Claude for Document Analysis: Processing PDFs and Long Files

Claude can analyze documents you upload, making it useful for reviewing contracts, research papers, reports, and other business documents. Here's what works well and what doesn't. The document analysis feature is one of Claude's strongest capabilities compared to basic ChatGPT. The larger context window and thorough response style work in its favor for document tasks. ## Why This Matters Professionals spend significant time reviewing documents. Reading contracts, summarizing reports, extracting key information from research papers. These tasks are time-consuming but often follow patterns. AI can handle much of this work if you know how to prompt it effectively and understand its limitations. ## How to Upload Documents In the Claude web interface, you'll see an attachment icon in the chat input. Click it to upload files. **Supported formats:** - PDF files (most common use case) - Text files (.txt, .md) - Code files (.py, .js, etc.) - CSV and basic data files File size limits are generous but not unlimited. Very large PDFs (over 50-100 pages) might hit context window limits. For most business documents, this isn't an issue. **Upload process:** 1. Click the attachment icon 2. Select your file 3. Wait for upload confirmation 4. Prompt Claude about the document Claude will process the document and have it available for the entire conversation. ## Contract Review and Analysis This is where document analysis provides immediate value. **Prompt for initial review:** "I've uploaded a vendor contract. Please review it and identify: 1) Key terms (pricing, duration, termination clauses), 2) Any unusual or concerning provisions, 3) Items that need clarification or negotiation. Present findings in a structured format." Claude will systematically work through the contract and highlight important elements. **Follow-up prompts:** - "What are the termination conditions and notice requirements?" - "Summarize the liability and indemnification clauses in plain language." - "Are there any auto-renewal terms I should flag?" - "Compare this pricing structure to [describe your usual terms]." You're using Claude as a first-pass review tool, not as legal advice. It catches things you might miss on initial reading and organizes information clearly. **What Claude does well with contracts:** - Extracting specific terms and dates - Identifying standard vs. unusual clauses - Explaining complex legal language in plain terms - Comparing terms to criteria you specify **What it doesn't do:** - Provide legal advice or strategic recommendations - Understand jurisdiction-specific legal implications - Catch subtle legal risks without explicit guidance ## Research Paper and Report Summaries Claude excels at academic and technical document analysis. **Prompt for research papers:** "Summarize this research paper. Include: 1) Main research question and hypothesis, 2) Methodology, 3) Key findings, 4) Limitations the authors acknowledge, 5) Practical implications for [your field]. Keep the summary under 400 words and use plain language." This gives you a structured summary that focuses on elements relevant to business application rather than academic details. **For technical reports:** "Extract the key findings from this report that are relevant to [your specific interest]. Ignore background information and focus on actionable insights. Present as bullets." **For competitive analysis:** "I've uploaded a competitor's white paper. Identify: 1) Their main value proposition, 2) Technical capabilities they highlight, 3) Target customer problems they address, 4) Gaps or weaknesses in their approach." ## Financial Document Analysis Claude can analyze financial reports, but with important caveats. **What works:** - Extracting specific numbers and dates from reports - Summarizing financial statements in plain language - Identifying year-over-year changes in key metrics - Explaining financial terms and calculations **What requires caution:** - Complex financial calculations (always verify) - Interpretation of financial health (not a financial advisor) - Projections or forecasts (outside scope) **Prompt example:** "Review this annual report and identify: 1) Revenue and profit trends over the past 3 years, 2) What management says about growth drivers, 3) Risk factors they disclose. Focus on strategic insights, not detailed numbers." ## Meeting Notes and Internal Documents For internal documents, Claude helps turn rough notes into polished summaries. **Upload meeting notes and ask:** "Convert these meeting notes into a structured summary with: 1) Key decisions made, 2) Action items with owners, 3) Open questions, 4) Next steps. Make it clear and scannable." For project documentation: "Review this project plan and identify: 1) Timeline risks, 2) Dependencies between tasks, 3) Resource gaps, 4) Assumptions that should be validated." ## Multi-Document Analysis You can upload multiple documents in a single conversation, which is useful for comparison tasks. **Prompt for comparison:** "I've uploaded three vendor proposals. Compare them on: pricing, timeline, team experience, and terms. Create a comparison table highlighting differences in these areas." Claude will work through each document and build the comparison. **Limitation:** Each document consumes part of the context window. For very large documents, you might need separate conversations rather than analyzing many documents at once. ## Practical Limitations to Know **Context window constraints:** The approximately 9,000 token context window includes both the document content and the conversation. Very long documents might not fit, and long conversations about documents will eventually lose early context. **OCR quality matters:** For PDFs created from scans rather than digital documents, Claude's ability to extract accurate information depends on OCR quality. Clean, digital PDFs work much better. **No internet access:** Claude can't verify facts in documents against external sources or look up referenced materials. It only knows what's in the uploaded document. **No persistent memory:** Each conversation is independent. If you analyze a document in one conversation, you need to re-upload it for a new conversation. ## Workflow Integration The most efficient use of document analysis is as part of a workflow, not a replacement for reading. **Effective workflow:** 1. Upload document to Claude 2. Get structured summary and key points 3. Review summary to identify what needs detailed reading 4. Read those sections carefully yourself 5. Ask Claude follow-up questions on specific sections This combines AI efficiency with human judgment where it matters. ## Quick Takeaway Claude's document analysis works best for extracting, organizing, and summarizing information from business documents. It's a first-pass tool that saves reading time and helps you focus on what matters. The key is specific prompts that tell Claude what information you need and how to present it. Generic "summarize this" prompts produce generic summaries. Always verify important information yourself, especially for contracts, financial documents, and strategic decisions. Claude helps you work faster, not think less.