How to Search for Similar Clauses in Word
Learn how to search your contracts for clauses semantically similar to the one you're reviewing.
Before searching for clauses, make sure you've:
- Installed the Recital Word add-in
- Connected at least one of the following to Recital:
- Your cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.)
- Your email account
- Uploaded a clause library source file
Without one of these connections, the search won't have any contracts or clauses to search through.
How to search for similar clauses
1. Open the Recital add-in in Word and navigate to the Search tab.
2. Paste the full text of your clause into the search box.
- The search works by comparing the semantic meaning of your clause against existing clauses in your contracts. For best results, paste the complete clause text rather than just a few keywords—short keyword searches won't return meaningful results since the tool is designed to analyze full clauses, not perform keyword matching like a search engine.
3. Review your search results.
You should see a list of clauses semantically similar to yours, organized with your saved library clauses appearing first. You can quickly compare language, copy clauses for reuse, or save new clauses to your library, all without leaving Word.
At the bottom of the saved results, you'll see a button indicating how many additional results exist outside your saved library (e.g., "Show 47 more results"). Click this to view clauses from all your contracts. If you have no saved clauses matching your search, all results will appear.
Understanding search results
Each result displays:
- Usage frequency – How many documents contain this clause
- Last used – The date and contract name where the clause most recently appeared (with a link to open that contract in Recital)
- Parties – The parties involved in the last contract
- Full clause text
- Category – The clause type (e.g., Limitation of Liability, Termination)
Working with search results
Hover over any result to reveal three actions:
- Copy text – Copy the clause to paste into your document
- Show redline – Toggle redline view on/off to see how this clause differs from your search query
- Save to library (or "Remove from library" if already saved) – Add the clause to your saved library for quick access later
Filtering results
Use the filters at the top of the search results to narrow your view:
- Library filter – Switch between "Saved library" (clauses you've saved) and "All clauses" (everything from your contracts)
- Party filter – Show clauses from specific parties
- Additional filters – Click the filter button to access:
- Category – Filter by clause type (Assignment, Confidentiality, etc.)
- Executed only – Show only clauses from fully executed contracts
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Updated on: 21/11/2025
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