> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://helpdocs.gavel.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Chat Mode

> Use Chat Mode to ask questions, summarize clauses, draft new language, generate redlines, and evaluate counterparty changes — from within Microsoft Word or on Web Exec.

Gavel Exec Chat works best when it has context beyond the contract you have open in Word. Uploading a reference file — a letter of intent, a term sheet, a prior redline, or a comparable executed agreement — gives the AI a second document to work with. It can compare the two, check for consistency, flag deviations, or use the uploaded file's language and structure as a model when drafting or redlining your agreement.

File uploads in Chat are session-scoped: they apply to the current conversation and are not automatically available in future chats. If you need a document to be present in every session for a given matter, use [Projects](/exec/projects) to attach it permanently.

## What you can upload

Use Chat file uploads for reference material that is specific to a particular task or question:

* A letter of intent or term sheet to check whether your agreement's terms match what was negotiated
* A prior draft of the same agreement to compare how a provision has evolved
* Deal notes or a memo explaining the client's agreed positions
* A comparable executed agreement to use as a drafting model
* A counterparty's redline to understand their markup before responding

The uploaded file becomes part of the conversation context. Gavel Exec treats its contents as reference material when responding to your prompts for the duration of that chat session.

## How to upload a file

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open a Chat session">
    With your contract open in Word, activate the Gavel Exec panel and start or open a Chat session.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Attach the reference file">
    Use the file upload control in the Chat panel to select the document you want to add as reference material. Gavel Exec processes the file and confirms it is available for the session.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Ask your question or give your instruction">
    Reference the uploaded document in your prompt. For example: "Redline this agreement based on the uploaded LOI" or "Flag any inconsistencies between this contract and the attached term sheet."
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and apply the output">
    Gavel Exec incorporates the uploaded file into its analysis and response. If it proposes redlines, review them in the Chat panel and click **Apply All** to push them into your Word document as tracked changes.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Uploaded files apply to the current Chat session only. If you close the session and start a new one, you will need to upload the file again if you want to reference it. For permanent, session-persistent reference documents, add them as Project Files instead.
</Note>

## Example prompts using uploaded files

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Redline against an LOI">
    "Redline this agreement to reflect the terms in the uploaded LOI. Flag any provisions that deviate from what was agreed."
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Check consistency with a term sheet">
    "Make sure the financing terms in this agreement align with those in the attached term sheet, and suggest redlined changes where they diverge."
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Draft using a prior agreement as a model">
    "Draft a limitation of liability clause in the same style and using the same defined terms as the uploaded executed agreement."
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Compare clause language across drafts">
    "Compare the indemnification clause in this document to the version in the uploaded prior draft and explain what changed."
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Ad-hoc uploads vs. Project files

Both approaches let Gavel Exec reference external documents, but they serve different purposes.

|                    | Chat file upload                             | Project files                                        |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| **Scope**          | Current chat session only                    | All chats within the Project                         |
| **Best for**       | One-off references specific to a single task | Ongoing matter context available across all sessions |
| **Persistence**    | Expires when the session ends                | Permanently attached to the Project                  |
| **Setup required** | None — upload directly in Chat               | Requires creating a Project and adding files         |

<Tip>
  Start with ad-hoc uploads when you are still exploring what reference material is useful for a matter. Once you identify the documents you consistently refer to, move them into a [Project](/exec/projects) so they are always available without re-uploading.
</Tip>