This article will provide you with an overview of the Ironclad for Word Add-in.
Enable/Access: This functionality is available to Ironclad customers on select pricing plans. If you’re unable to activate the Ironclad for Word Add-In, please contact your customer success manager or the Ironclad Support team for assistance.
The Ironclad for Word Add-In allows users of Microsoft Word to search for Ironclad documents from within Microsoft Word, providing easy access to documents without needing to enter Ironclad. In addition, the add-in:
- automatically detects Ironclad documents when downloaded from Ironclad, connecting the document to the correct workflow and version history.
- provides the ability to save back to Ironclad at any time, allowing legal team members to complete extensive review and then save a single version back to Ironclad when complete.
The Ironclad for Word Add-In is compatible with both Word Desktop and Word Online. Learn more about working on Ironclad documents in Word Online.
Install the Ironclad for Word Add-In
Note: Any user with the Microsoft Marketplace blocked should still be able to deploy add-ins through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. Their IT team—or whoever manages Microsoft Office deployments—can follow the deployment instructions from Microsoft.
To install the Ironclad for Word Add-In:
- Open Microsoft Word.
- Create or open an existing Word document.
- Click the Add-ins button.
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Search for Ironclad.
- Click Add.
Once installed, a side panel for the Ironclad for Word add-in will appear beside your document.
From here, you can click the Sign in button to get started.
Note: If your company uses Ironclad’s North America domain (ironcladapp.com), then sign in with your preferred method. If your company uses another domain (e.g., eu1.ironcladapp.com) to select your workspace first and then log in with your preferred method. Once you’ve selected your stack, your preference will be preserved for future sessions.
Find a Workflow in the Ironclad for Word Add-In
The Ironclad for Word add-in automatically identifies and links documents created in Ironclad to their corresponding workflows.
Note: If (in some cases), a third-party system removes the metadata required for identification, or if you just want to edit the latest version in Word without opening Ironclad, the add-in lets you reconnect the document to the correct workflow directly within Word.
There are two ways to search through workflows:
- The Open search icon (magnifying glass) opens up a search bar for free-text queries.
- The Open filters icon (three stacked horizontal lines) opens up All filters, where you can select relevant properties.
Note: The Properties metadata shows up in the Word Add-In panel.
After selecting a workflow, select the document you want to work on. You can also click the +New document button to start fresh.
Protected View
If a document opens in Protected View, the add-in will still work once you click Enable Editing. If you start with a blank document and select an Ironclad workflow, the add-in behaves normally. To avoid Protected View restrictions altogether, you can add Ironclad to your Trusted Sites in Word’s Trust Center settings.
Upload Back to Ironclad
After connecting your Word document to the correct Ironclad workflow and document, you can save it back to Ironclad directly from Word.
This feature works independently of Word's regular save function. You can complete extensive editing sessions without worrying about losing work or creating too many versions in Ironclad. When you're finished, simply click Upload to Ironclad to create a new version that matches your latest Word document.
Functionalities of the Ironclad for Word Add-In Panel
Branched Versioning for Multiple Drafts
Ironclad supports branched versioning for multiple drafts. For example, if two people make changes to Version 29 of an Ironclad document, and Person A is editing in Ironclad while Person B edits in Word, their changes will be saved to Ironclad as versions 30 and 31, respectively.
Leave Comments in Word
You can leave comments in the Word document, and when you upload the new version back to Ironclad, those comments will show up on the Ironclad version.
Putting (INTERNAL) before comments in the Word document version of an Ironclad document will sync the comment to appear in the Ironclad version as an internal comment.
Note: External comments show up as white, and internal comments show up as brown (highlighted yellow) in Ironclad.
Search to Select Workflows Inside the Word Add-In Panel
Users can search to select a workflow inside the Word Add-In panel on the right-hand side. You'll have the option to filter through existing workflows.
Note: Users can't search to select another Word document from inside the Word Add-In panel because users can't have more than one document open at a time inside Microsoft Word.
Sync Changes Made in Review Mode
In Review mode, you can delete a word in the Word document, and when you upload the new version to Ironclad, it'll appear as a strikethrough in the Ironclad version.
Reset Approvals Before Uploading
Users can select the Allow approvals to reset option in the Word Add-In panel before uploading the latest version of their Word document to Ironclad.
Resources
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