Clause Library

The Clause Library allows you to centrally store and quickly insert text, graphics, Fields, Tables, and other items that you frequently use. Clause library items can be organised into logical groupings or categories. Typical categories would be Banking and Finance, Leasing, Property, and Wills.

Clause Library Search

Clauses can be saved as either corporate-wide or personal.

The master text for clause library items is stored in standard Word documents. They are stored in Word documents, as opposed to being in a database say, because this allows full control of the formatting and Style of the clause library content.

Each separate clause library item is assigned a unique code. You insert a clause into a document or email you are building by first entering the code into the document or email and then clicking the Clause Library button on the ribbon. In this respect it is very similar to the Office AutoText function. The I-Deal Docs clause library offers a number of advantages over Office’s AutoText function though, most notably:

  • there is a search facility, with preview, for when the clause code is unknown
  • clauses may contain prompting information for “variables” within the body text. You will be presented with a popup data entry window as the clause is being inserted
  • personal clauses can be saved by simply highlighting text you wish to reuse and activating a “capture-this” function
  • each clause can optionally be given extended author / instructional / usage notes. This allows you to document your in-house intellectual property about each clause. You can view the notes on the search window
  • reports can be generated showing details for each clause within a category. Authors can dictate from this
  • there is a Task Pane to allow quick insertion of many clauses from the same category whilst also allowing you to move around and type in your document or email
  • categories of clauses can be secured so that they can only be seen by employees in specific workgroups
  • monthly-level usage statistics can be recorded. If certain clauses are not being used then perhaps your users need training or perhaps the content is no longer relevant!
  • the clauses are not stored in globally loaded templates and will therefore not slow the starting of Word or Outlook.