A custom check lets you define your own question or clause definition, configure which documents Emma should analyze, and set up automatic risk-level detection. The result appears as a new column in the Risks tab of the Matrix. Once created, the check runs on all documents currently in scope and automatically on any new ones added later.
Step 1 — Open the new check form
You can open the form in three ways:
Matrix → Risks tab → Select checks → New check (button inside the check picker dialog)
Matrix → Risks tab → click the + icon in the rightmost column header of the Risks table
Checks page (in the main sidebar) → New check button in the top right
Any of these opens the same check creation form.
Step 2 — Choose a topic
Select the Topic that best fits the check. Topics are used to organize checks in the picker and on the Checks overview page — they do not affect how Emma analyzes documents.
Available topics include subject-matter areas (Commercial, Corporation, Data Privacy, EH&S, Financial, General, HR, IP, IT, Investment, Litigation, Permits, Real Estate, Tax) and jurisdiction-specific buckets for region-specific compliance (e.g. Belgium for Belgium-specific regulations).
Step 3 — Enter a title
The Title is the short name for the check. It becomes the column header in the Matrix Risks tab and also appears on the Checks page and in the check picker. Keep it concise and descriptive — something your team will immediately recognize.
The title is not used by Emma's AI — it is only for your team's reference.
Step 4 — Write the question or clause description
The Description and/or Question field is the most important part of the check. This is exactly what Emma uses to understand what to look for in every document.
You can write:
A question — Does this agreement contain a non-solicitation of employees clause?
A clause description — Provision that restricts a party from hiring or soliciting employees of the other party after termination
A mixed approach — start with the clause name, then add a question form for clarity
The more specific and clear you are, the more accurate Emma's analysis will be. Avoid vague phrases like "check for issues" — instead describe exactly what a relevant clause looks like.
More examples:
What is the notice period for termination?
Is there a change of control provision that gives counterparties the right to terminate?
Does the agreement include a limitation of liability clause, and if so, what is the cap?
Step 5 — Restrict by jurisdiction (optional)
Under Jurisdictions, you can limit the check to documents from specific countries or jurisdictions. This is useful if, for example, a clause is only relevant under Belgian law.
Leave this field empty to run the check against documents from all jurisdictions.
Step 6 — Set up risk detection (optional but recommended)
This section lets Emma compare each document against the standard you define and automatically assign a risk level (High, Medium, or Low) based on the result. Without it, Emma still extracts the relevant clause from each document but leaves the risk level empty.
To enable risk detection:
Toggle on Detect risks.
Enter a Golden Standard Clause — the clause text or standard you consider ideal or fully compliant. Emma compares each document's relevant clause against this standard to judge risk. Example: "Employee agrees not to solicit or hire any employee of Company for a period of 24 months after termination."
Fill in at least one of the High / Medium / Low risk descriptions — describe what makes a finding high, medium, or low risk for this specific check.
Tip — use AI to generate a first draft: Click the Generate button (the AI sparkle icon next to the Golden Standard field) to have Emma suggest a golden standard clause and risk descriptions based on your question. Review and edit the suggestions before saving — they are a starting point, not a finished result.
Step 7 — Configure the scope (M&A data rooms only)
Scope controls which documents Emma runs the check against. Targeting the right scope reduces analysis time and improves accuracy.
Under Areas, select the IRL areas relevant for this check. Areas are the top-level sections of your data room (for example, Commercial Contracts, HR, Financial). An employment-related check should target HR or Employment, not the entire data room. You can also choose All areas in the data room, but this is slower and may produce more false positives.
Under Document types (optional), narrow further to specific document types within the chosen areas. Leave this empty to include all document types in those areas.
A summary box at the bottom of the form shows a plain-language description of your scope and risk detection settings — review it before clicking Create to make sure it matches your intent.
In Projects, scope is fixed to the single document type and cannot be changed here.
Step 8 — Create the check
Click Create Check. Emma immediately starts analyzing every document that matches the scope. This typically takes a few minutes, depending on the number of documents in scope.
The check appears as a new column in the Matrix → Risks tab once analysis is underway. New documents uploaded later that match the scope are analyzed automatically.
You can track progress on the Checks page — each check shows a status of In progress, Completed, or Failed.
Example — Change of control clause in commercial contracts
Here is how you would fill in the form to check whether commercial contracts contain a change of control clause that could expose you to risk:
Field | Value |
Topic | Commercial |
Title | Change of Control |
Description / Question | Does this agreement contain a change of control clause? If so, does it give the counterparty the right to terminate or require consent upon a change of control of either party? |
Jurisdictions | (leave empty — applies to all) |
Scope — Areas | Commercial Contracts |
Scope — Document types | (leave empty — all types in the area) |
Golden Standard Clause:
The agreement does not contain a change of control clause, or any change of control clause is limited to a notification obligation only, with no right to terminate or withhold consent.
Risk descriptions:
Level | Description |
High | The counterparty has an unconditional right to terminate or withhold consent upon any change of control |
Medium | A change of control triggers a consent requirement or a right to terminate, but only under specific conditions |
Low | The agreement contains a change of control notification obligation with no material consequences |
After clicking Create Check, Emma scans every contract in the Commercial Contracts area and assigns one of these risk levels to each document — or marks it Unspecified if the clause is ambiguous and needs your manual review.
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If you need additional help creating checks or encounter any other problem, don't hesitate to reach out through the chat bubble in the bottom right or contact [email protected].