ChatGPT Prompt for Summarizing: 12 for Any Text or Length

A ChatGPT prompt for summarizing works best when it says who the summary is for, how long it should be, and what the reader will do with it. The 12 prompts below cover quick one-line answers, key points, summaries for different readers, action lists, and study notes. Always paste the full text and check the summary against it, since AI summaries can drop or change details.

Check every figure and claim in a summary against the source before you share it, and keep confidential or personal material out of unapproved AI tools.

Quick summaries

1. One-line answer

Summarize this text in one sentence for [reader]: the single most important point. [paste text]

2. Key points

List the 3 to 5 most important points in this text [paste], in order of importance for someone who needs to [purpose].

3. Set length

Summarize this text [paste] in under [number] words, in plain language, keeping every date and number exactly as written.

Summaries for a reader

4. For a busy manager

Summarize this [report or thread] for my manager: what happened, what is decided, what needs their input, and by when. [paste]

5. For someone new to the topic

Summarize this text [paste] for a reader who knows nothing about [topic]. Explain any term they would not know in a few words.

6. For a customer or the public

Turn this internal update [paste] into a short summary for customers. Leave out internal names and keep only what affects them.

Pull out what matters

7. Actions and deadlines

From this text [paste], list every action, owner, and date. Write "owner not stated" when no one is named.

8. Decisions and open questions

List the decisions made and the questions still open in this email thread [paste]. Quote the line each one comes from.

9. Compare two versions

Summarize what changed between version A [paste] and version B [paste], in a short list of additions, removals, and edits.

Study and check

10. Study notes

Turn this chapter [paste] into study notes: main ideas as headings, key terms with short definitions, and three questions to test myself.

11. What was left out

Here is the text [paste] and my summary [paste]. List the important details my summary dropped and whether I should add them back for [purpose].

12. Faithfulness check

Check this summary [paste] against the source [paste]. Flag any number, name, date, or claim that is missing from the source or changed.

Write a checked summary in one prompt

The flagship Summarizing Prompt: Summary by Length, Audience, and Use takes the text, the reader, the purpose, length limits, must-keep points, and style. It returns a one-line summary, key points, a short paragraph, actions and dates, what was left out, and a faithfulness check. Its example turns an office closure notice into a summary staff can act on.

Tips for summarizing with ChatGPT

Paste the whole text instead of a link, so the summary is based on what you can see. Ask for exact quotes on figures and deadlines. For long documents, summarize section by section, then summarize the summaries, and spot-check the result against the original.

Related prompts

For meetings, use meeting minutes from notes or a transcript or read ChatGPT prompts for meeting minutes. For papers, see the prompt for a research paper summary, and for videos, the ChatGPT prompt for a YouTube summary.

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