Draftable for Office requires Draftable version 25.10.000 or later to be installed and running on the user’s system.
Ensure that Draftable is open in the background when using Draftable for Office, otherwise documents will not be loaded correctly or at all into Draftable.
Using Draftable for Office in Word
Once installed, the add-in appears under the Home tab in Microsoft Word with six buttons, including two for sending selected text.- 2.69 and later
- Before 2.69
1. Compare Open Documents
With Draftable Desktop 26.10.0 or later and add-in 2.69.0.0 or later, Compare Open lists saved open files compatible with the Office application you are using, including files where you have not opened the add-in. In Word, the list shows Word-compatible documents. Select two files to compare. If unsaved files are left out, a notice tells you how many are missing. Save those files, then refresh the list. If Draftable cannot check every open file, it warns that the list may be incomplete. With an older supported Desktop version, you get the shorter list of files registered by the add-in. Select two files and click Launch Comparison to start their comparison in Draftable Desktop. With one file selected, choose Select as older or Select as newer to load that side of the New Comparison window.- 2.69 and later
- Before 2.69
2. Compare Versions
The Compare Versions feature allows you to compare different versions of the same document — ideal for version-controlled files (e.g., from iManage, NetDocuments, or SharePoint). You can also refresh versions if a new version has been saved or published. Select two versions and click Launch Comparison to start their comparison in Draftable Desktop. With one version selected, choose Select as older or Select as newer to load that side of the New Comparison window. For iManage documents, selecting a server version compares that version, rather than substituting a local working copy with the same version number.
3. Send as Older / Send as Newer
4. Send Text as Older / Send Text as Newer
Select text in Word, then choose Send Text as Older or Send Text as Newer to load that selection into the corresponding side of the Draftable New Comparison window.Using Draftable for Office in Excel
In Excel, the Draftable for Office add-in appears under the Home tab with eight buttons. In addition to the standard options available in Word, Excel provides worksheet-specific and cell range-specific actions.- 2.69 and later
- Before 2.69
1. Send as Older / Send as Newer
These work the same as in Word — Send as Older loads the active spreadsheet as the older (left) document in the Draftable New Comparison window, and Send as Newer loads it as the newer (right) document.
2. Compare Open Spreadsheets
The Compare Open option lists open files compatible with Excel, including workbooks where you have not opened the add-in. The full list requires Desktop 26.10.0 or later and add-in 2.69.0.0 or later. Select two files and click Launch Comparison to start the comparison in Draftable Desktop.
3. Compare Versions
The Compare Versions feature works the same as in Word, allowing you to compare different versions of the same spreadsheet, including version-controlled files from a DMS. Select two versions and click Launch Comparison to start the comparison in Draftable Desktop.
4. Send Worksheet as Older / Send Worksheet as Newer
These Excel-specific buttons send the active worksheet to the Draftable New Comparison window as either the older or newer side. This is useful when you want to compare a specific sheet within a workbook rather than the entire file.
Comparing one worksheet against another
To compare a specific worksheet against its counterpart, you need to send both sides from Excel. The worksheet selection only happens inside the Excel add-in, so both the older and newer worksheet have to be sent using these buttons.1
Send the first worksheet
Open the workbook containing the newer version, click the tab of the specific worksheet you want, then click Send Worksheet as Newer. Draftable opens with that single sheet loaded on the newer side.
2
Send the matching worksheet
Open the other workbook (your older version), click the tab of the worksheet you want to compare against, then click Send Worksheet as Older. It loads into the older side of the same New Comparison window.
3
Run the comparison
Both worksheets are now loaded, one on each side. Click Compare.
5. Send Range as Older / Send Range as Newer
These Excel-specific buttons send a selected cell range to the Draftable New Comparison window. First select the cells you want to compare in Excel, then click Send Range as Older or Send Range as Newer to load that specific range into Draftable. This is useful when you only need to compare a particular section of a spreadsheet.
Using Draftable for Office in PowerPoint
In PowerPoint, the Draftable for Office add-in appears under the Home tab with six buttons. In addition to the standard options available in Word, PowerPoint provides slide-specific actions.- 2.69 and later
- Before 2.69
1. Send as Older / Send as Newer
These work the same as in Word — Send as Older loads the active presentation as the older (left) document in the Draftable New Comparison window, and Send as Newer loads it as the newer (right) document.
2. Compare Open Presentations
The Compare Open option lists open files compatible with PowerPoint, including presentations where you have not opened the add-in. The full list requires Desktop 26.10.0 or later and add-in 2.69.0.0 or later. Select two files and click Launch Comparison to start the comparison in Draftable Desktop.
3. Compare Versions
The Compare Versions feature works the same as in Word and Excel, allowing you to compare different versions of the same presentation. Select two versions and click Launch Comparison to start the comparison in Draftable Desktop.
4. Send Slides as Older / Send Slides as Newer
These PowerPoint-specific buttons send the selected slides to the Draftable New Comparison window as either the older or newer side. This is useful when you want to compare specific slides rather than the entire presentation.
Comparing specific slides against their counterparts
To compare a specific set of slides against another, you need to send both sides from PowerPoint. The slide selection only happens inside the PowerPoint add-in, so both the older and newer slides have to be sent using these buttons.1
Send the first slides
In the newer presentation, select the slide (or slides) you want, then click Send Slides as Newer. Draftable opens with those slides loaded on the newer side.
2
Send the matching slides
Open the older presentation, select the corresponding slide (or slides), then click Send Slides as Older. They load into the older side of the same New Comparison window.
3
Run the comparison
Both sets of slides are now loaded, one on each side. Click Compare.
Administrator control for Compare Open
Available from version 26.10.0 With add-in 2.69.0.0 or later, you can disable Compare Open in the Draftable for Office JavaScript add-in using this registry value:1 to block the command or 0 to allow it. The default is 0. The same value under HKLM:\Software\Policies\Draftable\OfficeAddin\CompareOpen applies to all users on the machine. The HKCU policy takes precedence over HKLM.
The button is greyed out where Office supports ribbon updates; it may remain visible in other hosts, but the command does not run. This setting also applies to the Draftable in Office JavaScript add-in. It does not apply to the Outlook JavaScript add-ins or the COM add-ins. It is a registry-only setting, with no Group Policy template entry.
Notes
- Draftable for Office requires Draftable version 25.10.000 or later to be installed and running on the user’s device.
- Draftable Desktop 26.10.0 or later accepts add-in file uploads up to 50 MB per file.
- If Desktop declines a comparison or a file selection, the add-in displays a message explaining that Desktop did not accept it.
- All comparisons are sent to the Draftable desktop application using the same comparison engine as Draftable Legal, ensuring identical accuracy and output consistency across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- If you need further assistance or support for Draftable for Office, please reach out to support@draftable.com