Author Online

Author Online is Contract Express's AI-powered template authoring add-in that works seamlessly with Word Online and Word Desktop (on both Windows and Mac). Using content controls for reliable, structured automation, it helps authors build document generation logic directly into Word templates, defining where variables appear and what conditions control text and clauses.
Author Online combines intuitive workflows with powerful AI features to make template creation easier and faster than ever before. Whether you're new to document automation or an experienced author, it provides the tools you need to create sophisticated automated templates.
Key AI-Powered Features
With Author Online, you can utilise powerful AI capabilities to accelerate your template creation:
  • AI Markup Suggestions
    - Automatically identify fields and spans in your document and create variables for them
  • Auto-Setup
    - Quickly build your questionnaire structure with AI assistance (exclusive to Author Online).

How It Works

Once your template is ready, upload it to Contract Express where end users can generate documents by completing a questionnaire. This questionnaire is automatically created from your template logic and guides users through the required inputs, ensuring documents are produced accurately and consistently every time.

Author Online and Author Desktop

Author Online is the new generation of template authoring for Contract Express, with new features added monthly. It's designed to be the primary authoring solution for anyone getting started with template automation, while experienced authors may continue using Author Desktop for certain complex scenarios until Author Online reaches full feature parity.
Both tools remain fully supported and can be used side-by-side. Templates can be easily converted between the two formats, and the underlying automation logic remains identical. To learn more about how Author Online compares with Author Desktop, check out the Author Online FAQs.

Getting Started

Author Online is included at no additional cost with your Contract Express subscription. Simply install it from the Microsoft Office Store and log in with your Contract Express credentials.
Want to learn more? Check out these resources: