This topic will walk you through how to use the Smart Import feature. 

Smart Import is an AI-powered feature that simplifies the process of tagging metadata in your uploaded contracts by utilizing AI technology to extract metadata in your uploaded documents. Once you upload a document, you can search the Repository for any text contained in the document using our OCR technology.

This feature enables you to upload executed contracts and other documents directly to the Repository. This is useful if you have historical contracts that you are migrating to Ironclad or if you have a contract that was executed outside of an Ironclad workflow.

Users can upload up to 2,000 documents at a time using Smart Import. The following file types can be uploaded: .pdf, .docx, .doc, .xls, .xlsx, .eml, .tif, .jpg, .png, .jpeg, .msg, .txt, .ppt, .pptx. Please note that document previews and AI-suggestions are only available for .pdf and .docx files.

If you want to learn more about this feature, including information on detected properties, Smart Import permissions, and upload amounts, refer to Smart Import Overview. 

Upload Files into Ironclad Using Smart Import

You can import files from your local machine or from cloud storage providers OneDrive, Dropbox, and Box.com. If you import files from a cloud storage provider, refer to the Upload from Cloud Storage Providers section below. 

If importing from your local machine, gather your documents on the local machine that you use to upload your files into Ironclad. 

We recommend grouping your uploads by contract type and setting the record type with each group. For example, upload NDAs together and set the record type to be NDAs. This will save you the effort of setting the record type for each individual record later.

Note: The default record type is Imported. If you select Imported as the record type, all records will automatically retain their filenames as their record names. Otherwise, if the counterparty name is detected via Smart Import AI, the record name will be "[Record Type] with [Counterparty Name]." 

1. Gather your documents on the local machine that you will be using to upload into Ironclad. Ensure that there are no duplicates. Repository Upload does not detect duplicates at this time.
2. Click Repository > Upload Records.
3. Drag and drop, paste, or click to browse your files. The more documents you upload, the longer the upload takes. An upload of 2,000 records may take a few hours to complete if you have a slower internet speed. The Ironclad application needs to be open during the entire upload process, so we recommend breaking up large uploads into smaller portions if you’re not sure if you will have an uninterrupted, stable internet connection.
4. In the Set record type dropdown, select your record type. This step is optional but recommended if you can batch your uploads by specific contract types. This will save you the effort of manually setting the record type for each record after upload.
5. Click Upload.

Upload from Cloud Storage Providers

You can import files from OneDrive, Box.com, and dropbox.com.

1. Click Repository > Upload Records.
2. Select the cloud storage provider from which you want to import.
3. You will be prompted to login to your cloud storage account and select the desired files for import.
   1. Note: You can import from multiple providers or locations within a single import. 

Access and Search Your Uploaded Files

A new record is created for each uploaded document. Smart Import runs each uploaded document through our AI model to suggest contract metadata to tag as record properties. Each record shows the number of suggestions the AI has produced. Smart Import only extracts metadata for PDF and DocX files (DocX files are converted to PDFs).



As soon as the upload is completed, each new record is full-text searchable in the Repository. In addition, you can run your search filters on the AI-suggested property values.


The AI-suggested property values are displayed on the record. Users have the option to select a suggested value and add it to the record, enter their own custom value for the property, or ignore the suggestion.

Verify Records (Optional)

Each uploaded file creates an unverified record. An unverified record is fully searchable in the Repository, but contains AI-suggested property values that may not have been reviewed by a person yet. The next step in the process is to verify the AI-suggested property values on each record and add any important data not captured by the AI. Lastly, if you didn’t already set the Record Type in the upload step, it is important to do so in the Verification step.

An import is created with all of the newly created unverified records from the uploaded documents. This allows you to easily find a set of records and uploaded files at a later time.


To verify your records, open each record and review the AI-suggested property values as described above. If you didn’t already set the record type when you uploaded them, you must do so now. You can also add any additional record properties you to track that weren’t found by the AI. When you verify a record, all of the AI-suggested property values that were not rejected are automatically accepted.



You can see all of your unverified records across all imports by using the Verification Status filter.

Rename Imports

Your Imports are named with the date and time that your file upload took place. To rename an import, hover over the import on the left column and click on the pen icon.

Delete Imports

To delete an import, click on the three stacked dots located on the left hand side of the Repository of the open import. You have three options to delete an import:

1. You can delete the import, but keep all of the records in the import, including unverified records. The records will still be accessible in your Repository through text search and filters. You can see all unverified records in the Repository by using the Verification Status filter.
2. You can delete the import and all unverified records, but keep the verified records in the Repository. The verified records are already fully tagged with the metadata you approved so they are easily searchable in the Repository.
3. You can delete the entire import and all of the records in the import. This is useful if you make a mistake on an import and need to restart from nothing.

Clean Up Completed Imports

Once all of the records in the import are verified, the records are fully searchable in your Repository and you  no longer need the import. There are two ways to clean up your completed imports:

1. Convert the import to a saved view. This enables you to easily find all of the records associated with the import at a later time.
2. Remove the import. Your records remain fully accessible and searchable in the Repository, but the import is not displayed.

Add Subsidiary Information

From the Repository

1. In the Repository, click on a Smart Import record you want to add a subsidiary to.
2. From the panel on the right, select Counterparty Name or Counterparty Address. Click Add to Subsidiary Information indicated by a gray circle with a plus sign.
3. Enter the subsidiary’s information.
4. To edit an existing subsidiary, click the Existing Subsidiary tab and in the Legal Name dropdown, select the subsidiary you want to edit.
5. Click Submit. The subsidiary is added to the import.

From Company Settings

1. Click on your profile icon located in the top right corner of Ironclad. Navigate to Company Settings > Profile.
2. Click the Show Subsidiaries button located towards the bottom right, and then click Add Subsidiary.
3. Enter the subsidiary’s information and click Update Profile. The subsidiary is added.

Use Smart Import API

You can use the Smart Import API to utilize Smart Import. 

To learn more about how to use the Smart Import API, refer to the following resources:

• Upload a Smart Import Record to an Existing Import
• Create a Smart Import Record