Author Desktop

Author Desktop is a Microsoft Word add-in used by template authors working with Contract Express. It is compatible with Word 2013 and later and enables the conversion of standard Word documents into automated templates. Within the document, authors can define variables, spans, and rules to implement logic directly in Word.
The tool supports external dictionaries, allowing variables and clauses to be defined once and reused across multiple templates. It also includes features such as text selection variables, repeated punctuation handling, and computable logic, which assist in managing complex legal automation scenarios.
Integration with platforms such as HighQ is supported. Advanced capabilities include:
  • Custom list formatting (including support for the Oxford comma)
  • Dynamic lookup tables
  • External table references.
A recent update introduced AI-assisted field and span detection, which helps simplify the process of identifying and setting up spans and variables in a document.