Drafting & Redlining

Overview

Arca's drafting tools let you create and refine documents through an iterative, AI-assisted workflow. Rather than starting from a blank page, you can describe what you need and let the AI generate an initial draft, then edit, request changes, and converge on a final version—all within a single conversation.

Generating a draft

Start a draft by describing what you need in the chat. The AI uses your instructions along with any attached libraries and playbooks to produce a first pass.

• Provide clear instructions—the more specific you are about structure, tone, and key provisions, the better the output.
• Attach reference documents if you want the draft to follow a particular style or template.
• Select a playbook to apply consistent formatting rules and analysis guidelines.

Iterating on content

Drafting in Arca is conversational. After the AI generates a response, you can:

• Follow up — Ask the AI to expand a section, change the tone, add specific clauses, or restructure the document.
• Edit messages — Click edit on any message in the conversation—yours or the AI's—to modify it. The AI will regenerate its response from that point forward.
• Copy to clipboard — When you're satisfied with a response, copy it directly from the chat.

This iterative approach means you can start broad and progressively refine until the document matches exactly what you need.

AI suggestions

The AI can suggest specific changes to text, similar to tracked changes in a word processor. Each suggestion includes:

• Original text — The current wording.
• Suggested text — The proposed replacement.
• Reason — An explanation of why the change is recommended.

You can accept or reject each suggestion individually. Resolved suggestions are tracked so you have a clear record of what changed and why.

Using context for better drafts

The quality of a draft depends on the context you provide. Arca gives you several ways to enrich the AI's understanding:

• Libraries — Attach libraries containing templates, precedent documents, or style guides. The AI will reference these when drafting.
• Playbooks — Select a playbook with specific instructions for how the AI should approach the draft (e.g., “always include an indemnification section”).
• File attachments — Upload a document to draft against or use as a reference.
• Request context — When drafting from a request, the AI already has the request title, description, comments, and any attached files.

Collaboration

Drafting doesn't have to be a solo activity. When working within a request:

• Team members can add comments to discuss specific points or flag issues.
• The activity feed tracks all changes with full attribution and timestamps.
• Set chat visibility to public so colleagues can review the AI-assisted drafting process and build on it.

Microsoft Word add-in

Arca also provides a Microsoft Word add-in that brings AI assistance directly into your documents. Use it to get suggestions, research questions, and iterate on drafts without leaving Word.

Tips for effective drafting

• Start with a clear, detailed prompt. Mention the document type, audience, key provisions, and any constraints.
• Attach relevant precedent documents to help the AI match your organization's style.
• Use playbooks to enforce consistency across similar document types.
• Iterate in small steps—ask for one change at a time rather than rewriting everything at once.
• Review citations to verify that the AI's references are accurate before finalizing.