Cross-references are critical to navigating and understanding legal documents, but after multiple rounds of edits, they can easily become outdated, broken or inconsistent. The Cross-references category in Definely Proof helps you quickly detect and fix any cross-reference issues across your document, so your final draft hangs together properly.
Where to find cross-reference issues
Open the Proof tab in the Definely panel and select the Cross-references category. From there you can drill into the subcategories Proof has surfaced for your document.
Manual cross references
The Manual cross references subcategory flags any missing cross references in your document - places where the text refers to a clause, schedule or definition but no working cross-reference has been inserted.
You have two ways to fix these, controlled by the toggle at the top of the panel:
Manual mode - work through each one individually
With the toggle set to Manual, you can review and confirm each cross-reference before it's inserted:
Click Fix on an issue.
Definely opens a split screen: the top half keeps the context of the issue in view, while the bottom half lets you check the reference you're about to add.
Hit Insert next to the correct reference in the side panel to add it.
If the right reference isn't automatically displayed, use the arrows to navigate around the document and find it.
This is the safer option when you want eyes on every change.
Auto mode - fix everything in one go
If you're confident the references Proof has identified are correct and you don't need to check each one individually, switch the toggle to Auto:
Click Fix on a single issue to automatically add that cross-reference with one click.
Or use the bulk update option to fix all, or fix all selected missing cross-references in one action.
Auto mode is designed to speed up review on a long document where you trust the suggested references already in your document.
Other cross-reference subcategories
As well as missing references, Proof picks up several other types of cross-reference issue:
Mismatching cross references: where the clause number next to a clause title doesn't match the clause it actually refers to (for example, where the wrong clause number has been inserted alongside the right clause title).
Outdated cross references: references that no longer point to the right place because the underlying clause has moved or been renumbered.
Broken cross references: including the familiar Word "Error! Reference source not found." messages.
Non-existent references: references that don't resolve to anything in the document, such as pieces of legislation or references to external documents.
Reviewing these subcategories alongside Manual cross references makes sure your document is internally consistent and that nothing points to the wrong place, or to nothing at all.
Fix, flag or hide
As with every Proof category, each issue gives you three options:
Fix: apply the suggested change (or insert the chosen cross-reference).
Flag for future review: leave a marker on the issue so you (or a colleague) can come back to it.
Hide: remove the issue from the list if it's a false positive.