> ## Knowledge Base Index > Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://support.contracthero.com/sitemap.xml > Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further. > Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash). # AI summary: understand a contract at a glance ## What's in it for you Reading a 30-page contract just to understand the key terms costs 15 to 30 minutes per document. The AI summary gets you the essentials in **under a minute** — organised by topic, with concrete values and clauses rather than vague filler. For portfolio reviews, audits and handovers, that's the difference between “we roughly know" and “we can report specifics". ## How it works **1. Open the summary for a single document** Go to **Contracts** („Verträge"). ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/2/5/2/12522a019f980500/screenshot-2026-06-18-at-15023_lqiycd.png) Open a contract from the list. To the right of the document viewer you'll see two tabs: * **Document** („Dokument") — the original PDF view. * **Summary** („Zusammenfassung") — the AI-generated summary of the current document. Click **Summary**. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/2/5/2/12522a019f980500/screenshot-2026-06-18-at-15040_cr49r9.png) The content is broken down by topic, each with bullet points. Typical sections: * **Contracting parties** — who is involved, with address and role. * **Subject matter** — what the contract actually covers. * **Fees and reporting** — prices, commissions, reporting obligations. * **Liability** — limits and exclusions. * **Term and termination**, **confidentiality**, **other** — depending on the contract type. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/2/5/2/12522a019f980500/screenshot-2026-06-18-at-15045_5uh4nj.png) **2. Open the contract-level summary** For contracts with **several documents** — a master agreement plus side letters and annexes — ContractHero also rolls the individual summaries up into a **single view at contract level**. In the right-hand sidebar, click the **Summary** tab (purple sparkle icon). The header reads “summary of the contract" („Zusammenfassung des Vertrags") with the purple sparkle marking AI-generated content. The content follows the same topic structure. The advantage is that you no longer click through document by document — you take in the whole contract on one page. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/2/5/2/12522a019f980500/screenshot-2026-06-18-at-15061_11yax5t.png) **3. Keeping the summary current** As soon as you **add a new document** or replace an existing one, the summary is **regenerated automatically**. There is nothing to trigger by hand. ## Which contracts benefit most? * **Long contracts** with complex clauses — supply agreements, framework agreements, shareholder agreements. This is where the time saving is largest. * **Contracts with several annexes** — the rolled-up view saves all the clicking back and forth. * **Legacy contracts during onboarding** — when you migrate hundreds of contracts into ContractHero, the summary makes triage fast. For very short contracts — a one-page NDA, say — the summary ends up almost as long as the original. There, just read the PDF. ## Common questions **Which file formats get summarised?** **PDF documents.** Other formats such as Word or Excel are not summarised directly — convert them to PDF before uploading. **Does it work on scanned contracts?** Yes. ContractHero first runs OCR to extract the text from the scan, then generates the summary. With very poor scan quality, accuracy drops. **Which languages does it handle?** Reliably **German and English**. For other languages the result depends on the contract's structure — talk to us if you process other languages systematically. **How long does a summary take to appear?** Usually a few minutes after upload. Large documents or load spikes can take a little longer. **Can I edit or extend the summary?** The AI summary is a read-only view. Keep your own annotations in the contract's notes field or in a structured contract field. **Is our data used to train the AI?** No. Your contract data is used solely for analysis inside your own account — no training, no data flowing to third parties. **Where's the summary on a contract with only one document?** In both places. The Summary tab above the document shows that single document; the sidebar view shows the same content as the contract summary. **What happens if I delete or replace a document?** The contract summary is **regenerated automatically** and reflects only the documents currently linked. **Is the summary included in exports?** Not in the current export scope — it's a live view in the web app. Talk to us if you need it exported systematically. ## Good to know * **Purple sparkle means AI.** Throughout ContractHero, the purple sparkle marks AI-generated content, including this summary. On AI-prefilled contract fields, the same icon means “not yet verified by a human". * **The rolled-up view earns its keep with annexes.** For a framework agreement with five annexes, it saves roughly 20 minutes per review compared with going document by document. * **A summary is not a legal reading.** The AI summarises; it does not interpret law. For legal decisions, check the original text or involve your legal team. * **Personal data appears as written.** Whatever stands in the PDF appears in the summary. If you need to restrict who sees sensitive contracts, handle that through roles and teams rather than by hiding the summary. * **The first stop for new joiners.** Anyone being brought into an existing contract base gets up to speed far faster through summaries than through the original documents. ## Related articles * [How does contract analysis work?](https://support.contracthero.com/en-us/article/how-does-contract-analysis-work-xuoo2i/) * [How do I add documents to an existing contract?](https://support.contracthero.com/en-us/article/how-do-i-add-documents-to-an-existing-contract-1h3nl9n/) * [How to write a prompt in ContractHero](https://support.contracthero.com/en-us/article/how-to-write-a-prompt-in-contracthero-12fp5bh/) * [How can contracts be uploaded in the system?](https://support.contracthero.com/en-us/article/how-can-contracts-be-uploaded-in-the-system-170nms9/)