Decision topic

Create, revise, or extract office documents

Pick by file type and desired artifact: PDF extraction, Word editing, slides, spreadsheets, or interpretation only.

Last meaningful review July 21, 2026

Start here

You have files, tables, slides, or office documents and need a reviewable output without pretending the agent has verified every fact.

This topic coversPDF extraction · Word documents · PowerPoint decks · Excel/CSV analysis · file conversion

Not this topiclegal or medical interpretation · guaranteed extraction accuracy · signing or approving documents

Choose your scene

Pick the closest situation, not the perfect one.

Each scene hides the noisy marketplace ranking behind one practical recommendation, one optional alternative, and one fallback when a public skill is not the right intervention.

I need data or text from PDFs.

I have PDFs and need text, tables, fields, or metadata extracted.

Decision moment

Choose extraction before interpretation.

Not this

If the job is legal or medical analysis, extraction is only the first step.

Recommended skillSource

pdf

It is the most direct official source for PDF extraction and manipulation.

Use when: Use it for text, table, and PDF workflow tasks.
Avoid when: Avoid treating extraction as domain judgment.
Signal: Official Anthropic skill source.

Recommended skillSource

pdf

It is a useful alternative when the host environment is OpenAI/Codex-oriented.

Use when: Use it when your agent stack supports the OpenAI curated skill.
Avoid when: Avoid mixing two PDF workflows without checking install format.
Signal: OpenAI curated skill source.

No skill

Specialist interpretation

Use a specialist workflow after structured extraction.

Use when: Use it for consequential documents.
Avoid when: Do not let a PDF skill make binding decisions.
Signal: Extraction does not establish legal, medical, or financial meaning.

I need a Word document created or revised.

I need a report, proposal, memo, or reviewed docx file.

Decision moment

Choose document editing over general writing.

Not this

If the output is a blog post or social copy, use writing content.

Recommended skillSource

docx

It is file-format specific and fits tracked document creation or editing.

Use when: Use it for docx artifacts with comments, formatting, or revisions.
Avoid when: Avoid it for pure plain-text drafting.
Signal: Official Anthropic skill source.

Recommended skillSource

doc-coauthoring

It is a better fit when the task is collaborative writing, not only file operations.

Use when: Use it for reviewable coauthoring.
Avoid when: Avoid it when final file formatting is the main requirement.
Signal: Official Anthropic skill source.

Adapt

Plain-language brief

Use a brief when the document purpose is unclear.

Use when: Use it before file work.
Avoid when: Do not format an unclear argument into a polished doc.
Signal: A good doc starts with audience and decision context.

I need slides from a brief, report, or existing deck.

I want an editable presentation, not just a summary.

Decision moment

Choose presentation artifact workflows.

Not this

If the output is a social image, use creative/media instead.

Recommended skillSource

pptx

It is the direct official skill for PowerPoint presentation artifacts.

Use when: Use it for editable deck creation or revision.
Avoid when: Avoid it for brand strategy or live presenting.
Signal: Official Anthropic skill source.

Recommended skillSource

baoyu-slide-deck

It appears in high-install skills.sh content-production workflows.

Use when: Use it when its install format matches your agent.
Avoid when: Avoid it when official pptx support is sufficient.
Signal: skills.sh all-time: 28,022 installs.

Adapt

Narrative outline first

Create an outline before asking for slide production.

Use when: Use it when the source is unstructured.
Avoid when: Do not turn raw notes into slides without a story.
Signal: Slide quality depends on message hierarchy.

I need spreadsheet analysis or transformation.

I have Excel, CSV, or tables and need calculations, summaries, charts, or cleaned data.

Decision moment

Choose spreadsheet tooling instead of generic business advice.

Not this

If you need investment advice, do not use a spreadsheet skill as authority.

Recommended skillSource

xlsx

It is the direct official skill for spreadsheet manipulation.

Use when: Use it for formulas, charts, transformations, and workbook edits.
Avoid when: Avoid it for opaque automated decisions.
Signal: Official Anthropic skill source.

Recommended skillSource

jupyter-notebook

It is better when analysis needs reproducible code and notebooks rather than Excel output.

Use when: Use it for analytical workflows and repeatability.
Avoid when: Avoid it for simple workbook edits.
Signal: OpenAI curated skill source.

No skill

Human review of conclusions

Use human approval for consequential decisions.

Use when: Use it for finance, hiring, or compliance outputs.
Avoid when: Do not present analysis as automatic approval.
Signal: Spreadsheet transformations can be checked; business conclusions still need review.

Why this topic exists

Official Anthropic and OpenAI repositories both contain PDF skills; Anthropic also publishes docx, pptx, and xlsx skills as durable document workflows.

Anthropic official skills include pdf, docx, pptx, and xlsx.
OpenAI curated skills include pdf and screenshot workflows.
SkillsMP shows office/document workflows are broad but should be routed by file type first.

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