If your contracts are scattered across inboxes, desktops, and cloud drives, you’re not alone. Most teams limp along with a mess of PDFs and email threads—until someone needs “that one NDA from last year” and the panic sets in. If you’re ready to quit the chaos and actually find your contracts when you need them, this guide’s for you. Here’s how to build a contract repository in Juro that’s easy to access, dead simple to search, and doesn’t require a law degree to organize.
Why bother with a contract repository?
Let’s be blunt: nobody wants to spend their afternoon digging through email for a contract. A good repository means you can:
- Find contracts and key terms in seconds
- Avoid duplicates and version headaches
- Track renewal dates and obligations
- Keep your team (and auditors) off your back
Juro isn’t magic, though. It’s a tool—how useful it is depends on how you set it up. Let’s walk through what actually works, what to skip, and how to avoid common traps.
Step 1: Get your contracts into Juro
You can’t organize what isn’t there. Start by getting your current contracts into Juro. Don’t overthink it—just get everything in one place.
Here’s what works:
- Bulk upload: If you’ve got a pile of legacy contracts (PDFs, Word docs), Juro lets you upload them in batches. Go to the “Contracts” tab and look for the upload/import option.
- Email-in: Some teams forward signed contracts directly into Juro using a dedicated email address. Not perfect, but it beats forgetting to upload.
- Drag-and-drop: For smaller batches or one-offs, just drag files into the platform.
Pro tip: Don’t waste weeks trying to “clean” everything before uploading. Dump it all in, then tidy up as you go. It’s faster and less painful.
What not to obsess over:
- Perfect metadata: You’ll never fill in every data field for every old contract. Prioritize the basics: title, parties, effective date, and renewal/expiry date if you have it.
- Folder structures: Resist the urge to recreate your confusing shared drive folder maze. Juro’s search is better than you think.
Step 2: Set up contract types and key fields
You want to find what matters fast. That means tagging contracts with the info you actually need—nothing more, nothing less.
Start simple:
- Define contract types: NDA, Sales Agreement, Supplier Contract, Employment Contract, etc. These let you filter and search in a snap.
- Key fields: For each contract type, pick 3–5 fields that matter. Examples:
- Effective Date
- Counterparty Name
- Renewal Date
- Contract Value
- Internal Owner
Set these up in Juro as “Smartfields” or custom fields. Don’t go nuts adding 20 fields—nobody fills those in.
Honest take:
The biggest mistake? Trying to capture every detail. Focus on what people actually search for. If you realize later you need something else, you can always add it.
Step 3: Organize with tags and filters—not folders
Forget what you know about folders. They’re a dead end for contract management—people always disagree on what goes where.
Juro uses tags and filters, and that’s a good thing. Here’s how to make it work:
- Tag by status: Signed, Draft, Expired, Needs Review. This makes it easy to see what’s live or needs attention.
- Tag by department or owner: Legal, Sales, HR, or even specific team members.
- Filter by contract type, date, or counterparty: These filters get you to the right doc fast.
Pro tip: If you’re tempted to create a ton of tags, stop. Stick to what your team will actually use, or things get messy fast.
Step 4: Make search work for you
If you set up your fields and tags, Juro’s search will do most of the heavy lifting. Still, there are ways to make it even better.
Tips for supercharging search:
- Use key terms in titles: “Acme_SaaS_MSA_2023-04” is better than “Scan001.pdf.” This helps even if someone’s just using the search bar.
- Fill in key fields: Whenever you upload or create a contract, at least add the basics (counterparty, effective date). The more you do this, the better search results get.
- Leverage full-text search: Juro can search inside PDFs and Word docs, so don’t bother creating manual summaries unless you really need them.
What to ignore:
- Overly fancy folder structures: Juro’s search beats poking through folders 99% of the time.
- Manual tagging for every little thing: If you’re spending more time tagging than finding, you’re doing it wrong.
Step 5: Set permissions and keep it simple
Not everyone should see every contract. But don’t turn permissions into a bureaucratic nightmare.
Here’s what works:
- Role-based access: Set broad roles (Legal, Sales, Admin) and give them access to what they need. Don’t micromanage every single contract.
- Sensitive contracts: For truly confidential stuff, lock it down to just a few people.
- Audit logs: Juro tracks access and changes, so you’ve got a record if anyone asks.
What to skip:
- Over-complicated approval flows: If every contract needs five people to approve access, you’ll spend more time managing permissions than contracts.
- Restricting everything “just in case”: If people can’t find what they need, they’ll just email you anyway.
Step 6: Set up reminders and reporting
One advantage of a contract repository is not missing renewal or expiry dates. Juro can help you stay ahead of deadlines.
Here’s how:
- Automatic reminders: Set up email notifications for key dates (renewals, expiries, reviews). Don’t rely on your memory.
- Dashboards and exports: Use Juro’s reporting to keep an eye on upcoming actions. Export to Excel if you need to share with the rest of the business.
- Regular reviews: Once a quarter, run a quick check for contracts coming up for renewal or expiry. No need for daily hand-wringing.
Honest take:
Don’t bother setting reminders for every single contract on day one. Start with the big, risky, or recurring ones. You can add more as you go.
Step 7: Roll it out—and train just enough
A fancy repository is useless if nobody uses it. Don’t assume people will magically “get it.”
- Short kickoff session: Walk through how to find, upload, and tag contracts. Keep it to 30 minutes, max.
- Quick reference guide: Screenshots beat long manuals. Make one or two pages with basics.
- Feedback loop: Ask what’s working (or not) after a few weeks. Tweak as needed.
Pro tip: People ignore systems that are a pain to use. Make it easy, and they’ll actually use it.
Final thoughts: Keep it simple and iterate
Building a contract repository in Juro isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overcomplicate. Focus on getting your contracts in, tagging the basics, and making search work. Skip the urge to build a “perfect system” out of the gate—nobody gets it right on the first try. Start simple, get your team using it, and improve as you go.
Above all: if you can find what you need, when you need it, you’re winning. That’s what matters.