# Multi-document compare-and-contrast — Claude XML example

> Synthesize three vendor quotes into a table plus a one-paragraph recommendation.
>
> Source: https://claudexml.com/examples/multi-doc-compare/ · Last updated 2026-05-25

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    RAG · advanced

# Multi-document compare-and-contrast

    Synthesize three vendor quotes into a table plus a one-paragraph recommendation.

    Procurement task: a buyer has three vendor proposals and wants a side-by-side comparison they can hand to their manager.


## The prompt

    Copy this verbatim. Replace the `{{ … }}` placeholders with your values.


```xml
<documents>
  <document>
    <source>doc-1: vendor-A-quote.pdf</source>
    <document_content>{{ vendor_A_text }}</document_content>
  </document>
  <document>
    <source>doc-2: vendor-B-quote.pdf</source>
    <document_content>{{ vendor_B_text }}</document_content>
  </document>
  <document>
    <source>doc-3: vendor-C-quote.pdf</source>
    <document_content>{{ vendor_C_text }}</document_content>
  </document>
</documents>

<instructions>
Compare the three vendor quotes. Produce:

1. A Markdown table with columns: Vendor, Price (USD), Support Tier, Notable Caveats.
   Cite each cell with [doc-N].
2. A one-paragraph recommendation citing sources in [doc-N] format.

Rules:
- If a field is missing in a quote, write "not specified" — do not infer.
- Do not estimate prices that aren't stated.
- Keep tone neutral; no superlatives unless directly supported by a source.
</instructions>
```


## Sample input


```xml
Three short PDF-extracted quotes from vendors A, B, C with prices, support tiers, and various caveats.
```


## Expected output


```xml
A markdown table followed by a 4-sentence recommendation, all cells and claims tagged with [doc-1] through [doc-3].
```


## Notes & tuning tips


- When passages are long (>5k tokens each), summarize them in a first pass and synthesize on the summaries.
- Citations only help if your source IDs map back to retrievable files. Use stable IDs.
- If you want a specific recommendation framing (cheapest, best-support, lowest-risk), spell it out in instructions.


## What this example uses

    Tags: <documents> <document> <source> <instructions>

    Patterns: multi document


## More like this


      rag
### RAG over docs with [doc-N] citations
Answer a question from retrieved passages and cite every claim by source ID.

      rag
### Hallucination guard: refuse when answer isn't in sources
Force a clean refusal when retrieval comes up empty instead of confabulating.




Cite this page

`Multi-document compare-and-contrast. claudexml.com. https://claudexml.com/examples/multi-doc-compare/`