Read A Contract

Read A Contract

When to use

• "pull the {clause} from this contract" (single doc).
• "what are the auto-renew terms in every contract in this folder" (batch).
• "extract the liability cap and termination language from {vendor}'s master service agreement".

Connections I need

I run external work through Composio. Before this skill runs I check the categories below are linked. Missing → I name the category, ask you to connect it from the Integrations tab, stop.

• Files (Google Drive) - Required for batch runs and named-vendor lookups. I scan folders or named contracts here.
• Document processing (OCR or PDF text extraction) - Required. Pulls the actual text out of scanned or native PDFs so I can extract clauses verbatim.

If no files provider is connected and you haven't pasted the contract, I stop and ask you to connect Google Drive or paste the document.

Information I need

I read your operations context first. For every required field that's missing I ask ONE plain-language question (best modality: connected app > file drop > URL > paste) and wait.

• The contract itself - Required. Why I need it: I can't extract from nothing. If missing I ask: "Drop the contract or point me at the folder. PDF, Word, or a Google Doc all work."
• Vendor posture - Required. Why I need it: tells me which terms count as a flag. A conservative posture flags more aggressively than fast-risk. If missing I ask: "How do you approach vendor terms - conservative, balanced, or move fast?"
• Operating context doc - Required. Why I need it: anchors hard nos so I flag clauses that would violate them. If missing I ask: "Want me to set up your operating context first? Helps me catch unfavorable terms more reliably."

Steps

1. Read context/operations-context.md. If missing: stop, ask user run set-up-my-ops-info skill first. Vendor posture + hard nos anchor "unfavorable terms" flags.

2. Read config/procurement.json - approval posture decide which terms count as "flag worthy" (conservative founder flag more; fast-risk founder flag only truly egregious).

3. Identify target contract(s).

   • Single file: user paste text, share URL, or point at file in connected drive.
   • Batch (folder): composio search drive → list files in specified folder → filter to contract-flavored (PDF/DOCX/DOC).
   • Named vendor: look in contracts/ first; if absent, search drive via composio search drive.

4. Parse each contract. Use composio search doc-processing to find best doc-processing tool for format (OCR for scanned PDFs, text extractor for native PDFs, DOCX reader). Execute by slug, pull full text.

5. Extract standard clauses. Per contract, locate + extract:

   • Liability cap - quote + cap amount + carve-outs.
   • Termination - for-cause terms, for-convenience terms, notice windows.
   • Auto-renewal - presence, term length, notice-to-not-renew window.
   • Payment terms - amount, frequency, true-up / overage, late fees.
   • IP ownership - who own work product, background IP rules.
   • Data handling / data processing agreement - data processing agreement presence, data residency, breach notification response-time commitment.
   • Uptime commitment - uptime commitment, remedies.
   • Exclusivity / non-compete - presence + scope.

   Per clause: verbatim quote + 1-line plain-language summary + 1-line flag if unusual or unfavorable per vendor posture. If clause absent, mark ABSENT explicit - never omit.

6. Write to contracts/{vendor-slug}-{YYYY-MM-DD}.md with full extraction. Batch runs: one file per contract + contracts/batch-{YYYY-MM-DD}-summary.md rolling up flags across batch.

7. Update renewal calendar. If contract has renewal date, call track-my-renewals skill internally (or note track-my-renewals should re-run) and add/update entry in renewals/calendar.md.

8. Atomic writes - *.tmp → rename.

9. Append to outputs.json with type: "contract", status "ready" per contract. Batch: single contract entry for summary + one per contract processed.

10. Summarize to user - #1 flag that most warrant founder attention (e.g. "auto-renew is in 11 days and notice window is 30 days - already too late to stop this one"). Path to file(s).

Outputs

• contracts/{vendor-slug}-{YYYY-MM-DD}.md (one per contract)
• Optional contracts/batch-{YYYY-MM-DD}-summary.md (batch runs)
• Updates to renewals/calendar.md
• Appends to outputs.json with type: "contract".

What I never do

• Sign or accept any contract.
• Invent clause. If contract has no liability cap, mark ABSENT.
• Interpret legally. Flag for founder attention; founder consult legal.