Legal · Review prompts
AI Prompts for Contract Review: Questions to Ask Before You Sign
Ready-to-use prompts for reviewing contracts with AI. Covers summaries, obligation extraction, risk clauses, termination, IP, indemnification, non-competes, and renewal terms.
12 prompts · Last reviewed
Most contracts are not difficult to understand once you know which questions to ask. The challenge is knowing which clauses to look for and how to phrase the question so the AI gives you a specific, useful answer rather than a general explanation.
These prompts are designed to do exactly that. Each one targets a specific part of a contract and is written to produce a focused, actionable answer rather than a generic explanation.
AI is not legal advice
These prompts help you understand what a contract says. They cannot tell you whether a clause is enforceable, advise on your negotiating position, or replace a qualified lawyer for high-stakes agreements.
Prompts to understand the contract
Get a plain-English summary
Summarise this contract in plain English. Who are the parties, what is the main purpose of the agreement, what are the key obligations on each side, and how long does it last?
List my specific obligations
List every obligation that applies to me specifically. Include any deadlines, notice requirements, payment terms, and conditions I need to meet. Make it a numbered list.
Understand delivery and acceptance standards
What does this contract say about how I should deliver work, and what constitutes acceptable delivery? What standard must I meet for a payment or milestone to be approved?
Prompts for payment terms
Find what triggers each payment
What triggers each payment in this contract? Are there conditions that must be met before a payment becomes due, and what happens if those conditions are disputed?
Prompts for termination, IP, liability, and restrictions
Review termination conditions
What are all the ways this contract can be terminated? Who can terminate it, under what conditions, and what notice is required? What happens to unpaid work or payment if the contract is terminated early?
Check intellectual property ownership
What does this contract say about who owns intellectual property? Does this include work I create during the contract, tools I bring in, or background IP I already owned before this agreement?
Find indemnification and liability clauses
What are the indemnification obligations in this contract? Which party indemnifies the other, and for what situations? Are there any caps on the total liability either party can face?
Check non-compete and exclusivity restrictions
Does this contract include any non-compete, non-solicitation, or exclusivity clauses? If so, what exactly do they restrict, for how long, in what geography, and do they apply after the contract ends?
Find automatic renewal terms
Does this contract automatically renew? If so, what is the notice period required to cancel before it renews, and what happens if I miss that window?
Check dispute resolution method
How does this contract require disputes to be resolved? Does it specify arbitration, mediation, or a particular court jurisdiction? Which party bears the cost of that process?
Prompts to close your review
Understand key defined terms
What are the key defined terms in this contract? List the most important ones and explain how each definition affects the obligations or rights described later in the agreement.
Get a consolidated risk summary
Based on this contract, what are the three to five most important things I should be aware of or consider negotiating before signing? Focus on clauses that are unusual, one-sided, or could create problems for me.
What these prompts cover
Twelve prompts covering the full contract review workflow in four stages:
Stage 1: Understand the contract Plain-English summary, your specific obligations, delivery and acceptance standards.
Stage 2: Check financial obligations Payment triggers and conditions that must be met before each payment is due.
Stage 3: Review the risk clauses Termination conditions, intellectual property ownership, indemnification and liability, non-compete and exclusivity restrictions, automatic renewal terms, dispute resolution method.
Stage 4: Close your review Key defined terms, and a risk summary flagging anything unusual or one-sided.
Work through them in order, or pick only the prompts you need.
How to use these prompts
Upload your contract to LearnByAi, then use these prompts one at a time.
If you are reviewing a contract for the first time, work through the prompts in the order shown. Each prompt builds on the context from the previous one, moving from orientation to specifics to a final risk summary.
Start with the summary prompt. It gives you the shape of the contract before you look for details. If the summary does not match what you agreed verbally, investigate that before anything else.
Work through one prompt at a time. Combining multiple questions into one prompt produces shallower answers. One question per clause gives the AI space to find and explain the relevant section properly.
Use the risk summary prompt last. It asks about the contract as a whole and often surfaces points the individual prompts did not catch.
Tips for better results
Adjust the prompts to your situation. The prompts work on any contract, but you can make them more precise. If you are a service provider, add "I am the service provider" at the start. If you are reviewing a lease, replace "work" with "lease obligations."
Follow up on unfamiliar terms. If the AI's response mentions a defined term you do not recognise, ask: "What does [term] mean in this contract, and how does that definition affect this clause?" Definitions often change the meaning of clauses further in.
Check the section reference. A good AI response quotes the section number it is drawing from. If it does not, ask: "Which section of the contract does this come from?" Then read that section yourself.
Ask for plain language on concerning clauses. If a clause concerns you, ask the AI to explain it in simpler language or describe a practical situation where it would apply. This usually produces more useful answers than re-reading the clause alone.
Check the quality of scanned documents. LearnByAi runs OCR automatically on scanned and image-based files, so most contracts work without any extra steps. Poor-quality scans can occasionally produce recognition errors, so verify names, dates, and amounts against the original document when accuracy matters.
When prompts are not enough
If the AI cannot find a clause you know is there, it may be in a schedule, exhibit, or appendix rather than the main body. Try asking: "Does this contract include any schedules, exhibits, or appendices? If so, what do they contain?"
For contracts involving significant financial exposure, equity, employment rights, or an unfamiliar jurisdiction, use these prompts to prepare specific questions and then take them to a qualified lawyer. For a complete walkthrough with a worked example, see the How to Review a Contract with AI tutorial.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best prompt to review a contract with AI?
There is no single best prompt. A good order is to start with the plain-English summary, then ask about the topics that matter most to you, such as payment, termination, or non-compete clauses, and finish with the risk summary prompt, which asks for the three to five things to consider negotiating.
Do I have to upload a contract before using a prompt?
Yes. A prompt only works on a document, so upload your contract in the chat first. Clicking Use in LearnByAi puts the prompt in the chat box, ready to send once your document is uploaded.
Can I use these prompts for an NDA or an employment contract?
Yes. They ask about topics that most written agreements share, such as obligations, termination, renewal, and restrictions. For confidentiality agreements, the NDA review prompts focus on definitions, duration, and exclusions.
Can I change the prompts?
Yes. Edit the text in the chat box before you send it, for example to say which party you are or to name a clause you care about.
Is AI contract review the same as legal advice?
No. The answers explain what your document says. They do not tell you whether to sign, and they are not a substitute for advice from a lawyer who knows your situation and jurisdiction.
Try these prompts on your own document
Pick a prompt, upload your document, and send it. No account is needed to start. You can also browse all prompts.
Review a contract with these prompts