Let's set the stage: you and your colleagues just spent months on a lengthy, data-heavy project plan that no one in their right mind would read every word of, and now it's time to write an executive summary for it. The executive summary will be the first (and maybe only) thing people look at when they open your document: it's where you lay out the key takeaways, or golden nuggets, of whatever you've worked so hard on.
But distilling complex information into a shorter format isn't simple. Here, I'll show you how to write an executive summary—either using a template or with our AI generator—and share some tips to help you get the most out of yours.
Table of contents:
What is an executive summary?
An executive summary recaps the most important information and takeaways of a document (e.g., a strategic plan, earnings report, or proposal). It lets people—coworkers, bosses, stakeholders, or clients—know what a document is all about without making them dig through pages of text, numbers, and charts with so many variables they make your head spin.
Executive summaries typically appear at the beginning of a larger document, and they can be as short as a paragraph or as long as a few pages, depending on the length and complexity of what you're summarizing. But no matter how brief, executive summaries should include these key elements:
Introduction: An executive summary should briefly introduce the plan or report it sums up. In other words, it should share the project’s purpose in a sentence or two.
Problem statement: If your project aims to solve a certain problem or pain point, state exactly what that problem is and how it's impacting your business, clients, or team.
Solution: After introducing the problem, offer a solution. While your plan or report should cover this solution in detail, you can outline it in the summary and note the benefits of implementation.
Conclusion and recommendations: At the end of an executive summary, briefly restate the main points of your project, then offer some recommendations for actionable next steps.
You could include other elements in an executive summary, like a research methodology, some (brief) market analysis, a bulleted list of key takeaways, and financial projections. But you're summing up a document, not restating it point-by-point. So you'll have to leave the less-important details on the cutting room floor.
Executive summary template
Unless your idea of fun involves a whole lot of tedious formatting, you shouldn't start the executive summary process from a blank document. I've done all the outline-y bits for you and turned it into an executive summary template. Just fill it in using information from the project, report, or business plan you're summarizing.
Our template has each section in its own labeled column, but you may have seen other executive summaries presented as a seamless block of text. You can always turn our template into plain text by pasting and combining each section in a separate document. The choice is yours (and probably dependent on how long or short your summary is).
Executive summary generator
Remember: Chatbots use AI models. Because AI is a new technology that generates dynamic on-demand responses, we always encourage you to fact-check and verify responses are correct/meet your needs.
Template or no template, trying to condense a 57-page document into a brief summary can be a mammoth undertaking. This is one of those times AI can give you a massive head start on an otherwise daunting task. While any AI writing generator worth its salt can handle this for you, you'll save even more time if you use our chatbot (built with Zapier Chatbots) to generate an executive summary. Here's how to use it:
Copy and paste your document into the text box.
Click the Submit button or press the Enter/return key.
The bot will write you a summary that includes an introduction, problem statement, solutions, and conclusion. Of course, you'll want to review, fact check, and edit what gets generated to ensure it's good enough to go before the board.
How to write an executive summary in 6 steps
If you'd rather tackle your executive summary without leaning on AI, it'll help to have a guide to every part of the executive summary process. Here's how to get yours boardroom-ready in six steps.
1. Review the document you're summarizing
Whatever you're writing an executive summary for—a document, a business or project plan, an annual report—you should know it like the back of your hand. Even if you've gone over it a half-dozen times before, reread it again, and this time, jot down the key info you'll include in your summary.
2. Create an outline
If you're using our executive summary template, we've already done this step for you. For everyone else, you'll want to draw up a tidy outline with sections for an introduction, problem statement, solution, and conclusion. This is the bare minimum, but feel free to add other sections as needed.
3. Write the introduction
The introduction is where you briefly tell the audience what your project or document is all about. Try to answer two questions: what are you summarizing, and who is it for? You can also provide some background and context for how the document came about.
Depending on the length of what you're summarizing, your intro could be anywhere from a few sentences to a couple of paragraphs long. But shorter is usually better—you don't want your CEO's eyes to glaze over before you get to the meat of the summary.
4. State the problem
Next, share the problem your document will address. This tells the audience why they should care about what you're summarizing. This could be something like a decline in sales leading to reduced revenue and market share, an unsuccessful product launch that needs pivoting, or a drop in customer retention.
However, not every problem statement has to address an issue or crisis. Your "problem" could also be an opportunity for growth and evolution or a new initiative. Either way, you'll want to be clear and concise.
Also, include relevant data if you've got it: "sales are down 23%" is a lot more effective than "sales are down."
5. Propose solutions
An executive summary should never raise a problem without offering one or more solutions to that problem. Of course, the solutions should be in the document or plan itself, but you still need to summarize them at the outset.
Don't get lost in the details. Outline the critical, actionable steps needed to solve the problem at hand. You can even put them in a bulleted or numbered list to distinguish them from the rest of the text. And just like in the problem statement, it's worth sprinkling in some data (like a revenue projection) if it supports your proposed solutions.
6. Look ahead in your conclusion
In your conclusion, quickly restate the main points of your write-up and then move on to suggestions for what to do next. What actions do you want your audience to take after they flip (or scroll) through your document?
Try to make your recommendations as actionable as possible. For example, if the project needs approval or you need another meeting scheduled, come right out and say that. If you're in a position to set deadlines, set them. Call out decision-makers and tell them what you want them to do with your document.
Executive summary examples
Not all executive summaries look alike, and half the time they might not even be labeled as executive summaries. Still, you're bound to find them at the beginning of most reports and other major business documents. Here are some examples from the real world to clue you in on what to look for.
Meta's annual human rights report
This executive summary from Meta is too long for me to reproduce here, but it can give you an idea of how they might be structured for larger documents (57 pages, in this case).
It begins with a crystal clear overview of the report and Meta's commitment to human rights, then moves to discuss the risks associated with AI. After that, it covers the steps Meta is taking to mitigate these (and other) risks before closing with a look toward future initiatives.
If you're keeping track, that's an introduction, problem, solution, and conclusion—all in three short pages.
Google's environmental report
Sometimes, an executive summary doubles as a statement by executives. Google's 2024 environmental report begins with an introduction co-written by their CSO and VP of Learning and Sustainability.
Not only does it cover all the bases of an executive summary, but it also gets a major credibility boost since it's authored by members of Google's C-suite. But you don't have to be an exec to pen an effective summary.
This one works because its solutions are data-backed and because it focuses clearly on one problem: the challenge of running a global business sustainability.
Spotify's equity and impact report
This example from Spotify's equity and impact report shows how you can play with your summary's formatting. Instead of one big chunk of prose, they've opted for neatly labeled boxes highlighting key parts of the document. Because it's a PDF, you can even click the Read buttons to jump ahead to different sections.
The little text blurbs tell us what each section's focus will be. You'll notice they also introduce problems and solutions. Under "Climate Action," for instance, Spotify points out an issue (climate change) and quickly sums up what they're doing about it (aiming for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions).
Tips to get the most out of your executive summary
The point of an executive summary is to share it with people who may not even read the rest of the document it's attached to (like your boss, and their boss). On top of keeping your summary concise, engaging, and informative, here are some things you can do to help it make a splash.
Prepare it for presentation: Instead of presenting your executive summary by reading it word for word, break it down into snappy, digestible bullet points. In other words, summarize the summary.
Tailor it to your audience: You may need to tweak your write-up if you're presenting or sharing it with different audiences. Consider creating an internal summary for your team and an external summary for clients, stakeholders, or investors.
Perform updates as needed: If your business plan changes, update the executive summary to account for new information, adjusted timelines, and expanded or reduced scope.
Break it into a separate document: Because executive summaries usually come at the beginning of a large document, consider creating a separate, standalone version with a smaller file size. This will make it more shareable and allow you to easily send it to anyone who doesn't need the full version.
Automate projects and reports with Zapier
Writing an executive summary shouldn't be a painful experience. Remember: you're summing up all the hard work that goes into a business plan or other document—stuff like market research, data collection, financial projections, and writing—not repeating it.
Zapier can make that hard work easier by connecting all the apps you use and building fully automated systems for your projects. Whether you're crunching data for a report, drafting a project proposal, or even launching a startup, Zapier streamlines everything from simple tasks to complex workflows. Learn more about how to start automating today.
Zapier is a no-code automation tool that lets you connect your apps into automated workflows, so that every person and every business can move forward at growth speed. Learn more about how it works.
Executive summary FAQ
Looking for more info on executive summaries before you put your nose to the grindstone and write one? Here are some quick answers to commonly asked questions.
How long should an executive summary be?
Executive summaries can range from one paragraph to multiple pages, depending on how much info you're summarizing. A good rule of thumb is that they shouldn't make up more than 10% of the document they're included in.
What should an executive summary include?
An executive summary should state the purpose and key takeaways of a business's plan, project, or report. It should also cover solutions to any problems raised in the report and provide actionable recommendations for next steps.
What is the difference between an executive summary and a business plan?
An executive summary summarizes the content of a business plan, which is a detailed outline of a company's goals and the strategies they'll use to accomplish them. A business plan is just one example of a document that could include an executive summary.
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