This article covers the following:
- In-Progress and Executed Contracts
- Searching for Contracts
- Contract Stages
- Viewing the Audit Trail
- Recommendations for Document Formatting
In-Progress and Executed Contracts
Finding Contracts
Access In-Progress Contracts and Executed Contratcts from the left tool bar.
CounselLink+ Users
If your organization uses CounselLink+, you navigate to your contracts differently. Access In-Progress Contracts and Executed Contracts from the top All Pages tool bar or the menu icon in the top left.
Contract visibility depends on your role. In addition, any user invited to a specific contract as a Lead or Reviewer can access that contract.
| User Role | Executed Contracts Visibility |
|---|---|
| Chief Negotiator | Sees contracts they initiated or were invited to. |
| Contract Manager | Sees all contracts not marked Private. |
| Requester | Does not have access to Executed Contracts. |
| Viewer & Viewer + | Sees all contracts not marked Private. |
| Administrator | Does not have access to Executed Contracts. |
In-Progress Contracts
The In-Progress Contracts page lists contracts in Draft, Review, and Negotiate stages. Once a contract is signed, it moves to the Executed Contracts page.
Executed Contracts
The Executed Contracts page lists contracts that have been executed and are in later lifecycle stages. After a contract is signed, it moves to the Signed stage. Once Post-Execution information is completed, executed contracts move to the Managed stage.
You may also see contracs in an Expired or Negotiate stage.
Searching for Contracts
Use the search bar to find contracts by name, date, counterparty, and other criteria.
To search using more criteria, click the arrow in the search bar to open the dropdown list of search options.
Search Choices and Sorting
To set the default sort order for the results list, click the three vertical dots and select a sort option, such as:
Relevance
Expiration Date (soonest)
Contract Value
Renewal Date
Counterparty (A–Z)
You can also sort quickly by clicking any column header.
To customize the columns shown in the results list:
- Click the gear icon.
- Select the columns you want to display.
To view contracts in a specific stage, click the stage dropdown.
Download Executed Contract Data
To export results to a .CSV file:
- Click the download icon next to the search bar.
- CLM downloads a spreadsheet that reflects your current search results and selected columns.
Saving Contract Views
Save a filtered view so you can access it quickly at a later date.
- Apply your search filters (including Contract status filters).
- Click Save View.
-
Click Save As.
- Enter a view name.
- Click Save.
Access your view in the dropdown next to the Save View button.
- To update the view, select Save current from the Saved View dropdown while on that view.
- To delete the view, select Delete current from the Saved View dropdown while on that view.
Understanding Contract Stages
Contracts move through five primary stages. The stages advance automatically based on user actions and completion criteria.
Draft: The contract has been initiated. Reviewers have not been invited.
Review: Internal stakeholders are invited for review.
Negotiate: The counterparty is invited to review and negotiate.
Sign: The signature process has started.
Signed: All signatories have signed the contract.
Manage: Post-Execution information is completed, and the contract is actively managed in CLM.
Additional status labels may appear:
Expired: The contract’s expiration date has passed.
Terminated: A user terminates the contract.
Cancelled: A contract in the Manage stage is cancelled.
Viewing the Audit Trail
The Audit Trail records document changes and provides access to prior draft versions. It shows:
- Who made a change
- When a change was made
- What changed
To access, click the Audit Trail icon in the top-right corner of the page.
Color Indicators
- Purple: Changes made by (or related to) external parties (counterparties).
- Green: Changes made by internal users.
Downloads
- To download a specific document version, click the version links within the audit trail window.
-
To download the full audit trail as a CSV, click the Download icon.
Open the document and view either Discussions or the document body of the document to view clause-level details. If it contains comments or redlines, the comment icon appear in the body.
Click the icon to open the discussion item for that clause.
The Discussions view shows the same information in a list format.
Recommendations for Document Formatting
To reduce issues when comparing documents in Classic Negotiation, follow these best practices:
Avoid tables that use rowspans or colspans when possible. These can make table comparisons unreliable.
Avoid nesting tables inside other tables.
Keep list numbering uninterrupted whenever possible.
Use clean formatting consistent with Microsoft Word conventions.
Avoid floating elements (especially images).
Avoid using Microsoft Word’s Alternate Content feature.