ever being rewritten: that is the kind of automation I set up.