The Matrix Key terms tab lets you compare every document's extracted values against a single reference document. This makes it easy to spot which documents differ on specific clauses or terms. There are three levels of comparison: cell-level compliance labels, full-text side-by-side comparison, and the reference heatmap.

Why key term comparison matters

Comparing key terms across documents helps quickly surface non-standard language, missed clauses, or compliance gaps across a portfolio — critical for M&A lawyers preparing disclosure schedules or assessing rep-and-warranty risks. Immediate clarity on which documents require attention lets your team prioritize manual review where it matters most.

It also supports reviewing your own standard-form agreements — such as NDAs, Terms and Conditions, or Data Processing Agreements — against your preferred template. The reference heatmap (see below) is particularly useful here: it shows which clauses are amended most often across a batch of executed contracts, giving you concrete insight into which parts of your template get changed most, so you can prioritise updates to your own standard documentation.

Setting a reference document

1. Open the Matrix from the main sidebar.
2. Select a document type in the left sidebar.
3. Click the Key terms tab above the table.
4. In the toolbar, click Compare key terms.

A dialog opens where you can search and pick one document as the reference. Click Run Comparison to confirm.

Once a reference is active:

• The reference row has a "Compare reference" badge in the File column.
• The toolbar button changes to Edit compare — click it to swap the reference or click Remove comparison to turn comparing off.
• Enable Pin reference in the toolbar to keep the reference row visible at the top while you scroll.

Comparison statuses

Each non-reference cell shows one of these statuses, with a short reasoning line underneath:

• Identical to reference — the text is an exact or near-exact match.
• No substantial differences — the document complies with the reference's key terms; wording differs only slightly.
• Key term differs — the document deviates significantly from the reference for this key term.
• Needs manual review — Emma couldn't locate a relevant passage for this key term in one or both documents, so it couldn't run an automated comparison. This can mean the clause is genuinely missing, or that the text wasn't extracted/mapped correctly — either way, it's worth a quick manual check.

Side-by-side full-text comparison

This compares the extracted text for a single key term between one document and the reference.

1. Make sure a reference is set (see above).
2. Hover over any non-reference cell in the Key terms tab.
3. A small compare icon (two overlapping document pages) appears in the bottom-right corner of the cell — click it.

The comparison dialog opens with:

• Only show changes (on by default) — collapses identical sections so you only see what differs
• Side by side checkbox — splits the view into two columns (reference on the left in red, compared document on the right in green); uncheck for a single-pane inline diff where deletions appear as red strikethrough and additions as green text

Click either document name in the column header to open that document in the full file viewer.

Reference heatmap

The heatmap shows how the entire document set compares to the reference across the whole document — useful for spotting patterns across many documents at once.

1. Make sure a reference is set (see above).
2. Hover over a cell in the reference row.
3. A heatmap icon (stacked layers) appears in the cell — click it.

The Reference Heatmap dialog opens.

Summary line

At the top you see how many documents differ (e.g. "5 documents differ" or "All documents match the reference.").

Navigation controls

• Only show changes — hides sections where all documents match
• ← / → arrows (or keyboard arrow keys) — jump between changed sections; a counter like 3 / 12 shows your position
• Heatmap view / Table view toggle — switch between the two layouts described below

Heatmap view

The full text of the reference document is shown with colour-highlighted spans. The more documents that differ at a span, the more intense the colour. Click a highlighted span to expand it and see the bottom panel, which lists each differing document with a word-level diff for that span. Each row in the panel has a compare icon to open the full side-by-side comparison for that document.

Table view

A grid where rows are paragraphs or sections of the reference text and columns are the other documents (enable Files as columns to transpose). Each cell is colour-coded and shows a short diff fragment. Click the compare icon in any cell to open the full side-by-side comparison.

Comparing two documents (outside the Matrix)

You can compare any two documents without setting up a reference. In the IRL view or Folder view, tick the checkboxes on exactly two files, then choose Compare 2 documents from the bulk actions bar that appears at the bottom. This opens the same side-by-side comparison dialog for those two files.

If you need additional help with document comparison or encounter any other problem, don't hesitate to reach out through the chat bubble in the bottom right or contact [email protected].

Updated on: 23/07/2026