ChatGPT, can you review this contract before I sign?

Yes, an AI assistant can help you read a contract, explain unfamiliar wording and organise questions. The most useful request is more specific than “Is this okay?” Tell it which party you are and what you need the agreement to let you do.

OpenAI’s documentation describes file reading and analysis in ChatGPT Work, with availability depending on the plan, platform and settings. Check what your own session supports. This guide provides a reading method; it is not a benchmark of a particular model.

Give the review a point of view

A term that protects the customer may create an obligation for the supplier. State your role, where the arrangement operates, the governing-law clause if present, and your main concern. Mention relevant promises made outside the document without presenting them as written terms.

Make sure the uploaded file contains all pages and attachments you intend to review. If pages are scans or text is unclear, check that the assistant can read the relevant passages. Ask it to identify missing or unreadable material before drawing conclusions.

Use an appropriate account and data-handling arrangement for the document. Check permission before uploading someone else’s confidential material, and keep unnecessary personal identifiers out of an example or prompt.

Copy this prompt and fill in the context

Help me understand this contract before I decide what to do.

I am: [which party you are]
Location / governing-law clause: [known details, or unknown]
The deal: [what each side gives and receives]
My priorities: [payment, flexibility, ownership, leaving, etc.]
Relevant promises outside the document: [label these separately]

First, say what document and attachments you can actually read.
Identify anything missing or unclear.

Give me a short overview, then prioritise concerns from my perspective.
For each concern:
- Quote the exact passage and identify its section or page if available.
- Explain the practical consequence in plain language.
- Check related definitions, exceptions and other relevant clauses.
- Suggest a specific question or change to discuss.
- Separate what the text says from a legal conclusion that needs
  current jurisdiction-specific authority.

Do not invent missing wording, page numbers or legal rules.
Finish with the main unresolved questions, not a safe-to-sign score.

This is an original suggested prompt, not a tested guarantee of complete issue detection. You can also apply its structure while reading the document yourself.

Check whether the answer actually follows the clause

Consider this fictional wording:

The customer may terminate on thirty days’ written notice. The setup fee is non-refundable. Recurring charges continue until the notice period ends.

A weak summary is “You can cancel with thirty days’ notice.” It omits money you may still pay or lose.

A useful explanation keeps the three points together: notice is required, the setup fee is not refunded under this wording, and recurring charges continue during notice. The next questions could be where notice must go, when it takes effect and whether another clause creates an exception.

Open the original passage and check the quote. Read referenced definitions and exceptions. If the assistant claims a right to a refund, ask it to distinguish a contractual promise from a legal right and provide a current source for the relevant jurisdiction. A plausible explanation alone does not settle that question.

Turn the answer into your next action

Choose the few issues that change your decision. For each, record the passage, what you need clarified and who can answer. Some questions belong with the other party: “Does the agreed price include travel?” Others concern a legal consequence that requires more than a document summary.

For a job offer, use the employment contract checklist. For an everyday booking or subscription, use the five-question reading method. Different agreements need different attention even when the prompt format stays similar.

When a dedicated review workflow is useful

If you already have a suitable AI chat and are comfortable guiding it through the document, that may be enough for the first pass you want.

Contracts.money offers a more fixed workflow: upload one PDF or DOCX, add context and receive an AI review by email. The current single-review price is $1, with a $10 pack for 20 reviews. Its analysis is asked to quote relevant passages, prioritise concerns and suggest improvements. It does not negotiate with the other party or provide an interactive follow-up chat in the review email.

That is a workflow difference, not evidence that it detects more issues than ChatGPT or a newer model. Choose based on the output and process you need. Whichever tool you use, keep the questions tied to the agreement you will actually sign.