# Review a contract against a playbook with Copilot in Word

> Microsoft's legal skill in Word reviews a contract against a .docx playbook, shows extracted rules and proposes tracked edits. A lawyer must check the findings and choose each change.

By BIG CHANGE Editorial

Published: 2026-10-17T08:34:13.555Z
Updated: 2026-10-17T08:34:13.555Z
Canonical: https://bigchange.ai/blog/review-contract-playbook-copilot-word

![Conceptual charcoal illustration of an open reference playbook beside a separate contract sheet with orange margin edit marks.](https://bigchange.ai/api/media/file/copilot-legal-playbook-concept-v1.png)
AI-generated conceptual illustration by BIG CHANGE; no actual Word interface, Copilot output or validated legal result is depicted.

Microsoft made its legal skills generally available to commercial Microsoft 365 Copilot customers on October 15. One skill reviews an open contract against an organization's playbook in Word desktop. It extracts rules from a `.docx` playbook, shows them to the reviewer before running, then proposes findings and tracked edits. A legal professional still has to check the source language, the rule and each proposed change. [Microsoft's announcement](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-copilot-blog/introducing-microsoft-copilot-for-legal/4564246) and [Word instructions](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/get-started-with-copilot-for-legal) describe the workflow.

## The big change

- **What:** Microsoft's legal plugin in Word now includes a generally available playbook-based contract review skill for commercial Microsoft 365 Copilot subscribers.
- **How it works:** The user supplies an approved `.docx` playbook, checks the rules Copilot extracts, runs the review and decides whether to insert each suggested edit as a Word tracked change.
- **Why it matters:** The playbook and contract can be inspected together at the point of editing. Microsoft warns that findings and citations can still be wrong or incomplete, so legal review remains necessary.

This documentation-based guide is for a legal professional with permission to use both documents in Microsoft 365. BIG CHANGE has not run the feature or assessed its legal accuracy. The task is to produce a review that a lawyer can trace back to the contract and approved playbook, then decide which edits, if any, belong in the document.

## Before opening the review

You need an active **Microsoft 365 Copilot commercial license**, Word desktop with the Legal plugin available, an accessible contract and an organization-approved playbook saved as `.docx`. Microsoft says the Legal plugin is enabled by default in Word desktop and that Copilot can detect a legal document. Access still depends on the user's account and organizational permissions. The cited support instructions do not specify a minimum Word build number. If the plugin or review skill does not appear, confirm the license, desktop client and plugin state with your Microsoft 365 administrator before relying on this procedure. [Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/get-started-with-copilot-for-legal)

Use only a contract and playbook cleared for this service by your organization and client. Check that the playbook is the approved version for this matter and jurisdiction. Microsoft's review skill currently takes a playbook, not a contract template or another reference document as a substitute. The announcement says Microsoft 365 prompts, responses and documents are processed within its service boundary, existing access controls and sensitivity labels apply, and the material is not used to train underlying foundation models. Those platform statements do not replace a firm's confidentiality and client-use rules. [Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/get-started-with-copilot-for-legal) [Microsoft announcement](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-copilot-blog/introducing-microsoft-copilot-for-legal/4564246)

## Run one contract review

1. **Open the contract in Word desktop and open Copilot.** Keep the agreement in view so each later finding can be checked against its language. If the Legal plugin was turned off, open the three-dot menu in the Copilot sidebar, choose **Manage plugins & skills**, and turn **Legal** on. [Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/get-started-with-copilot-for-legal)
2. **Ask for a playbook review.** Microsoft's documented example is “Review this contract using a playbook.” Send that request in the Copilot sidebar. Copilot should enter its contract review workflow and ask for the playbook. [Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/get-started-with-copilot-for-legal)
3. **Attach the approved `.docx` playbook.** Use **Upload file** for a local file or **Attach from Cloud** to find it in Microsoft 365. Confirm that the selected document is the authorized playbook for this contract. Microsoft says Copilot then breaks the playbook into topics, rules and example clauses. [Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/get-started-with-copilot-for-legal)
4. **Inspect the extracted rules before running.** Read the displayed topics and rules against the original playbook. Correct a missing, distorted or inapplicable rule before choosing **Run Review**. If the source playbook itself is wrong or out of date, stop and obtain the approved version. The review uses those extracted rules as its guide. [Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/get-started-with-copilot-for-legal)
5. **Run the review and trace the findings.** Select **Run Review**. Microsoft says results appear by topic, with detailed analysis and the rules used. For each material finding, compare the contract wording behind it with the open document, then check the corresponding approved rule. Check relevant clauses the system did not flag as well: Microsoft says lengthy or complex documents can lead it to miss clauses or misapply guidance. [Microsoft Support: instructions](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/get-started-with-copilot-for-legal) [Microsoft Support: limitations](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/copilot-for-legal-transparency-documentation)
6. **Decide on each proposed redline.** Where Copilot suggests an edit, read the proposed language in its contractual context. **Accept** inserts the suggestion as a tracked change; **Dismiss** leaves it out. The interface also offers **Accept All**, but individual review gives the lawyer a decision on each proposal. Check the final tracked-change list and negotiation history before sharing the document. [Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/get-started-with-copilot-for-legal)

The completion check is a contract in which retained findings have been traced to the actual clauses and approved rules, and every inserted tracked change has been reviewed by the responsible legal professional. A completed Copilot run or fluent explanation alone does not establish legal correctness. [Microsoft's transparency documentation](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/copilot-for-legal-transparency-documentation) says its outputs are advisory, may cite inaccurately and are not jurisdiction-aware by default.

## If the result is incomplete or the control is missing

If Copilot does not offer the review workflow, check the commercial license, Word desktop client, Legal plugin setting and organizational enablement with IT. If it cannot accept the reference document, confirm that it is the intended `.docx` playbook rather than a template or another file type. If extracted rules are wrong, correct them before running or restart with the approved playbook. Keep a doubtful finding or redline unaccepted until a qualified reviewer checks the underlying agreement, rule and applicable law. Microsoft cautions that complex documents, jurisdictional differences and recent legal changes can defeat a plausible answer. [Microsoft Support: instructions](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/get-started-with-copilot-for-legal) [Microsoft Support: limitations](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/copilot-for-legal-transparency-documentation)

## Access, cost and release limits

The documented Word legal skills require a commercial Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription. The cited pages do not give a separate price for the Legal plugin or a plan-specific fee, so confirm your organization's license terms and procurement cost. Microsoft announced general availability of its own legal capabilities on October 15; partner-built plugins were beginning a separate rollout, and a defined-terms navigation feature was still planned for preview later that month. Neither is required for this playbook review. This guide describes Microsoft's published procedure as checked on October 17, 2026; BIG CHANGE has not tested a tenant, Word build, document or output. [Microsoft announcement](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-copilot-blog/introducing-microsoft-copilot-for-legal/4564246) [Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/get-started-with-copilot-for-legal)

## Sources & further reading

- [Microsoft, “Introducing Microsoft Copilot for legal”](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-copilot-blog/introducing-microsoft-copilot-for-legal/4564246): announcement dated and updated October 15, 2026, version 3.0. Establishes release stage, licensing scope, partner rollout and Microsoft 365 data-handling claims.
- [Microsoft Support, “Get started with Copilot for legal”](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/get-started-with-copilot-for-legal): Word desktop prerequisites, plugin controls, `.docx` playbook workflow, rule review, findings and tracked changes. Live page read October 17, 2026; no page update date or minimum Word build was shown.
- [Microsoft Support, “Copilot for Legal: Transparency Documentation”](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/copilot-for-legal-transparency-documentation): advisory status and known accuracy, citation, jurisdiction and complex-document limits. Live page read October 17, 2026; no page update date was shown.

## Sources

- [Introducing Microsoft Copilot for legal](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-copilot-blog/introducing-microsoft-copilot-for-legal/4564246) — Legal skills GA, staged partner-plugin rollout, future defined-terms preview, service-boundary claims.
- [Get started with Copilot for legal](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/get-started-with-copilot-for-legal) — License/client/plugin, .docx playbook, extracted rules, review findings and tracked edits.
- [Copilot for Legal: Transparency Documentation](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/copilot-for-legal-transparency-documentation) — Advisory status and accuracy, citation, jurisdiction and complex-document limits.