Structure & Extraction

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When Tabs processes a contract, it reads the document and converts legal language into structured billing data linked to the customer record.

Supported document types

Tabs reads and processes entire agreements — not just a single document type:

  • Master Service Agreements (MSAs)
  • Order forms
  • Purchase orders (POs)
  • Amendments
  • Negotiation emails

What Tabs extracts

Once ingested, Tabs extracts structured data such as:

CategoryExamples
Billing structuresFixed, usage-based, tiered, and seat-based pricing
Billing frequencyAnnual, semi-annual, quarterly, monthly, daily, or one-time
Key datesSignature date, effective date, invoice date, service start and end
Payment termsNet terms, late fees, cancellation conditions
Renewal termsAuto-renewals, notice periods
Invoicing schedulesMilestone-based, upfront, recurring, in-arrears
Variable termsVolume discounts, escalators, SKU-level pricing

Tabs is not a one-time extraction tool. When amendments, renewals, or payment terms change, Tabs dynamically adjusts associated invoices and revenue schedules.

What’s on a contract record

Each contract in Tabs has:

FieldDescription
Contract IDUnique identifier in Tabs — use this for API calls and cross-system joins
NameDisplay name for the agreement (e.g. “Acme — 2026 Order Form”)
Customer IDThe customer this contract belongs to
StatusProcessing state (e.g. NEW, processed, deleted)
Close dateThe date the deal closed or the contract was signed
SourceWhere the contract came from (CRM, API, email ingest, etc.)
External IDsCRM or ERP identifiers, when linked
FileThe uploaded contract PDF

Within each contract, Tabs organizes billing into billing term groups — the unit that ties billing and revenue recognition together. Each group contains one or more billing terms (what gets billed) and one or more performance obligations (how revenue is recognized).

You can view the billing and revenue impact of each product on a contract through the Billing Schedule and Revenue Schedule charts in the app.

Writing contracts for accurate extraction

Tabs uses AI to parse your agreements. Clear contract structure leads to faster processing and fewer review cycles.

Customer and billing contact

  • Include the email address that will receive invoices
  • Provide a full physical billing address

Term definitions

  • Service term — clear subscription start and end dates for accurate revenue recognition
  • Usage term (in arrears) — clearly define the period for which usage data will be processed and billed

Billing frequency and dates

  • Specify whether billing is annual, semi-annual, quarterly, monthly, daily, or one-time
  • Define critical dates:
    • Invoice date — when the invoice will be issued
    • Signature date — when the contract becomes legally binding
    • Effective date — when the service term starts

Payment terms

  • State net terms explicitly (e.g. Net 30)
  • Include late charges or credit card fees if applicable
  • Define cancellation conditions and any waived fees or promotions

Pricing structure

  • Flat fees — clearly define quantity and rate
  • Usage and tiered fees — provide detailed milestones and per-unit costs
  • Name line items exactly as they should appear on invoices
  • Include escalators with percentage increases for multi-year contracts

During implementation, your team can calibrate the contract agent against your specific contract formats for higher extraction accuracy. See Contract Ingestion & Integrations for how uploaded contracts move through processing.