How to Redline in Google Docs

When two parties negotiate a contract, they need to see proposed wording before deciding what to accept. A redline shows the additions and deletions under discussion. Comments explain why a change is proposed or ask the other party to clarify a provision.

In Google Docs, the feature is called Suggesting mode, the equivalent of Microsoft Word's Track Changes. You can make proposed edits in a shared Google Doc or bring in a redlined Word document when another reviewer works in Word.

Make Suggested Changes and Add Comments

To propose a change without directly replacing the contract's current wording, open the Google Doc on a computer and follow these steps:

1. Open the contract in Google Docs.
2. At the top right, select Editing → Suggesting.
3. Select the words you want to change and type the replacement. Google Docs shows additions in color and marks deletions with a strikethrough.
4. Select the relevant wording and choose Add comment to explain a proposal or ask a question.
5. Leave suggestions pending for the other party, or, if you are reviewing them, use the checkmark to accept a suggestion or the X to reject it. You can also use Tools → Review suggested edits to review multiple suggestions.

Example: A Contract Renewal Clause

Suppose your company has approved a 30-day nonrenewal notice period, but the draft contract specifies 60 days. In Suggesting mode, replace 60 with 30 in this illustrative clause:

This Agreement renews for successive one-year terms unless either party gives written notice of nonrenewal at least 60 days before the current term ends.

Google Docs will show 60 as deleted and 30 as inserted until the proposed change is accepted or rejected.

A short comment can explain the request:

We propose a 30-day notice period to align with our approved renewal process. Can you confirm that email notice is permitted under the agreement?

Check the related notice provision before agreeing to the change. Accepting a suggestion records a document edit; it does not substitute for any required business or legal approval.

Share the Contract for Review

Choose the sharing permission that matches what you want the recipient to do. Open Share and check who has access before sending the document:

Access	What the Recipient Can Do
Viewer	Read the contract without commenting or editing.
Commenter	Add comments and propose changes in Suggesting mode without editing the text directly.
Editor	Edit the text directly and review or accept suggestions.

If Suggesting mode is unavailable, ask the document owner to confirm you have Commenter or Editor access. Check permissions inherited from a shared folder as well: a file-level setting cannot reduce access someone has through its parent folder. Google's sharing guidance explains the roles.

Comments in a shared document are visible to people with access, so keep internal fallback positions and approvals in a separate, appropriately restricted record. Share only the contract and discussion intended for the counterparty.

Move Redlines Between Google Docs and Word

Google Docs suggestions and Word tracked changes transfer between the two formats when you convert the document. After conversion, check the comments and the contract's formatting in the resulting file before sharing it. The two formats do not stay synchronized automatically.

Bring a Redlined Word Document into Google Docs

When the other party sends a marked-up Word document, convert it to a native Google Doc if you want to continue the review there:

1. Save the Word document as a .docx with tracked changes still pending.
2. In Google Drive, choose New → File upload and upload the .docx.
3. Open the uploaded file using Google Docs, then select File → Save as Google Docs.
4. Check the imported suggestions, comments, tables, and numbering before sharing the Google Doc.

Saving as Google Docs creates a separate native Google Doc. If you open the .docx in Office editing mode instead, your edits remain in Word format. Keep the original .docx until the conversion has been checked. See Google's Office editing instructions for the difference.

Download Google Docs Redlines for Word

When a counterparty needs a Word document, export the current Google Doc with its suggestions still pending:

1. In Google Docs, select File → Download → Microsoft Word (.docx).
2. Open the downloaded document in Word and choose All Markup to inspect tracked changes and relevant comments.
3. Check that the markup, contract clauses, tables, and numbering survived the export before sending the file.

For different revisions of the same Google Doc, Version history lets someone with edit permission inspect earlier versions. If the other party returns a separate file, Tools → Compare documents can create a third document showing differences as suggestions; a .docx stored in Drive can be compared directly. Keep a single agreed working copy for each negotiation round. For detailed Word review steps, see how to redline in Word.

Prepare a Contract Redline With GC AI for Word

For agreements that start in Microsoft Word, GC AI is legal AI software for in-house teams that can help prepare tracked edits before the document moves into Google Docs. As of October 2026, more than 2,100 legal teams use GC AI, including teams at more than 300 public companies. GC AI customers include TIME, Gusto, and SKIMS.

With GC AI for Word, the legal team can propose revisions and counterparty comments inside Word. Provide the agreement, the party you represent, and your company's approved position. GC AI's Playbooks can check a clause against those standards, while Files can help inspect a related order form or notice schedule when it matters.

Example GC AI for Word Prompt

We represent the customer. Our approved position is 30 days' nonrenewal notice. Review the renewal clause and the related notice provision. Propose the smallest tracked edit that implements that position, add a brief explanation for the counterparty, and flag any conflicting terms.

The lawyer should check the proposed revision against the contract, decide which edits to apply, and obtain approval for any departure from company instructions. Keep the Word tracked changes pending if the counterparty still needs to review them. You can then convert the .docx to Google Docs using the steps above.

Watch GC AI for Word propose a redline directly inside Microsoft Word:

In an episode of CZ and Friends, GC AI's podcast with legal and business leaders, Rachel Harris, then general counsel and AI governance and privacy officer at Suzy, described using the Word integration to prepare proposed language and counterparty commentary:

I was able to leverage AI directly in Word to apply red lines and generate commentary to the opposing party in real time in Word.

She had waited for the Word integration before subscribing and requested approval from her CFO when it launched.

To evaluate GC AI for Word, bring a contract you are permitted to share, your approved company position, and a clause that requires revision. Review the suggested tracked edit and counterparty comment before deciding whether they meet your instructions.