Say what the summary is for
"Summarize this" gets a shorter copy of the same text. A useful summary is built for a reason. Tell the AI who will read it and what they need to do next: make a choice, explain it to someone, study for a test or find their next step.
Before
summarize this
After
I'm a parent deciding whether to sign my son up for this summer camp. Summarize the camp letter below in 5 bullets: dates, cost, what to pack, pickup times, and anything I must sign or pay by a deadline. Then list anything the letter does not say that I should ask about. Here is the letter: [paste the letter]
The second prompt tells the AI what to look for, so it skips what you do not need and flags what is missing.
Pick a shape and a size
Tell the AI what the summary should look like, and give it a number. "5 bullets" or "under 100 words" works much better than "short".
| Ask for | Good for |
|---|---|
| One sentence | Getting the big idea before you decide to read the rest |
| 5 bullets | Articles, long emails and reports |
| What, so what, now what | News and updates: what happened, why it matters, what to do |
| A table | Comparing things, like 3 quotes, 3 plans or 3 products |
| Questions and answers | Studying, or making sense of a long policy |
| Action items | Meetings and threads: who does what, and by when |
More shapes, and how to ask for them, are in get answers in the format you need.
A summary prompt you can reuse
You are a careful reader who pulls out what matters and skips the rest. Summarize the text below for [who it is for and why they need it]. Rules: - Start with the main point in one sentence. - Then give the 5 most important points as short bullets. - Keep every number, date and name exactly as written. - Use only what is in the text. If something is unclear or missing, say so. - Keep it under 200 words in total. End with the one thing I should do or decide next. Here is the text: [paste the text]
Change the rules to fit the job. For a lease or a contract, ask for every date, fee and thing you must do. For a news story, ask what each side says. For a report at work, ask what changed since last time.
Long files, threads and meetings
- Too long to paste? Send it in parts. Start with "I will paste this in 3 parts. Reply only with 'got it' until I send part 3, then summarize all of it."
- Many files. Summarize each one, then ask for one summary of all the summaries. That is a simple prompt chain.
- Meetings. Paste the notes or the transcript and ask for decisions, action items with a name next to each, and open questions.
- Email threads. Ask "What does this person need from me, and by when?" Often that is all you need.
- Links and videos. Some apps can read a web page or a file you share, and some cannot. If the AI did not get the full text, its summary is a guess. Paste the text or a transcript to be safe.
Make sure the summary is right
Summaries can drop a key detail or add one that was never there. The shorter the summary, the more gets left out. These checks take a minute.
- Ask for the source. "For each point, quote the sentence it came from." Then spot check two or three.
- Ask what got cut. "What did you leave out that someone might care about?"
- Check the numbers. Compare every date, price and name with the original.
- Read the real thing when it counts. For health, money, law or anything you sign, read the parts that matter yourself, or ask a pro.
You will find more ways to catch mistakes in how to check AI answers for mistakes.
Before you paste, cover private details like account numbers, addresses and other people's names. A summary almost never needs them.