How SmartSplitAI Reads Tracked Changes in DOCX Files

Lawyers and managers use Track Changes extensively when negotiating contracts. SmartSplitAI handles Track Changes in DOCX files, with some limitations. Here is how it works.

What SmartSplitAI Does With Track Changes

When you upload a DOCX with tracked changes, the system processes the document intelligently. Text that has been added via Track Changes is treated as part of the document and included in the analysis. Deleted text — content that was removed during negotiation — is excluded from analysis on the assumption that the parties agreed to its removal. Comments left by reviewers are extracted and presented separately from the main analysis, allowing you to see what questions or concerns were raised during the drafting process.

Limitations to Be Aware Of

Not all Track Changes scenarios are fully supported. Complex revision histories with hundreds of individual changes may produce incomplete results. Documents where tracked changes interact with complex table structures or nested lists may not extract perfectly. If the tracked changes include formatting-only modifications alongside content changes, the system may not distinguish them reliably. For best results with heavily revised documents, use a clean accepted copy.

How Version Comparison Works Instead

If you have two separate versions of a contract — the original and the counterparty's marked-up version — SmartSplitAI's Diff Review mode may give you better results than relying on Track Changes alone. Upload both DOCX files. The system compares them directly. It finds every difference between the two versions: added clauses, deleted paragraphs, changed amounts and percentages, modified deadlines, and rewritten liability sections. Each change is classified by risk level — high, medium, or low — and included in the AI conclusion with a recommendation for your negotiation strategy.

Practical Workflow

The most reliable workflow is: accept all formatting-only changes before uploading, ensure the document saves correctly, and use Diff Review mode when comparing versions rather than relying exclusively on Track Changes within a single file. SmartSplitAI will continue to improve Track Changes support over time.