# 2532 Redlining Workflow 16b37008

> Redlining Workflow for Document Review

- Skill: `tools-only/2532-redlining-workflow-16b37008` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tools-only/2532-redlining-workflow-16b37008`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tools-only/2532-redlining-workflow-16b37008/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: tools-only (https://skillmd.com/u/tools-only)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tools-only/2532-redlining-workflow-16b37008

---

# Redlining Workflow for Document Review

This workflow allows you to plan comprehensive tracked changes using markdown before implementing them in OOXML. **CRITICAL**: For complete tracked changes, you must implement ALL changes systematically.

## Batching Strategy

Group related changes into batches of 3-10 changes. This makes debugging manageable while maintaining efficiency. Test each batch before moving to the next.

## Principle: Minimal, Precise Edits

When implementing tracked changes, only mark text that actually changes. Repeating unchanged text makes edits harder to review and appears unprofessional. Break replacements into: [unchanged text] + [deletion] + [insertion] + [unchanged text]. Preserve the original run's RSID for unchanged text by extracting the `<w:r>` element from the original and reusing it.

Example - Changing "30 days" to "60 days" in a sentence:

```python
# BAD - Replaces entire sentence
'<w:del><w:r><w:delText>The term is 30 days.</w:delText></w:r></w:del><w:ins><w:r><w:t>The term is 60 days.</w:t></w:r></w:ins>'

# GOOD - Only marks what changed, preserves original <w:r> for unchanged text
'<w:r w:rsidR="00AB12CD"><w:t>The term is </w:t></w:r><w:del><w:r><w:delText>30</w:delText></w:r></w:del><w:ins><w:r><w:t>60</w:t></w:r></w:ins><w:r w:rsidR="00AB12CD"><w:t> days.</w:t></w:r>'
```

## Tracked Changes Workflow

### 1. Get markdown representation

Convert document to markdown with tracked changes preserved:

```bash
pandoc --track-changes=all path-to-file.docx -o current.md
```

### 2. Identify and group changes

Review the document and identify ALL changes needed, organising them into logical batches.

**Location methods** (for finding changes in XML):

- Section/heading numbers (e.g., "Section 3.2", "Article IV")
- Paragraph identifiers if numbered
- Grep patterns with unique surrounding text
- Document structure (e.g., "first paragraph", "signature block")
- **DO NOT use markdown line numbers** - they don't map to XML structure

**Batch organisation** (group 3-10 related changes per batch):

- By section: "Batch 1: Section 2 amendments", "Batch 2: Section 5 updates"
- By type: "Batch 1: Date corrections", "Batch 2: Party name changes"
- By complexity: Start with simple text replacements, then tackle complex structural changes
- Sequential: "Batch 1: Pages 1-3", "Batch 2: Pages 4-6"

### 3. Read documentation and unpack

- **MANDATORY - READ ENTIRE FILE**: Read [`../ooxml.md`](../ooxml.md) (~600 lines) completely from start to finish. **NEVER set any range limits when reading this file.** Pay special attention to the "Document Library" and "Tracked Change Patterns" sections.
- **Unpack the document**: `python ooxml/scripts/unpack.py <file.docx> <dir>`
- **Note the suggested RSID**: The unpack script will suggest an RSID to use for your tracked changes. Copy this RSID for use in step 4b.

### 4. Implement changes in batches

Group changes logically (by section, by type, or by proximity) and implement them together in a single script. This approach:

- Makes debugging easier (smaller batch = easier to isolate errors)
- Allows incremental progress
- Maintains efficiency (batch size of 3-10 changes works well)

**Suggested batch groupings:**

- By document section (e.g., "Section 3 changes", "Definitions", "Termination clause")
- By change type (e.g., "Date changes", "Party name updates", "Legal term replacements")
- By proximity (e.g., "Changes on pages 1-3", "Changes in first half of document")

For each batch of related changes:

**a. Map text to XML**: Grep for text in `word/document.xml` to verify how text is split across `<w:r>` elements.

**b. Create and run script**: Use `get_node` to find nodes, implement changes, then `doc.save()`. See **"Document Library"** section in ooxml.md for patterns.

**Note**: Always grep `word/document.xml` immediately before writing a script to get current line numbers and verify text content. Line numbers change after each script run.

### 5. Pack the document

After all batches are complete, convert the unpacked directory back to .docx:

```bash
python ooxml/scripts/pack.py unpacked reviewed-document.docx
```

### 6. Final verification

Do a comprehensive check of the complete document:

- Convert final document to markdown:

  ```bash
  pandoc --track-changes=all reviewed-document.docx -o verification.md
  ```

- Verify ALL changes were applied correctly:

  ```bash
  grep "original phrase" verification.md  # Should NOT find it
  grep "replacement phrase" verification.md  # Should find it
  ```

- Check that no unintended changes were introduced