# Heavy File Ingestion Claude Desktop

Use in Claude Desktop when a user asks to read, analyze, summarize, or extract from a...

- Repository: https://github.com/NateBJones-Projects/OB1 (4752 stars)
- Category: Documents
- License: see repository
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add NateBJones-Projects/OB1 --skill heavy-file-ingestion-claude-desktop -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add NateBJones-Projects/OB1 --skill heavy-file-ingestion-claude-desktop -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add NateBJones-Projects/OB1 --skill heavy-file-ingestion-claude-desktop -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add NateBJones-Projects/OB1 --skill heavy-file-ingestion-claude-desktop -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

Use in Claude Desktop when a user asks to read, analyze, summarize, or extract from a heavyweight file such as PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, CSV, or TSV. Avoid raw ingestion of bulky files. Ask for a converted markdown or CSV artifact first, or give the user exact conversion commands to run outside Claude Desktop.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Heavy File Ingestion For Claude Desktop

## Problem

Claude Desktop does not have the same local shell workflow as coding agents, so it should avoid pretending it can efficiently process bulky files raw.

## Trigger Conditions

- The user asks Claude Desktop to read a PDF, PPTX, DOCX, XLSX, or another bulky attachment
- The file would cost too much context for too little value
- The user would be better served by a converted markdown or CSV artifact

## Process

1. Do not ingest the raw heavyweight file by default.
1. First ask for the cheapest workable artifact:
   - PDF or DOCX: markdown
   - PPTX: markdown slide outline
   - XLSX: CSV per sheet or a small sample plus sheet names
1. If the user has not converted it yet, offer exact commands they can run outside Claude Desktop.

### Suggested Conversion Commands

```bash
python convert_heavy_file.py /absolute/path/to/file.pdf
python convert_heavy_file.py /absolute/path/to/file.docx
python convert_heavy_file.py /absolute/path/to/file.pptx
python convert_heavy_file.py /absolute/path/to/file.xlsx
```

If the script is not available, say so and ask the user for:

- a markdown export
- a CSV export
- or a small representative excerpt

1. Once the user provides the converted artifact, create a quick index:
   - file type
   - sections, slides, or sheet names
   - row counts or page counts if available
   - any obvious extraction-quality problems
2. Only then analyze the content.

## Client Rules

- Be explicit about the tradeoff: converting first is cheaper and usually better.
- If the user insists on staying inside Claude Desktop, ask for a smaller excerpt rather than taking the whole file raw.
- Use raw ingestion only for genuinely small files where conversion would cost more effort than it saves.