Contract review AI that cites its sources
AI Contract Review That Shows Its Work
Upload a contract and get every risky clause quoted, explained in plain English, tied to the law it rests on, and paired with a fix. Built for the person signing, not a law firm.
About a minute per review · All 50 states and DC · Not legal advice
What is AI contract review?
AI contract review is software that reads a contract for you, finds the clauses that could cost you money or limit your rights, and explains them in plain English. ClauseAudit combines a large language model with its own legal rules, so every finding quotes the clause it is about and names the law or rule it rests on. A typical review takes about a minute.
Most people sign contracts they have only skimmed, because a careful read takes hours and a lawyer costs more than the contract seems worth. AI contract review closes that gap. ClauseAudit pairs a frontier large language model, Anthropic's Claude, with rules we wrote and maintain: a structured checklist for each contract type, federal law, the statutes of all 50 states and DC, and Indian law for India contracts. The model does the reading. The rules decide what it must look for and which laws it may cite.
Why use AI for contract review
Minutes, not days
Upload the contract and the report is usually ready in about a minute. No waiting for an appointment or an email back before a signing deadline.
A few dollars, not an hourly bill
Lawyers commonly bill by the hour, and even a short contract can take an hour or more to read properly. A review here is a flat price per contract.
See sourced contract review costsThe same checklist every time
Each contract type has its own structured checklist, so a review always looks at the same risk areas: liability, payment, termination, IP, non-compete, auto-renewal, data rights and more. Nothing gets skipped because it was a busy day.
It shows its work
Every finding quotes the exact clause and names the federal or state law, or the rule, it is based on. You can check any point yourself instead of taking it on trust.
State law, not generic advice
US reviews apply federal law plus the statutes of all 50 states and DC. A non-compete in California and one in Texas get very different answers, and the report says why.
Plain English and a fix for every risk
Each flagged clause comes with what it means, why it matters and suggested wording to ask for. You also get a redline document and a ready-to-send negotiation email.
Private by design: your original document is not stored after the review and is never used to train AI. How we handle your contract.
How AI contract review works
- 1
Upload the contract
PDF, Word, a photo, a Google Doc or pasted text. The original document is not stored after the review.
- 2
Pick the contract type and state
Choosing the right analyzer loads the checklist for that kind of contract. The state tells it which statutes apply.
- 3
Read the report
A 0 to 100 risk score, clauses ranked by severity, plain-English explanations, suggested fixes, a redline and a negotiation email.
Pick the analyzer for your contract
Each one runs a checklist written for that kind of agreement. Not sure which fits? The Quick Check works on any contract.
AI contract review vs a lawyer vs ChatGPT
Each option has a place. The honest answer is that they do different jobs, and the right one depends on how much is at stake and how much depends on facts outside the document.
| ClauseAudit | Lawyer | ChatGPT or another chatbot | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to an answer | About a minute | Usually days, depending on their schedule | Seconds |
| Cost | $9 Quick Check, full reviews from $19 | Commonly billed by the hour or a flat fee | Free or a monthly subscription |
| Same checks every time | Yes, a fixed checklist per contract type | Depends on the lawyer | No, answers change with how you ask |
| Quotes the clause and names the law | Yes, on every finding | Yes, if you ask | Sometimes, and sources need checking |
| State-specific | Federal law plus all 50 states and DC | Yes, in the states they practice in | Only if it gets the state law right |
| Advice on your personal situation | No, it explains the document | Yes | No |
| Redline and negotiation email | Yes, included | Often, billed as extra time | Only if you prompt for it |
A chatbot is useful for learning what a legal term means. A lawyer is the right call for advice on your own facts. AI contract review sits in between: a fast, cited first read of the whole document. See the full comparison, including other contract review tools.
What AI contract review can and cannot do
What it does well
- Find the clauses in a contract that are unusual, one-sided or risky for you
- Flag clauses that may be void or limited under your state law
- Point out standard protections that are missing
- Explain legal wording in plain English
- Suggest replacement wording and draft the email asking for it
- Give you a clear, organized list to take to a lawyer
Where it stops
- Know facts that are not in the document, like side promises or how the deal was negotiated
- Give legal advice on your personal situation, or represent you
- Promise a court would read a clause the same way
- Be right every time. AI can make mistakes, which is why every finding cites the clause and the law so you can check it
For a home purchase, a large commercial deal, equity in a company or anything already in dispute, pay for a lawyer. Run the review first and bring the report: the risky clauses are already found, the laws are named, and you spend the lawyer's time on judgment instead of reading.
Is there free AI contract review?
You can see exactly what a review looks like before paying anything. These sample reports are free and show the full output on a real-style contract:
- Freelance contract sample report
- Employment contract sample report
- Lease sample report
- NDA sample report
- SaaS agreement sample report
We also publish free contract templates and plain-English contract guides. Reviewing your own contract is not free, because every review runs a large language model against a detailed checklist. The lowest-cost option is the $9 Quick Check, which works on any contract from any country.
Who it is for
Know what you are signing
Quick Check $9 for any contract. Full state-law reviews from $19.
AI contract review questions
What is the best AI contract review software?+
It depends on who is reading the contract. Tools built for law firms focus on drafting and playbooks inside Word. ClauseAudit is built for the person signing: freelancers, employees, renters and small businesses. Look for a tool that quotes the clause, names the law it relies on, applies your state's rules and is honest about its limits. Our comparison page covers the main alternatives, including when another tool is the better pick.
Is there a free AI contract review?+
You can read full sample reports for freelance, employment, lease, NDA and SaaS contracts for free, and use our free contract templates and guides. Reviewing your own contract starts at $9 for a Quick Check, because each review runs a large language model against a detailed checklist and that has a real cost.
Can I use ChatGPT for contract review?+
You can, and it is fine for learning what a term means in general. The weak spots are that answers change with how you phrase the question, it may not tell you which law it is relying on, and any source it does give needs checking. A dedicated tool runs the same checklist on every contract and ties each finding to the clause and the statute.
How accurate is AI contract review?+
It is good at finding and explaining clauses, and consistent because it follows the same checklist each time. It is not perfect. AI can misread a clause or miss context outside the document, which is why every finding here quotes the clause and names the law so you can verify it. For a high-stakes contract, use the report to prepare for a conversation with a lawyer.
How does automated contract review work?+
You upload the contract and pick its type and state. ClauseAudit sends the text to a frontier large language model (Anthropic's Claude) along with our own rules: a checklist for that contract type and the federal and state law that applies. The result is a risk score, ranked clauses, explanations, suggested fixes, a redline and a negotiation email.
Is AI contract review safe for confidential contracts?+
We do not store your original document after the review, do not sell your data, and your contract is never used to train AI models. We keep the report so you can reopen it, and you can delete it at any time. Full details are on the security page.
Does AI contract review replace a lawyer?+
No. It tells you what the contract says and which clauses are worth questioning, fast and at low cost. A lawyer can advise on your specific facts and represent you. For a house purchase, a large deal or anything already in dispute, a lawyer is worth it, and walking in with this report can make that meeting shorter.
Is online contract review legally binding?+
No. The review is information about your contract, not legal advice, and ClauseAudit is not a law firm. It does not change the contract or your rights. It helps you decide what to sign, what to push back on, and when to bring in a lawyer.
More answers on the comparison page and the security page.
Review your contract in about a minute
Every risky clause quoted, explained and tied to the law, with a fix, a redline and an email to send.
Important legal notice
ClauseAudit is a software service, not a law firm, and does not act as your lawyer. Reviews give general information about the wording of your contract, not legal advice, and no lawyer checks your report before you see it. AI can miss things or get things wrong. Before you sign anything important, have the contract reviewed by a qualified attorney.