Skip to main content
Available from version 26.10.0 Choose how Draftable Legal selects the comparison type when you start a new comparison. You can remember your last choice or always start with a particular type.

​
Choose your default

You need Draftable Legal version 26.10.0 or later.
1

Open the workflow settings

Open Settings, select Compare Selector, and find the Workflow section.
2

Choose a default comparison type

In Default comparison type, choose one of the following:
  • Remember my last choice: This is the default setting. Draftable saves the type you select on the New Comparison screen and uses it for your next comparison.
  • Always use a particular type: For example, Always use Tracked Changes in Word starts each new comparison with that type. You can still choose a different type for a single comparison without changing your saved default.
Default comparison type dropdown with Remember my last choice and Always use options
Your selected type stays selected when you add or replace files, change a document version in a document management system (DMS), enter text, or clear all files. These actions no longer reset your choice to Redline. For help choosing an output, see Comparison types in Draftable Legal.

​
When your files need a different type

Some comparison types cannot compare every combination of files. If your selected type cannot run on the loaded files, Draftable temporarily uses an available alternative, preferring Redline in Draftable, then Side by Side in Draftable. Once the files are loaded, a grey line below the comparison type dropdown explains the reason and the alternative being used. It follows this format: * <reason>. Using <type> instead. This temporary switch does not overwrite your saved default. Draftable returns to your original choice when the files support it again, unless you select another type.
New Comparison screen showing the fallback message for Word files when the preferred type expects an Excel file

​
If your organisation sets the default

Your administrator can suggest a default or enforce one. If it is enforced, Default comparison type is locked in Settings and shows Set by your organisation. You can still change the type for a single comparison on the New Comparison screen. Your next comparison starts from the enforced default.

​
Configure defaults for your organisation

Use Draftable Legal version 26.10.0 or later and its updated Group Policy templates. The policies are available in both User Configuration and Computer Configuration. The enforcement options are:
  • Suggest (users can change it), registry value Suggest: This is the default strategy. The suggestion applies only when the user has no usable saved default. In practice, it usually reaches fresh profiles only, because earlier versions already saved a default for existing users. It does not replace an existing usable preference.
  • Enforce (locked), registry value Enforce: Applies the configured default to both existing and new users and locks the setting. The dropdown for an individual comparison remains editable.
The enforcement policy has no effect unless you also configure an available Default comparison type. A type unavailable because of licensing or disabled outputs is skipped. A type that is available but incompatible with the current files uses the temporary fallback described above.

​
Registry configuration

Both values are REG_SZ under Software\Policies\Draftable\Feature. Use HKCU for a user policy or HKLM for a computer policy. If both are set, the user policy takes precedence.
This example enforces Tracked Changes in Word as the default. To suggest it instead, use Suggest for AdminDefaultComparisonOutputStrategy.

​
Replace older registry defaults

From version 26.10.0, InitialComparisonOutput no longer has any effect. There is no automatic migration. Replace it with AdminDefaultComparisonOutput and use AdminDefaultComparisonOutputStrategy set to Enforce if it must apply to existing users.
DefaultComparisonOutput is now a user-only preference. Copies in policy hives are ignored. Use the administrator policies above instead. To limit which outputs users can choose, see How to configure comparison types and outputs.