Redlining is the reason you can look at a contract and immediately see what changed. What wording was added? What got removed? What stayed the same?
Google Docs supports redlining through its Suggesting mode, even if it doesn’t call it that outright. Edits show up as proposed changes, comments stay tied to specific language, and nothing gets finalized without someone approving it.
Have you ever opened a shared doc and tried to figure out what actually changed since the last version? Redlining is meant to answer that question quickly.
In this guide, you’ll see how redlining works in Google Docs, how to use Suggesting mode properly, and when it makes sense to look beyond basic document editing as contract reviews grow more complex.
Redlining in Google Docs is straightforward once you know where to click. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
Start by opening the Google document you want to review. This can be a contract draft, an agreement, or any file shared with you for edits.
Make sure you have edit access, since viewing permissions won’t allow you to suggest changes or leave feedback in the document.
Look to the top right corner of the screen and click the dropdown menu that shows the current editing setting.
From there, choose the option to enable Suggesting mode. Once enabled, any edits you make will appear as suggestions rather than permanent changes.
Click and highlight the existing text that needs revision. This could be a single word, a sentence, or an entire clause.
Once the text is selected, start typing to suggest updates. Google Docs will show your changes directly in the document as proposed edits.
This approach works well when you want to add more detail or clean up language without rewriting everything at once.
Common examples include:
Sometimes an edit needs context. Highlight the text and click the comment icon to open a comment box, then explain why the change was made or ask a question for review.
This is helpful when suggesting alternative wording, flagging a risk, or pointing out something that needs a closer look.
Comments stay attached to the relevant text and form comment threads, so replies stay organized and easy to follow as the discussion continues.
As edits come in, suggested changes appear in the margin next to the text. You can scroll through the document and review everything on the same page without switching views.
Each suggestion shows who made the change, which helps when other collaborators are involved. This layout makes it easy to track changes, compare revisions, and move through the document at a steady pace during review.
Once the draft is ready for input, share the document with the right people.
For legal teams and internal users, editing permissions matter. Some reviewers may need full access, while others only need to comment or suggest changes.
Google Docs makes controlling access simple, so everyone sees the document without overstepping their role.
Simply click the Share button in the top right corner, add email addresses, and choose the appropriate permission level for each person. Editors can suggest and approve changes, while commenters can leave feedback without altering the text.
With real-time collaboration, edits and comments appear as they happen, which keeps reviews moving at the right pace.
As feedback comes in while redlining contracts, multiple users can work on the same document at once. Some may suggest direct changes using Suggesting mode, while others switch to editing mode for approved updates.
Collaborative editing keeps everything in one place, so discussions, revisions, and decisions stay connected as the document moves toward a final version.
Suggested changes show up as highlighted text, with details sitting in the margin next to the edit. Click on any suggestion to see who made it and read any threaded comments attached to it.
When you’re ready to decide, use the checkmark to accept the change or the X to reject it. You can also open the pencil icon in the upper right corner to review suggestions in sequence, which helps when the document has a long list of edits to work through.
Say a sentence was rewritten to improve clarity. Accepting it updates the text right away, while rejecting it brings the original wording back.
As you move through the document, suggested changes shape the final version, while saved versions keep a record of earlier edits if you need to look back later.
Comments and suggestions serve different purposes during the contract review workflow, and you don’t have to rely on both every time.
Suggestions work best when you’re comfortable making edits directly in the text. You can adjust wording, remove language, or rewrite sections while keeping everything visible for review.
On the other hand, comments are useful when you want to flag something without making edits yet. For complex documents, that might mean asking a question, pointing out a concern, or noting language that needs a closer look later.
Plus, you can leave comments without touching the text at all, which keeps the draft unchanged while the conversation unfolds.
Using both together can be a smart move. Suggest edits where the path forward feels clear, then add comments to explain reasoning or raise issues that need discussion.
Version history gives you a safety net while redlining. It quietly keeps track of different versions of the document as changes happen to make sure that nothing truly gets lost.
You might lean on version control in situations like these:
Even if suggestions and comments handle day-to-day edits, version history adds another layer of clarity. It lets you see the full progression of the document and confirm how you arrived at the current draft.
Redlining is simply a way to edit a legal document without hiding the changes. You can see what someone added, what they removed, and how the wording shifted along the way. That makes it especially useful during contract review, when every edit deserves a second look.
The idea goes back a long way. Before digital documents, legal teams literally used red pens to mark up paper contracts, crossing out clauses and writing notes in the margins.
The term redline has been used in this context since the early 1950s. Even then, the goal was simple: make edits easy to spot.
Modern contract redlining follows the same principle. Redlined documents keep revisions out in the open, which helps reviewers follow changes, discuss specific edits, and understand how a document evolved from draft to final version.
Yes, you can redline in a Google Docs document, though it works a little differently than what you might expect from Microsoft Word.
Google Docs handles the redlining process through its built-in Suggesting mode, which shows edits as proposed changes rather than permanent ones.
As you review a document, suggested edits stay visible and can be accepted or rejected later. That setup works well during a review process that involves comments, quick revisions, and back-and-forth discussion. Everyone sees what changed and who made the edit.
This approach is also more flexible than redlining a PDF, where edits often require specialized tools and comments sit separately from the text.
While Google Docs does not label this feature as redlining, the result is similar. You get a clear view of edits, feedback, and revision history without overwriting the original text.
Suggesting mode is Google Docs’ way of keeping edits visible without locking anything in right away. When it’s turned on, changes show up as proposed changes, while the original text stays put until someone signs off on the edit.
This setup works quite well for redlining contracts. You can suggest edits directly in the text, adjust language, or remove sections while making it clear what changed.
Each edit appears as an in-line edit, marked with the name of the person who made it. When multiple users are involved, that transparency really helps.
Here’s what Suggesting mode allows you to do:
Google Docs can carry you pretty far, but at a certain point, it starts to show its limits.
When contracts involve sensitive information, long back-and-forth edits, or multiple reviewers with different roles, the redlining process can feel heavier than it should.
For example, comments can start to pile up. Version history can turn into a safety blanket you check more than you’d like. Keeping track of decisions during complex negotiations might take extra attention.
This is usually the moment people start looking beyond Google Docs. Unlike Google Docs, contract management tools are designed around how contract review actually works and not just general document editing.
Tools like Aline help once digital redlining needs more structure and visibility:
Google Docs is a solid starting point, but contract work usually asks for more than shared editing. Once reviews get longer and approvals involve more people, the gaps start to show.
Aline is built for that next stage, with a redlining tool designed specifically for contracts rather than general documents.
Aline handles redlining at the clause level, which keeps edits focused and easier to review.
AI Playbooks apply your preferred language automatically to help maintain consistent formatting across agreements. Reviews move faster, and the contract stays aligned with how your team actually negotiates.
Plus, approval workflows and automated workflows keep things moving without chasing updates. Contracts route to the right reviewers, decisions stay recorded, and nothing gets buried in comments.
AI features also support drafting, redlining, reporting, and analysis in one place, so you’re not jumping between tools to finish a single task.
If Google Docs starts feeling stretched as contracts grow more complex, Aline offers a cleaner, more intentional way to manage review and approvals.
Google Docs does not label the feature as redlining, but Suggesting mode covers the same ground. Edits appear as visible suggestions that can be reviewed, discussed, and approved. It works well for basic reviews, though several limitations show up with complex contracts or long negotiations.
Open the document, switch to Suggesting mode, and start editing. Your changes appear as suggestions rather than direct edits. If you’re starting fresh, this works the same way in a new document or an existing one. For shared files, a file upload from another system still supports suggestions once it’s opened in Docs.
Use the strikethrough formatting option. Highlight the text, open the Format menu, and apply strikethrough. This visually marks removed language but does not replace the suggestion feature used for formal review.
Only the document owner or users with edit access can reject suggestions or approve them. Comment-only users can review and discuss changes, but cannot finalize edits.
It can help if you regularly check comments, suggestions, and previous versions. For quick reviews, it may save time, but it relies on a steady internet connection and manual tracking, which becomes harder as documents grow.
Brent is an attorney, a full-stack JavaScript engineer and the CEO of Aline.
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