Compare lets you generate a redline showing exactly what's changed between two Word versions of the same document, without leaving Legatics. Select an older and a newer version from the file menu, and a track changes copy opens in a new tab within minutes.
Turning compare on
Compare is already enabled for existing Legatics customers, so your System Admin can switch it on straight away.
Good to know: a System admin can limit who can use document compare within an organisation. This is fully managed through System Admin. If the feature is restricted only those users on the list will be able to use it.
If your organisation is new to Legatics, contact your Account Manager to get compare turned on for your organisation. Your System Admin can then switch it on.
Note: Whether document compare is switched on is controlled by the System Admin of the organisation hosting the matter, under Admin > Settings > Features > Document compare. The hosting organisation's setting always applies, even where your own organisation's settings differ. So if compare is on for your firm but unavailable in a particular matter, it's the hosting organisation's setting that governs it, and their System Admin who can change it.
Starting a comparison
Prerequisite: you need access to the document to see Compare on it, and compare needs to be available for the matter (see "If compare isn't available" below).
Open the three-dot file menu on the document, in either the grid or the file sidebar
Select Compare
Choose the older version and the newer version from the dropdowns (use the swap icon to flip them)
Click Compare
A new tab opens. The comparison runs in the background and the result loads automatically once it's ready, there's no need to keep checking or refresh the tab.
Note: You're not notified when the comparison is ready. Keep the tab open or come back to it once you expect it to be done.
What you can compare
Only two Word (.docx) versions of the same document can be compared against each other. PDF, Excel and PowerPoint files aren't supported, and you can't compare across two different documents.
Compare is shown on every document, but you'll only be able to submit the comparison once you've picked two Word versions. If a document has fewer than two Word versions, you'll still see Compare, but the modal won't let you proceed until you have two to choose from.
Viewing, saving and downloading the result
The result opens automatically in the Legatics file viewer, showing every change as Word track changes.
Click Save at the top right of the viewer to choose what to do with the result:
Save to Legatics: keeps the comparison with the document, in its Versions tab
My Computer: saves the comparison to your computer as a Word document
iManage: saves the comparison to iManage
NetDocuments: saves the comparison to NetDocuments
To save a comparison to Legatics:
In the comparison tab, click Save at the top right of the viewer
Select Save to Legatics
The comparison is added to the document's version history as the next saved comparison, for example C1.
To download a comparison to your computer:
1. In the comparison tab, click Save at the top right of the viewer
2. Select My computer
To send a comparison to your DMS:
In the comparison tab, click Save at the top right of the viewer
Select iManage or NetDocuments
Choose where to save it in iManage or NetDocuments
Confirm
Note: Each option is a separate action. To keep a comparison in Legatics and in your DMS, save it to Legatics first, then send it to your DMS.
Good to know: Send to DMS only appears if your organisation has the iManage or NetDocuments integration turned on.
Once saved you can view in the Version history:
Finding and managing saved comparisons
Saved comparisons sit in the document's version history, alongside the versions they compare. Each one is labelled as a comparison and numbered in the order it was saved: C1, C2, C3 and so on. A saved comparison is never added to the row as a separate document.
A saved comparison is not a version of the document:
It never becomes the current version, and it can't be promoted to the current version
Saving a new comparison never replaces an earlier one, so every comparison you save is kept
Saved comparisons can't be renamed
To show only versions or only comparisons, use the filter at the top of the version history and choose All, Versions or Comparisons.
Opening a saved comparison
Open the drawer for the row, or hover over the document in the grid, click the three-dot menu and select Version History
Click the saved comparison to open it in the file viewer
From the viewer you can download the comparison or send it to your DMS in the same way as a new comparison.
Who can see a saved comparison
Anyone who can view both of the versions that were compared can see the saved comparison. If you can't see one of those versions, you won't see the comparison either. This includes clients and counterparties, so a saved comparison can be shared with the other side in the same way as the document itself.
Deleting a saved comparison
You need the edit all or edit own permission in the column to delete a saved comparison.
Hover over the saved comparison in the drawer
Click the three-dot icon and select Delete this comparison
Confirm
When a saved comparison is deleted, the comparisons saved after it are renumbered, in the same way as versions. For example, if you delete C2, C3 becomes C2.
Warning: Deleting a saved comparison is permanent. The versions it compared are not affected.
Comparisons in the audit trail
Running a comparison, saving it to Legatics, sending it to your DMS and deleting a saved comparison are all recorded in the matter's audit trail. Downloading a comparison to your computer is not recorded.
Reading your comparison
Once your comparison has run, every change between the two versions is shown as a tracked change. What you’ll mostly look at is the line style: underlined text was added and struck-through text was removed. Colour tells you what kind of change it is.
Colour key
What you see | What it means |
Red underline | Text added in the newer version |
Red strikethrough | Text removed from the older version |
Green double strikethrough | Text that has moved, shown in its old position |
Green double underline | Text that has moved, shown in its new position |
Blue paragraph number | A paragraph number that changed because paragraphs were added or removed above it |
Note: A blue paragraph number doesn’t mean the wording of that paragraph changed. Only its number changed.
How moved text is detected
Text shows as moved only when all of these apply:
The moved text is at least two words long.
The wording is identical in both places, including punctuation and capitalisation.
The new position is within about 20 paragraphs of the original.
The text is in the main body of the document. Moves aren’t detected in headers, footers or footnotes.
Text can move within a paragraph, between paragraphs, or into and out of tables.
Tip: If you edit text as you move it, or edit the text right next to it, the change shows as a red deletion and a red insertion instead of a move.
Formatting changes
Changes that only affect formatting, such as bold, italics or font size, aren’t shown in the comparison. Only changes to the wording appear.
If something goes wrong
The result tab shows an error message if:
The version you selected is deleted before the comparison completes
The file is password protected
The file is corrupted or can't be read
The file is too large, or has too many pages, to compare
An unexpected error occurs
If compare isn't available
It needs to be enabled by Legatics for the organisation hosting the matter before that organisation's System Admin can switch it on.
Compare doesn't appear at all: either compare hasn't been enabled for the organisation hosting the matter, or you don't have access to that document
Compare appears greyed out: the System Admin for the organisation hosting the matter has switched compare off, or restricted it to certain Members. You'll see the message "Compare has not been enabled for you by the organisation hosting this matter."
Note: Whether compare is switched on, and who can use it, is always controlled by the System Admin of the organisation hosting the matter, in Admin > Settings > Features. This applies even if your own organisation's settings are different.