How to Customize Our Templates with AI
AI tools can draft a contract in seconds, but a contract drafted from scratch by AI has nothing behind it: no industry experience, no knowledge of the notices your state requires, and no way to tell you what it left out. Our templates give you a better starting point. Each one is drafted by clean energy attorneys with 20+ years of experience and already contains the structure, risk allocation and required language for its purpose. An AI tool can then help you fill it in and tailor it to your project.
Step 1: Protect confidential information
Before you upload anything, check your AI tool's data settings. Use a business or team plan that does not use your content to train its models, or turn that setting off. Until you are ready to finalize, consider using placeholders instead of customer names, addresses and pricing.
Step 2: Upload the template and give the AI your context
Upload the Word file and tell the AI who you are, which party you represent, the state where the project is located, and the type of project. For example:
"I'm a licensed solar contractor in California. Attached is a residential solar installation agreement template. Help me prepare it for a 7.2 kW rooftop system for a homeowner in San Diego County. Ask me for any information you need to fill in the bracketed fields. Don't change any statutory notices or required language."
Step 3: Fill in the bracketed fields
Bracketed text such as [Contractor Name] or [_____] marks information you need to supply or a choice you need to make. Ask the AI to list every bracketed field and walk you through them one at a time:
"List every bracketed field and optional provision in this document, and explain what each one is for."
Step 4: Keep required notices exactly as written
Many contracts, especially home improvement contracts, must include notices with specific wording, placement and type size, such as cancellation notices and lien warnings. Tell the AI not to reword, shorten, move or reformat these notices. If the AI suggests changing one, keep the original.
Step 5: Use AI to understand the document, not just edit it
"Explain Section 12 in plain English. Who does it protect, and what would happen if I deleted it?"
"My customer asked to remove the limitation of liability. Summarize the risks to my company of agreeing."
Step 6: Check every change
AI tools can make mistakes, including inventing laws or case citations, dropping text, or changing meaning while rewording. Compare your final version against the original template (in Word, use Review > Compare) and review every change. Confirm that any law the AI cites actually exists and says what the AI claims.
Step 7: Confirm it fits your situation
Laws change and vary by state and locality. Before you use a customized contract, have it reviewed by an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction, especially for a new type of project, a new state or an unusually large deal.
Sample prompts
- "Fill in this template using the project details below. Leave any bracketed field blank if I haven't given you the information, and list what's still missing."
- "Make this agreement consistent with the attached proposal. Flag any conflicts instead of resolving them."
- "Create a one-page plain-English summary of this contract for my customer. Don't change the contract itself."
- "Translate this summary into Spanish." (For contracts that must be provided in another language, buy our translated versions where available rather than relying on machine translation.)
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Buying or using our templates, or following this guide, does not create an attorney-client relationship. Templates are provided as of their edition date and are not updated after purchase. See our Terms of Use and License Options.
