AI playbook · Admin and finance

Understand a contract before you sign

Get a plain-English summary of a contract, the clauses that commonly cause trouble and the questions to ask before signing.

Setup: 30 minutesIntermediate Get the prompt

The problem

Leases, supplier agreements and software terms are long and dense. Most small businesses sign without understanding the renewal, notice and liability clauses.

Step by step

  1. Use an AI tool on a business plan with training on your data switched off.
  2. Upload or paste the contract.
  3. Ask for a summary, key dates and money, and clauses that need attention.
  4. Read those clauses yourself in the original.
  5. Take the questions to the other side, or to a lawyer if the stakes are high.

The prompt

Summarise this contract in plain English for a small business owner.
1. What each side must do
2. All money, dates, notice periods, renewal and cancellation terms
3. Clauses that commonly cause problems (liability, indemnity, exclusivity, auto-renewal, price increases)
4. Questions I should ask before signing
Quote the clause number for everything. Say "not stated" if something is missing. This is not legal advice.

Contract:
{paste contract}

Replace the {highlighted} parts with your details, or fill them in with the prompt builder.

Check before you use it

  • Clause numbers match the original.
  • Dates and amounts are copied correctly.

Privacy

  • Contracts can be confidential. Check whether yours allows sharing with a third-party tool.

Do’s and don’ts

Do

  • Read the flagged clauses yourself.
  • Diary the renewal and notice dates.
  • Ask for changes before signing, not after.

Don’t

  • Sign because the AI said it looks fine.
  • Rely on AI for local law questions.
  • Paste a contract into a free tool that trains on your data.

When not to use AI for this

AI is not a lawyer. For leases, large deals, employment contracts or disputes, get legal advice.

Tools that can help

ClaudeAnthropic’s general assistant, good with long documents, writing and analysis.
ChatGPTOpenAI’s general assistant for drafting, summarising, analysing files and brainstorming.
Adobe Acrobat AI AssistantAsk questions about PDFs and get summaries inside Acrobat.
SpellbookAI contract drafting and review inside Microsoft Word, built for lawyers.

We are not paid by any of these companies, and we list well-known options, not a ranking. Features and plans change; check the provider’s site and its data terms before you sign up. See all AI tools by category.

Useful for

Real estate agentsSmall law firmsConstruction and contractorsProperty managers and landlordsInsurance agencies

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