Articles on: AI & contract analysis

Optimizing AI Prompts — Get Better Results from Contract Analysis

Your benefit


ContractHero's AI reads your contracts and fills in data fields automatically — terms, notice periods, custom fields. How well it works depends directly on how your prompt is written. A clear question tends to deliver better results than a vague instruction. The payoff: less manual correction and more reliable reports.


How it works


The AI understands three types of prompts. A clear, precise question works best:


  1. Ask a question (recommended): Write your prompt as a direct question.
  • Example: "What is the notice period in this contract?"
  • Example: "When does the contract term end?"


  1. Semantic description: Describe what you're looking for without giving an instruction.
  • Example: "The remaining term of the contract"


  1. Instruction: Give the AI a direct command.
  • Example: "Extract the notice period"


All three approaches work. However, the AI is optimized for question-answer pairs — questions typically deliver the best results.


Tips for optimal prompts:


  1. Go to Settings → Field builder → Contract field builder and open a field via its gear icon (or create a new one)
  2. In the box under "Optional: Tell AI to extract the key details by giving a specific description related to this field", write a short, precise question about the information you want to extract
  3. Use terms that actually appear in the contract — the AI works with the document's language
  4. Avoid unnecessary repetition or contradictory information in your prompt
  5. Save with Update


What you DON'T need to include in the prompt:


  • List options: For list fields, the AI automatically recognizes the available values. You don't need to list or mention them — asking for the information alone is enough ("Which item is being leased?"). What matters instead is that the options themselves are unambiguous.
  • Date format: The format follows your account settings automatically. No need for "Enter the date in DD.MM.YYYY format."
  • Field type: The AI already knows whether it's a text, date, or list field.


The three buttons under the prompt field


  • Test in a contract — pick an existing contract and see immediately what the prompt returns, before the field goes live.
  • Improve prompt (wand icon) — has the AI rewrite your prompt. See below.
  • Re-analyse field — runs the analysis for this field again.


Common questions


What if I have no idea how to phrase the prompt?
Then have one suggested to you. Open the contract where the extraction is failing, switch to the Assistant tab, and ask for a wording — for example: "What prompt do I need so the AI picks up the notice period from this contract?"


The advantage over writing one yourself: the assistant has the contract text in front of it and can work from the actual wording of your document. That makes it a fast starting point when you are setting up new fields.


Enter the suggestion on the field in question and check it with Test in a contract before putting it live. It is a starting point, not a verified result.


No Assistant tab on your contracts? The contract assistant is not enabled on every account. Talk to your Customer Success Manager or email support@contracthero.com — we're happy to help you phrase the prompt in the meantime.


Should I write prompts short or detailed?
Both can be right. Short, precise prompts are ideal. But if you need a very specific value from a complex contract, some additional context can help. Key rule: don't repeat yourself and avoid contradictory information.


Will my existing prompts still work?
Yes. The AI processes all three prompt types (questions, descriptions, and instructions). Existing prompts don't need to be rewritten, but questions tend to deliver better results.


Do I need different prompts for different contract categories?
Not necessarily. But if you notice a prompt isn't working well for a specific contract type, it can help to create a tailored prompt for that category — using terms that are common in those contracts.


What is prompt improvement?
Improve prompt (the wand icon under the prompt field) has the AI rewrite your prompt into a clearer question. Two things to know before you use it:


  1. It replaces your prompt in place. Your wording is overwritten in the input field, not shown alongside it. If you want the original back, close the dialog with Cancel — or copy your prompt somewhere safe first.
  2. It may also fill the instruction field. If the AI thinks a special rule is needed, it writes one into Optional: Filters and special instructions, even if that box was empty before. Open the section and check what it put there.


The result is an untested suggestion. It often catches common mistakes — listed dropdown options, unnecessary format instructions — but it is not automatically better than what you wrote. Check it with Test in a contract, then save with Update only if you are happy.


What is the difference between prompt improvement and the contract assistant?
Prompt improvement sharpens a wording you have already written, and overwrites it. The contract assistant proposes a new one in the chat, and it knows the contract text while doing so. If you already have a prompt that simply isn't hitting well enough, use Improve prompt. If you have nothing yet, ask the assistant. Both give you suggestions you should test.


Good to know


  • Improve prompt overwrites. Keep a copy of a prompt you care about before running it, or use Cancel to back out.
  • Check the instruction box afterwards. Improve prompt can add a special rule there without being asked.
  • The AI is continuously being improved. New OCR technology and enhanced analysis features deliver even more accurate results — including for tables and scanned documents.
  • If synonyms are used differently across contract types (e.g., "term" vs. "contract duration"), it can help to include multiple terms in your prompt.
  • Jump to Source shows you exactly where in the document an extracted value came from — see the related article below.



Updated on: 10/22/2026

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