Import a Playbook from a Document

Most teams already have their review standards written down: a Word document of negotiation guidelines, a position paper, a checklist of what to look for. Rebuilding all of that into a playbook one position at a time is slow. If you have it as a .docx, upload it and let Pactly convert it into a playbook draft.

A playbook is the standard a contract is reviewed against, made up of positions (one negotiation topic each). Importing reads your document, splits it into positions, and assembles them into a draft you review and publish. It never publishes automatically, and it never touches an existing playbook unless you choose to add the import as a new version. It is one of four ways to create a playbook.

• You need a single .docx file (Word format), up to 26 MB. Other formats are not accepted.
• The document should describe your review standards: topics, what is and isn’t acceptable, and any preferred wording. One topic per heading splits most cleanly into positions.
• You author playbooks in the Pactly web app, not the Word add-in. Any same-company user whose role grants the playbook permission can import.

Step-through All steps

Step 1 of 5

1

Open Playbooks

In the Pactly web app, open Playbooks from the left navigation. The list shows your existing playbooks.

2

Click Add Playbook

The Create Playbook dialog offers four ways to start: Create with AI wizard, Import from a document, Create from scratch, and Clone an existing playbook.

3

Choose "Import from a document"

Pick Import from a document: "Upload an existing Word playbook and we'll convert it for you."

4

Upload your .docx

Drop your file onto the upload area ("Drop a .docx playbook here or Browse"), or click to pick a file. Only .docx files up to 26 MB are accepted.

5

Wait for the conversion

Pactly shows "Converting [your file] into a playbook…" with a running positions count. This can take a minute; you can keep the window open.

Previous Step 1 of 5 Next

Pactly reads the document in several AI passes, so each position is built from the relevant part of your source rather than the whole document at once:

1. Segment. It splits the document into the playbook name, an overall description, the individual positions, and any groups it detects, so related positions stay together.
2. Convert each position. Each detected position becomes a Pactly position: a name, the requirement description, and any notes or preferred wording found in your source. The running count tracks this pass.
3. Recommend a contract type. It suggests which category the playbook applies to, matched against your company’s existing categories.

The result is always saved as a draft, visible only to you until you publish it.

When the recommended category matches one you already have a published playbook for, Pactly asks how to file the import rather than creating a duplicate. You’ll see “You already have a playbook for this category” with two choices:

• Add as a new version of an existing playbook. The import becomes a new draft version of the playbook you pick. This does not replace the live version: the current version stays in use until you publish the draft.
• Create a separate new playbook. The import stays on its own, unconnected to the existing one.

You can only attach to a published playbook. If Pactly finds no matching category, or you have no published playbook for it, you won’t see this prompt and the import saves straight to a new draft.

Whichever path you take, the import lands as a draft for you to finish:

• Review the draft. Check that positions split sensibly, the descriptions read as requirements, and the no-evidence setting is right on each.
• Fill in what didn’t carry over. Suggested clauses (the fallback language reviewers insert, shown as Preferred clauses in the Word add-in), keywords, and notes often need adding by hand.
• Confirm the contract type so the playbook is offered for the right contracts during review.
• Publish when ready. Publishing moves the draft into use. If you imported as a new version, publishing makes it the live one and archives the previous version.

• Generate a Playbook with AI
• Writing Effective Positions
• Creating Your First Playbook
• What Is a Playbook?
• Choosing the Right Playbook