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Summarize a long PDF or contract

Summarize a long PDF or document (lease, contract, policy, terms of service, manual) into plain-English key points, the money and dates that matter, "watch out" clauses, and questions to ask. Every point cites its section. Use when the user shares a long document and asks what it says, what to watch out for, or for a summary.

Self-tested · demo data v1.0 · self-tested 2026-10-13 · run by Grok Bot

What "self-tested" means: our own AI agent ran this skill against the fictional demo files and we published its real output, failures included. The same agent also wrote the skill and the demo data, so this is not an independent review. Check results yourself before you rely on them.

Download skill folder (.zip)SKILL.md only

Drop the folder into your agent's skills directory (e.g. ~/.agents/skills/ or ~/.claude/skills/), or paste SKILL.md into any chat assistant. Demo files included:

Test record

Field Value
Status Self-tested (demo data)
Version / date v1.0 test: 2026-10-13 (no failures in this skill were scheduled for the Oct 14 fix round; re-labeled only)
Model / agent Grok Bot (the same agent that wrote the skill and the demo data, so this is not an independent test)
Input demo/lease.pdf: a 2-page fictional lease (13 sections). User situation: "might move out around March 2027; I have a cat."
Method Text was extracted with pdftotext -layout; all 13 sections were readable. Date and dollar math was verified with Python. Grok Bot then followed SKILL.md.

Real output

Extraction check: 2 pages, 13 numbered sections, all readable.

What this is - A 12-month apartment lease for Unit 4B, Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027 (§1). - Rent is $1,640/month, due on the 1st, with late fees after the 5th (§2). - It renews itself every year unless you give written notice 60 days ahead (§1). - You pay electricity and internet, plus a flat $65/month for water, sewer, and trash (§4). - Leaving early costs two months' rent plus 30 days' notice (§7).

Money & dates | Item | Amount / date | Section | |---|---|---| | Rent | $1,640.00/mo, due the 1st | §2 | | Late fee | $75 after the 5th + $10/day, capped at $175/mo (cap reached after 10 extra days) | §2 | | Security deposit | $1,640.00; returned within 45 days of move-out | §3 | | Water/sewer/trash | $65.00/mo flat | §4 | | Pet | $300 non-refundable fee + $35/mo pet rent | §5 | | Typical monthly total with a cat | $1,640 + $65 + $35 = $1,740 (before electricity/internet) | §2, §4, §5 | | Non-renewal notice deadline | 60 days before Sep 30, 2027 = Sun Aug 1, 2027 | §1 | | Max rent if it renews | +6%, i.e. up to $1,738.40/mo | §1 | | Early termination | 30 days' written notice + $3,280 (2 × $1,640) | §7 | | Carpet cleaning | Show a professional cleaning receipt, or $150 is deducted | §12 | | Renter's insurance | ≥ $100,000 liability; proof due within 14 days of move-in (by Oct 15, 2026 if you move in Oct 1) | §9 |

Watch-outs - Auto-renewal (§1): miss the Aug 1, 2027 notice and you're locked into another 12 months, possibly at +6%. - Notices must be in writing by certified mail or the resident portal (§13). A text or a phone call doesn't count. - Early exit is costly (§7): $3,280 fee on top of rent through the 30-day notice period. - Drain clogs "caused by Tenant's use" are on you (§8). Who decides the cause isn't defined. - Carpet cleaning (§12): you need a professional receipt, or $150 comes out of the deposit.

Your situation (move out ~March 2027, with a cat) - To leave around Mar 31, 2027, give written notice by about Mar 1, 2027 and pay the $3,280 fee (§7, §13). Whether rent is still owed during the notice month isn't stated explicitly; ask. - The cat costs $300 up front + $35/month (§5). The $300 isn't refundable.

Questions to ask the landlord 1. During the 30-day early-termination notice, is regular rent also owed? (Assumed yes.) 2. Can the fee be waived if a replacement tenant is found? (§11 needs consent for assignment.) 3. Who decides whether a drain clog was "caused by Tenant's use" (§8)? 4. Is the $65 utility charge fixed for the whole term (§4)?

This is a summary, not legal advice. For important decisions, have a qualified professional review the document.

Known failures / limits

The skill file

---
name: summarize-a-long-document
description: Summarize a long PDF or document (lease, contract, policy, terms of service, manual) into plain-English key points, the money and dates that matter, "watch out" clauses, and questions to ask. Every point cites its section. Use when the user shares a long document and asks what it says, what to watch out for, or for a summary.
license: MIT
metadata:
  library: TriedSkills
  job: Summarize a long PDF or contract
  version: "1.0"
---

# Summarize a long document into plain English

## Inputs
The document (PDF, DOCX, or text). For PDFs, extract the text first (e.g. `pdftotext -layout file.pdf -`) and confirm the extraction is readable. Scanned images need OCR. Optionally, the user's situation ("I might move in 6 months").

## Steps
1. Extract the text and check that it's complete: count the sections or pages and say if any are unreadable.
2. Write a **5-bullet "what this is"** summary in plain English (about an 8th-grade reading level).
3. Build a **Money & dates** table: every amount, fee, deadline, and notice period, with its section number. **Compute derived dates and totals** (e.g. "60 days before Sept 30" = the actual date) and show the math.
4. List **watch-outs**: auto-renewals, penalties, one-sided terms, things the user must do to avoid a charge. Cite the section for each.
5. If the user gave their situation, answer what it means for them, citing sections.
6. List **questions to ask** the other party before signing or acting.
7. End with: "This is a summary, not legal advice. For important decisions, have a qualified professional review the document."

## Guardrails
- Quote numbers exactly. Never round or estimate an amount from the document.
- If a clause is ambiguous, say so. Don't pick an interpretation silently.
- Don't say whether a clause is legal or enforceable.