GlossaryProductsNew to AI

Redlining

Showing suggested changes on a document, often for review or editing.

In plain terms

Redlining is a way to mark up a document to show changes. Think of it like using a red pen to cross out words, add new ones, or make notes directly on a printed page. The goal is to clearly see what's been altered.

In digital documents, redlining is often done using features like 'Track Changes' in word processors. AI tools can now do this automatically, reading a document and suggesting edits or highlighting areas that need attention, similar to how a human editor would review it.

The expert version

Redlining refers to the process of marking a document to indicate proposed modifications, deletions, or additions. Historically, this was done manually with a red pen on paper. In digital contexts, it is commonly implemented through features that track changes, allowing reviewers to accept or reject edits. AI systems can automate aspects of redlining by analyzing text for errors, inconsistencies, or areas requiring improvement, presenting these as suggested changes.

Why it matters now

Recent discussions around AI in legal and contract review highlight the need for tools that can efficiently process and mark up complex documents. Technologies like GPT-4 are being applied to automate these tasks, making the concept of document markup, or redlining, a relevant point of discussion in the context of AI-assisted legal work.

Where it shows up 2 items, newest first
How each company uses it
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot is introducing specialized AI tools that can speed up complex legal document work, implying a role in document review and markup.
OpenAI ChatGPT
OpenAI's GPT-4 is used by Ironclad to automate legal contract review, a process that inherently involves marking up documents for changes and edits.
Related terms

Document analysisText editingAI in lawContract reviewTrack ChangesEditing

Often confused with
Redlining
The discriminatory housing practice of denying services, like loans o
Origin

The term 'redlining' originates from the historical practice of manually marking up documents with a red pen to indicate changes or corrections.

Try this about 5 minutes

Open a document in a word processor like Google Docs or Microsoft Word. Use the 'Suggesting' mode or 'Track Changes' feature. Make some edits, and you will see them appear as redlines, showing you exactly what you changed.

Try it: Playbook entries that use thisPlaybook →

The Playbook: reusable how-tos, prompts, configs and tips pulled out of the news.

Questions people ask

What is the main purpose of redlining?
The main purpose is to clearly show proposed changes to a document so that reviewers can easily see what has been altered and decide whether to accept or reject the modifications.
How does AI help with redlining?
AI can analyze documents and automatically suggest edits or highlight areas for improvement, mimicking the work of a human editor and speeding up the review process.

First seen on Subvolts Oct 11, 2023. Updated Oct 15, 2026. Written by an AI model from the items above and reviewed against them weekly; report an error.