Contract reviews shouldn’t feel like a never-ending game of email tag, but that’s what happens when teams rely on outdated methods. Edits get lost in inboxes, version confusion slows everything down, and a simple negotiation drags on for weeks.

The longer it takes to get a contract signed, the more opportunities slip away. Automation speeds things up—by a lot. According to Weshare, automating contract management cuts negotiation cycles in half and reduces inaccurate payments by 75% to 90%.

Redlining software makes contract collaboration effortless. No more chasing down edits, second-guessing the latest version, or waiting on approvals that should’ve been handled days ago.

Teams can edit, review, and finalize contracts in real time, keeping negotiations on track without all the back-and-forth.

If contracts are slowing down your deals, it’s time for a change. Let’s take a closer look at why manual redlining no longer makes sense—and how the right tool can speed up approvals, reduce errors, and help your team close deals faster.

What is Contract Redlining Software?

Contract redlining is the process of reviewing and editing a contract before it's finalized. When changes are made, they’re marked up—usually in red—to show edits, deletions, and suggestions from different parties. It’s a key part of negotiations because it makes sure everyone agrees on the terms before signing.

The problem? Doing this manually is slow, messy, and frustrating. Endless email chains, version confusion, and missed edits make the contract process harder than it needs to be.

Contract redlining software solves this by keeping everything in one place. It highlights changes automatically, tracks every edit, and allows teams to collaborate in real time. Instead of juggling multiple drafts, users can leave comments, compare versions, and finalize contracts faster.

What's the Problem With Manual Redlining?

Manually redlining contracts might seem manageable at first, but it quickly turns into a frustrating, time-consuming process. Here’s why:

• Endless email threads: Multiple versions of a contract get passed around, making it hard to track changes.
• Version confusion: It's easy to lose track of the latest draft when multiple people are making edits.
• Missed edits: Manually reviewing changes increases the risk of overlooking important revisions.
• Wasted time: Back-and-forth negotiations take longer when edits aren’t centralized.
• Limited visibility: Teams struggle to see who made what changes and why.
• Formatting issues: Copying and pasting edits between legal documents can lead to misalignment and errors.

Using contract redlining software eliminates these issues by keeping everything in one place. Ultimately, this creates a smoother and more efficient review process.

Why Does Your Team Need a Redlining Tool?

If your contract redlining process is taking so long that it's affecting contract negotiations, it might be time to adopt redlining software. Here's exactly what you can unlock with it:

Faster Approvals Across The Board

Getting a contract approved takes longer than most people realize. According to Weshare, the average time just for the approval stage is 3.4 weeks. That’s nearly a month spent waiting on signatures—before the contract even moves forward.

Now, factor in the entire process, from drafting to negotiation to final execution, and it’s clear why traditional contract handling slows businesses down.

A big part of the problem is how contracts are reviewed. Teams send emails back and forth, making manual edits across different versions and waiting for approvals from multiple stakeholders. This constant back-and-forth drags out negotiations and increases the risk of missing critical edits.

Redlining software speeds things up by automating tracking and review so that every change is logged, visible, and easy to approve. Teams can collaborate in real time, resolve concerns faster, and keep negotiations moving. With built-in approval workflows, contracts don’t get stuck in someone’s inbox for weeks.

This is why automation and contract management tools have become so popular. They cut approval times significantly, reduce friction in the contract management process, and help teams close deals faster. 

The less time spent waiting on signatures, the sooner contracts turn into actual business outcomes.

Clearer Communication Between Teams and Members

Contract negotiations often turn into a frustrating game of email ping-pong. A sales team sends over a contract draft, legal reviews it, then finance has concerns, and suddenly, a simple agreement turns into a never-ending email thread with attachments flying back and forth.

Important edits get buried, people respond to outdated versions, and miscommunication causes unnecessary delays.

Instead of relying on messy email chains, redlining software allows teams to comment directly on contract terms in real time. Every stakeholder can see and address concerns right inside the document, which helps avoid confusion and duplicate edits.

For example, if the legal team spots an issue with an indemnity clause, they can flag it instantly, ask for clarification, and suggest changes—all in one place. The finance team can review payment terms without waiting for another email update. Sales can quickly approve minor tweaks without disrupting the flow.

This level of transparency keeps everyone on the same page, reducing misinterpretation and backtracking. Teams can respond faster, resolve concerns more efficiently, and get contracts finalized without unnecessary back-and-forth.

Fewer Costly Mistakes

Manually reviewing contracts leaves too much room for error. When multiple people are editing different versions, things slip through the cracks. A missing clause, a misworded term, or an accidental deletion can lead to delays, confusion, or even legal trouble.

Redlining software highlights every change automatically, so nothing gets overlooked. Teams don’t have to waste time scanning pages for differences—every edit is clear and easy to track.

Here are some common mistakes that happen without a redlining tool:

• Overwritten terms: Someone updates a clause, not realizing another team had already approved a different version.
• Missed changes: A key edit gets lost in an email chain, and the outdated term stays in the final contract.
• Inconsistent language: A term is revised in one section but left unchanged elsewhere, which can lead to conflicts.
• Accidental deletions: A critical clause is removed by mistake, completely altering the intent of the contract.
• Version mix-ups: The wrong draft gets sent for approval, which often leads to unnecessary back-and-forth.

With redlining software, teams can see every change in real time, keeping mistakes to a minimum and making contract reviews way less stressful.

Better Version Control

Trying to manage contract revisions without a proper system quickly turns into a mess. One person updates a clause, another suggests changes in a separate document, and before long, there are five different versions floating around.

Redlining software solves this by keeping all edits, comments, and revisions in one place. Everyone works from the same document, so there’s no guessing which version is the latest.

Every change is tracked automatically, showing who edited what and when. If needed, teams can compare versions side by side to see exactly what changed.

This eliminates the risk of outdated drafts being sent for approval or key revisions being lost in email threads.

Easier Collaboration

Contract negotiations shouldn’t feel like a never-ending relay race, but that’s often what happens when teams rely on emails and separate documents.

One person makes edits, sends the file, waits for feedback, and the cycle repeats. If multiple stakeholders are involved, the contract negotiation process slows down even more.

Redlining software makes collaboration much smoother. Multiple team members can edit, review, and comment in real time, eliminating the delays caused by back-and-forth emails. Instead of waiting for someone to send the latest version, everyone sees changes as they happen.

Legal, sales, and finance teams can address issues right inside the document, reducing miscommunication and speeding up approvals. If an edit needs discussion, comments keep the conversation organized—no more scattered feedback across different email threads.

With everything in one place, teams don’t waste time tracking down versions or waiting for responses. They can focus on getting contracts finalized without unnecessary hold-ups.

More Organized Workflows For Better Efficiency

Managing contracts without a structured system leads to scattered files, endless email chains, and way too much manual tracking.

Teams spend more time searching for the latest version than actually reviewing the contract. Important edits get buried in inboxes, and keeping track of approvals turns into a headache.

Redlining software keeps everything in one place. All edits, comments, and approvals are tracked automatically, so teams don’t have to juggle multiple documents or piece together feedback from different sources. Everyone works from the same version, making it easy to see what’s been reviewed and what still needs approval.

This keeps contract workflows moving smoothly. Legal, sales, and finance teams can track progress in real time with less confusion and unnecessary delays.

How to Easily Redline Your Contracts With Aline AI

Aline is an AI-powered contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform built to make contract work faster and less frustrating.

It’s designed for businesses, especially startups and B2B companies, that want to automate contract drafting, redlining, and approvals—all without bouncing between Microsoft Word, DocuSign, and endless email threads.

With Aline, teams can draft contracts in minutes, collaborate in real time, and track key contract details automatically. The AI-powered redlining tool highlights changes, suggests revisions, and ensures contracts stay clear, consistent, and compliant.

How Aline AI Works

Here’s how Aline makes redlining easy:

1. Upload your contract – Upload the document into Aline to begin the review process.
2. Let AI handle redlining – Aline highlights edits, flags potential risks, and suggests revisions instantly.
3. Work together in real time – Multiple team members can comment, edit, and approve changes in one place. No more version mix-ups.
4. Track key details automatically – Aline captures critical contract data, so you never miss renewal dates, clauses, or revenue-impacting terms.
5. Finalize and sign – Once everything’s good to go, use Aline’s built-in e-signature tool to seal the deal.

With Aline AI, contract negotiations don’t have to be slow or stressful. Everything stays organized, teams collaborate effortlessly, and businesses close deals faster.

Speed Up Your Contract Negotiations Today

Contracts shouldn’t slow down business. Yet, without the right tools, redlining and approval processes often drag on for weeks, causing unnecessary delays and confusion.

Aline AI changes that by automating contract drafting, tracking every edit, and making collaboration seamless.

With built-in AI-powered redlining, real-time editing, and automatic version tracking, Aline helps teams review contracts faster, eliminate errors, and close deals with confidence.

No more lost edits, scattered emails, or manual tracking—everything is in one place, making contract management simpler and more efficient.

If your team is still dealing with messy redlining processes, it’s time to make a switch. Try Aline AI today and experience a smarter way to handle the entire contract lifecycle. Start your trial now!

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FAQs About Contract Redlining Software

What is redlining software?

Redlining software is a tool that helps legal and business teams review, edit, and negotiate contracts more efficiently. It automatically tracks changes, highlights edits, and allows multiple people to collaborate in real time, reducing the confusion that comes with manual contract revisions. Advanced contract redlining software comes with other features like e-signatures and AI-powered revisions.

How do I redline a contract?

To redline a contract, you typically mark up changes, suggest edits, and add comments to clarify terms before finalizing the agreement. With redlining software tools, this process is automated—edits are tracked automatically, version control is seamless, and all revisions stay in one place, making collaboration easier.

What software do contract administrators use?

Contract administrators use a variety of tools depending on their needs. Some popular options include Aline AI, DocuSign CLM, and PandaDoc, which help with contract drafting, redlining, approval workflows, and e-signatures. The right software depends on factors like company size, contract volume, and required features.

What is the best contract management software?

The best contract management software depends on your business needs. Aline AI stands out for its AI-powered redlining, automated workflows, and built-in e-signatures. Other well-known platforms like Ironclad, ContractSafe, and Conga also offer strong contract lifecycle management features. The best choice comes down to ease of use, integrations, and how well it fits your contract process.