Document Synopsis
A folio's uploaded documents have always been one click away — but reading them takes time. A passport. A contract. A site photo. Each one needs the manager's eyes before they're useful. Document Synopsis turns every uploaded file into a one-paragraph summary you can scan instead of read, so you can triage a stack of documents in seconds and dive into the ones that need attention.
Why Use Document Synopsis?
Triage at a glance
Before a synopsis exists, the only way to know what's in a file is to open it. Multiply that across a folio with five or six attachments and the cost is real. With a synopsis ready, the file row carries a "Synopsis" badge — and one click on the file opens straight to the summary. You decide which files actually need a full read.
Ask the document a question without leaving the page
Generation is on-demand, not automatic. When you click Generate synopsis, you can leave the prompt blank for a general overview, or type what you're looking for: "focus on dates and amounts", "any mention of a co-signer?", "call out anything that looks unusual". The summary is shaped by your question — and you can regenerate with a different focus as many times as you like.
Reuses the work for AI Insights
If you're using Folio Insights to ask cross-document questions of a folio, those answers depend on synopses. Generating one from the file show page means the next Insights conversation already has the summary ready — no waiting for the background pass. Work done once, used twice.
Manager-only, fully under your control
Synopses are visible only to managers. Clients see their files exactly as they uploaded them. You can clear a synopsis at any time — the summary is removed, the file remains, and you can generate a new one when you're ready.
How It Works
1. Open any uploaded file
On the folio's Uploaded Files tab, pick a section and a file. The page splits into two tabs at the top: File for the document preview, Synopsis for the AI summary.
2. Generate with an optional focus
If no synopsis exists yet, the Synopsis tab shows a textarea and a Generate synopsis button. Type a focus prompt or leave it blank. Click Generate.
A "Generating synopsis…" message appears while the AI works. When it finishes — usually a few seconds — the summary text replaces the form.
3. Read, regenerate, or clear
Once a synopsis is ready:
- Regenerate opens the prompt textarea again. Use it to refocus the summary on a different angle. The new synopsis replaces the old one.
- Clear removes the synopsis (with a confirmation modal). The file itself stays — only the summary text is removed. Useful if you want to start fresh, or if the file's relevance to the folio has changed.
4. Watch the badge on the file index
On the Folio Details page, the section that lists each file shows a status badge next to the filename:
| Badge | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Synopsis (green) | A summary is ready to read |
| Generating… (grey) | The AI is working on it now |
| Synopsis failed (red) | Generation didn't complete — try again from the file show page |
| (no badge) | No synopsis has been generated yet |
Configuration
Document Synopsis uses your company's AI provider setup. Generation counts against your AI usage limit, the same as field extraction and Insights.
| Setting | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Insights synopsis model | The model used to generate the summary text |
If you don't set it, synopsis generation falls back to your default AI model. Configure it under Settings → AI.
Tips
- Use the focus prompt for tricky documents. A general summary is fine for routine files. For dense or technical documents, ask the AI for the specific thing you care about — you'll get a more useful summary.
- Synopses are placeholders, not authoritative records. They're a reading aid. Always verify important details against the source document before acting on them.
- A failed synopsis isn't permanent. If generation fails — usually because of a temporary AI provider issue — click Try again to regenerate. Failed files are shown with a red badge so they're easy to spot.
Related
- Folio Insights — Ask cross-document questions of a folio in plain language
- AI Automation — Automatic field extraction from uploaded documents on submission