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Draftable in Outlook is a JavaScript Outlook add-in that brings Draftable’s powerful document comparison functionality directly into Microsoft Outlook. You can select files, run comparisons and choose how to export the result from the Outlook panel.
Draftable in Outlook requires Draftable version 25.10.000 or later to be installed and running on the user’s system. We recommend 25.12.000 or later.
New Outlook — Drag and drop not supported:Dragging and dropping email attachments from Microsoft’s New Outlook into Draftable is not supported. This is due to a Microsoft limitation — New Outlook does not expose file attachment data in a way that external applications can consume. If you are using New Outlook, please use the Draftable in Outlook add-in workflows described on this page to compare email attachments instead of drag and drop. See Microsoft’s documentation for further details.

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Accessing Draftable in Outlook

To access Draftable in Outlook, follow these steps:

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Step 1: Open the More Options Menu

When viewing or composing an email, locate the ”…” (more options) button in the Message tab ribbon.
Message tab ribbon with more options button highlighted

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Step 2: Select Draftable in Outlook

Click the ”…” button to reveal a dropdown menu. Under the Draftable in Outlook header, select Draftable to open the full Draftable panel within Outlook.
Dropdown menu showing Draftable option under Draftable in Outlook section

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Step 3: The Draftable in Outlook Panel

Selecting Draftable opens the Draftable panel on the right-hand side of the Outlook window.
Outlook window with Draftable in Outlook panel open on the right side

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Draftable in Outlook Workflow

The Draftable in Outlook workflow integrates directly into Microsoft Outlook, allowing you to compare email attachments, recent files, and versions — without needing to leave Outlook. The add-in opens a Draftable interface panel on the right-hand side of the Outlook window, where users can select files, run comparisons, and view results.

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Workflow options using Draftable within Outlook

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1. Draftable in Outlook

From the Draftable panel, you can choose which documents or content to use for comparison on the Older and Newer sides.
Draftable panel showing Older and Newer document selection options
Each side offers the following options:
Comparisons run directly from email attachments within Outlook are not added to the Recent files list. Attachment contents are passed straight into the comparison rather than saved as a standalone file, so there is no permanent location for the recent list to link back to. Only files with a stable location — saved on your computer, a synced folder, or a connected DMS — appear under Recent. To keep an attachment handy for re-comparison, save it to your computer or DMS first, then compare it from there. See Recent Documents for details.
After selecting your documents and running the comparison, you can open the result in Draftable Legal or use one of the export options to save, email, copy, or print the comparison.
Comparison results with export options

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Attach results to an email

To attach a comparison to an email you are composing, choose Email (Reply) in the results panel, select the output you need, then choose Attach to Reply. Attach to Reply is greyed out while you are only reading an email, so open a reply, new message or forward first. In New Outlook, the separate Email export is unavailable. Use Email (Reply) to attach the result to your open message. Draftable in Outlook uses Browse Attachments to select email attachments and supported DMS links. It does not have the Office add-ins’ Compare Open or Compare Versions ribbon commands. To compare pasted email text, use Enter Text on each side.

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Additional Settings

Within the Draftable in Outlook panel, you’ll find several configuration options that help personalize your in-Outlook comparison experience.
Draftable in Outlook settings panel

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Profiles

You can select which comparison profile to use for your comparisons directly within the Outlook add-in. Profiles allow administrators or users to predefine comparison settings such as markup style, color scheme, and formatting preferences.
Profile selector in Draftable in Outlook
Select from the drop-down menu the available profiles that already exist in Draftable. The add-in starts with your default comparison profile from Draftable Desktop unless you have already saved a different profile choice in the add-in.
Profile drop-down menu showing available profiles

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Light/Dark Modes

Next to the profile selector is a theme toggle, allowing you to switch between Light, Dark, and Auto color modes to suit your preference or Outlook theme.
Light and Dark mode toggle options

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Language

In the same section, you can also choose the language that Draftable in Outlook operates in. This setting affects the add-in’s interface and messages within Outlook. The available languages are English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish and Tagalog.
Language selection dropdown

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Notes

  • Draftable in Outlook requires Draftable version 25.10.000 or later to be installed and running on the user’s device. We recommend running 25.12.000 or later if possible.
  • Comparisons performed in Outlook use the same engine as Draftable Legal, ensuring identical accuracy and output consistency.
  • You can continue working within Outlook while running comparisons in the Draftable pane.
  • Draftable Desktop 26.10.0 or later accepts add-in file uploads up to 50 MB per file.
  • If Desktop declines a comparison, the add-in displays a message explaining that Desktop did not accept or start it.