Overview
You can make sure all draft documents generated from Ironclad workflows have Microsoft Word’s “Track Changes” feature enabled by default by configuring the setting at the .DOCX template level before uploading to Ironclad. Every contract or document created from your workflow configuration will automatically open with Track Changes turned on, making collaboration and audit trails straightforward.
Use Case
At Classics Inc., the legal operations team wants every contract draft created from their NDA workflow to have Track Changes enabled for all users by default. When setting up a new workflow, the team configures their NDA template in Microsoft Word, turns on “Track Changes” for everyone, saves the file, and uploads it into Ironclad’s Workflow Designer. Now, every NDA generated from this workflow automatically opens with Track Changes active, ensuring all edits are visible and auditable. When updating an existing workflow, the team follows the same process by downloading the current template, enabling Track Changes, saving, and re-uploading.
What You'll Need
| Features | Workflow Designer |
| Permissions | Admin role or Workflow Designer = Ability to create and edit all workflow configurations |
Supporting Resources
Instructions
Step One: Prepare Your .DOCX Template with Track Changes Enabled
To make sure all workflow-generated documents have Track Changes on by default, the setting must be activated in the template file itself—this cannot be controlled from within Ironclad.
- Open your .DOCX template in Microsoft Word.
- Go to the Review tab.
- Click Track Changes > For Everyone (refer to Microsoft’s official guide for details and screenshots).
- Save the template with Track Changes enabled.
Step Two: Upload or Replace Templates in Ironclad
For New Workflows
In Ironclad, navigate to Workflow Designer and create a new workflow configuration. As you add a template, upload your .DOCX file with Track Changes enabled. Once you’ve finished configuring, publish the workflow. All documents generated from this workflow will now have Track Changes turned on by default.
For Existing Workflows
- In Ironclad, navigate to Workflow Designer and open the workflow configuration you want to update.
- Download the current template .DOCX file by clicking the three stacked dots in the upper left corner of the editor and then clicking Download document.
- Open the file in Microsoft Word and enable Track Changes > For Everyone.
- Save the file.
- In Ironclad, go to the Document tab and click the three stacked dots in the upper left corner of the editor. Click Upload and Replace.
- Publish the changes. Moving forward, all drafts generated from this workflow will have Track Changes enabled by default.
Result
Once you’ve uploaded templates with Track Changes enabled, every draft document generated from the associated workflow configuration will automatically open in Word with Track Changes active for all users. This ensures a consistent, collaborative, and auditable editing experience across your organization.