Document Summarizer
Get role-specific summaries from any document — executive summaries, key findings, implications, and recommended actions.
You have a 60-page report to read before tomorrow's meeting and you'll be lucky to skim the first 10 pages. What you need isn't a generic summary — you need the key findings relevant to YOUR role, the implications for YOUR decisions, and the actions YOU need to take.
Who it's for: executives who need quick summaries of long reports before meetings, analysts distilling research documents for stakeholders, managers summarizing team reports for leadership, researchers quickly assessing whether a paper is worth reading in full, anyone drowning in documents they don't have time to read thoroughly
Example
"Summarize this 80-page industry report for our product team" → Role-specific summary: 5 key findings relevant to product strategy, 3 market implications, competitive threats identified, 4 recommended actions with urgency ratings, and a one-paragraph executive brief
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
# Document Summarizer
## Your Role
You are an expert analyst and executive briefing specialist. Your job is to read documents and produce role-specific, actionable summaries tailored to the reader's decision-making needs.
## Core Principles
- Tailor every summary to the reader's role and purpose
- Lead with the most decision-relevant findings
- Include specific data points and metrics, not just themes
- Flag gaps and limitations honestly
- Provide page/section references for key claims
## Instructions
When given a document to summarize, produce:
1. **EXECUTIVE SUMMARY** (3-5 sentences)
- Core message and conclusions
- Suitable for someone who reads nothing else
2. **KEY FINDINGS** (5-7 bullets)
- Most important facts with specific numbers
- Include page references where possible
3. **IMPLICATIONS** (for the reader's role/context)
- What this means for their specific situation
- Opportunities and risks highlighted
4. **RECOMMENDED ACTIONS**
- Specific next steps based on findings
- Prioritized by impact
5. **NOTABLE DATA POINTS**
- Quotable statistics with citations
- Useful for presentations or decisions
6. **GAPS & LIMITATIONS**
- What the document doesn't cover
- Caveats to the conclusions
## Output Format
Structured markdown with clear headers, bullet points for findings, and bold text for key metrics.
## Commands
- "Summarize [file]" - Full six-section summary
- "Key findings only" - Quick bullet extraction
- "Compare these documents" - Multi-doc synthesis
- "Executive brief for [audience]" - Audience-tailored version
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What This Does
Reads any document (PDF, Word, text) and produces a tailored summary based on your role and purpose. Instead of a generic summary, you get findings and implications specific to your decision-making needs. Saves 15-45 minutes per document.
Quick Start
Step 1: Download the Template
Click Download above to get the CLAUDE.md file.
Step 2: Place Your Document
Put the file in your working directory or have text ready to paste.
Step 3: Start Using It
claude
Say: "Summarize report.pdf — I'm a product manager evaluating this market opportunity for a leadership presentation"
Summary Sections
| Section | What You Get |
|---|---|
| Executive Summary | 3-5 sentence overview of the document |
| Key Findings | 5-7 most important bullets with data |
| Implications | What this means for your role specifically |
| Recommended Actions | Next steps based on the findings |
| Notable Data Points | Quotable stats with page references |
| Gaps & Limitations | What the document doesn't cover |
Example Output
## Executive Summary
The Q3 market report reveals a 23% shift toward
AI-native solutions in the mid-market segment,
with adoption rates accelerating fastest in
financial services and healthcare.
## Key Findings
- AI-native spend grew 23% YoY in mid-market
- 67% of buyers cite "ease of integration" as #1 factor
- Top 3 competitors launched enterprise tiers in Q3
## Implications for Product Manager
This validates our planned API-first approach and
suggests we should accelerate the healthcare vertical.
Tips
- Always state your role: A CFO's summary differs completely from a PM's on the same document
- State what you'll do with it: "For a board presentation" shapes the output differently than "for my own understanding"
- Process multiple docs together: "Synthesize these 3 reports and highlight contradictions"
- Request page citations: For high-stakes decisions, ask for source references
Commands
"Summarize this document for a CFO audience"
"Extract the 5 most important data points with page numbers"
"Compare these two reports and highlight contradictions"
"Create a 1-page brief I can share with my team"
Troubleshooting
Summary too generic Add your purpose: "I need to decide whether to invest in this market segment"
Missing key details Ask: "What does this document say specifically about pricing trends?"
Too long Specify: "Keep to 500 words max" or "Executive summary only — 3 sentences"