Writing an Executive Summary: What to Include and How

If you remember one thing about executive summaries, remember this: many readers will read nothing else. A manager choosing whether to approve a plan, an investor deciding whether to look closer, a committee member skimming a stack of proposals. Your summary may be the only page they truly read, so it has to carry the weight of the entire document.

This guide explains what an executive summary is, what it should include, how to write one in a few steps and how to avoid the mistakes that make summaries useless.

What an executive summary is

An executive summary is a self-contained condensed version of a longer document. It tells the reader what the document is about, what it found or proposes and what they should do. The name comes from its intended reader: an executive or decision-maker who has limited time.

It appears at the start of the document, usually after the title page, but is written after everything else is finished.

Executive summary, abstract and introduction compared

If your assignment says "abstract", see our guide to writing an abstract. If it says "executive summary", write for the decision-maker.

What to include

A strong summary answers the questions a busy reader would ask:

1. What is this about? The purpose or problem.
2. Why does it matter? The significance or stakes.
3. What did you do or find? The key methods and findings, in brief.
4. What do you conclude? The main conclusions.
5. What should happen next? The recommendations or requested action.

Depending on the document, you may also include key numbers such as costs, timelines or expected returns.

Everything should come from the main document. Do not introduce new data, arguments or terms.

How long it should be

Keep it short enough that a reader will actually read it. As a guide:

A summary longer than two pages stops being a summary. If you struggle to cut it down, you may need to clarify the main point.

Step-by-step method

Step 1: Finish the document

Do not write the summary from a plan. Wait until your findings and recommendations are settled.

Step 2: Mark the key points

Go through each section and highlight the one or two sentences that carry the main message. For a report, these are usually the purpose, the main findings, the conclusions and the recommendations.

Step 3: Order the points

Arrange them in a logical sequence for the reader. Most summaries follow the order of the document, but you can lead with the conclusion or recommendation if that is what the reader most needs. A common approach is the situation, the finding, the recommendation.

Step 4: Write in plain language

Turn the marked points into short paragraphs. Use clear, direct sentences. Avoid jargon, undefined acronyms and long background. Put the most important information first.

Step 5: Cut ruthlessly

Remove details that the reader can find in the main document. Keep numbers that matter. If a sentence does not help the reader decide or understand, delete it.

Step 6: Check against the document

Make sure every statement matches the document. Confirm figures, names and dates. Check that the summary would make sense to someone who reads nothing else.

A template you can adapt

Purpose. This report examines [problem or question] for [audience], in order to [goal].

Key findings. [Two to four main findings, with the most important numbers.]

Conclusions. [What the findings mean.]

Recommendations. [What should be done, by whom, and when.]

You do not have to use these labels in your summary, and many summaries read as one or two flowing paragraphs. The template is a way to check that each element is present.

An example

Here is an executive summary for a short report on a campus recycling program (the example is invented to show the form).

This report evaluates the first year of the campus recycling program to decide whether it should be expanded. Between September and May, the program collected 42 tons of recyclable material, but contamination of bins reached 31 percent, which sent nearly one-third of the collected material to landfill. Surveys of 600 students showed that most support the program but are unsure which items belong in which bin. The cost of the program was within budget, but hauling fees rose because of contamination.

The main conclusion is that the program's problem is not participation but sorting. We recommend expanding recycling only after the university installs clearer bin labels and runs a short orientation campaign, which we estimate would cost less than the extra hauling fees now incurred. We also recommend reviewing contamination rates each term for the next year.

It states the purpose, gives key findings with numbers, draws a conclusion and makes specific recommendations in about 150 words.

Writing style

• Lead with what matters. The first sentence should tell the reader why they are reading.
• Write for a non-expert. Use plain language and define terms.
• Be specific. Use figures, not just adjectives.
• Be objective and balanced. If there are risks or limits, mention them.
• Use present tense for the conclusions and past tense for what was done.
• Keep formatting simple. A few short paragraphs, perhaps with a short bulleted list of recommendations.

Also see how to write a report for how the summary fits into the full document.

Business plans and proposals

In a business plan, the executive summary is especially important because investors and lenders decide from it whether to read on. It usually includes the business concept, the problem and solution, the market, the team, key financial figures and the funding request. In a proposal, it covers the need, the proposed approach, the expected results and the cost. In both cases, the tone is confident and concrete, but claims must match the evidence in the full document.

Testing your summary

Once the summary is written, test it on a real reader. Give it to a friend who has not seen the report and ask three things: what is this document about, what does it conclude and what is it asking me to do? If the answers match your intentions, the summary works. If they do not, the gap shows you exactly where to revise.

You can also test it against the document. Read the summary, then skim the headings of the full document. Each major section should be represented by at least one sentence in the summary, and nothing in the summary should be missing from the body.

Keeping the voice consistent

A summary should sound like the rest of the document. If the report is formal and measured, the summary should be too. Avoid promotional phrases in a report that is analytical, and avoid hedging in a proposal that must be persuasive. Keep terminology consistent, so that the same concept has the same name in both places.

Common mistakes

• Writing it first. The summary then may not match the final document.
• Copying the introduction. The summary and the introduction do different jobs.
• Including new information. Everything must appear in the main document.
• Too long. If it runs past two pages, it is a second report.
• Too vague. "The report discusses several issues" tells the reader nothing.
• Burying the recommendation. Put the main conclusion where it will be seen.
• Jargon and acronyms. The reader may not know them.
• Mismatch. Numbers or conclusions that differ from the document damage trust.

Final check

• Could someone read only this page and understand the key points?
• Does it state the purpose, findings, conclusions and recommendations?
• Is it free of new information?
• Is it the right length?
• Is the language clear and free of jargon?
• Do all numbers and claims match the document?

Final thoughts

An executive summary is an act of respect for the reader's time. Write it after the document is done, pick the few things that matter most, state them plainly with real numbers and finish with what should happen next. If a reader can act on your summary alone, you have done the hardest part of the job, and the rest of the document can do its work for those who want the detail.