How to Use ChatGPT to Summarize Long Documents: Complete Guide

Create an executive summary of this document in 300-400 words.

Structure it as:
1. **Purpose**: What is this document about? (1-2 sentences)
2. **Key Findings**: The most important points (3-5 bullet points)
3. **Recommendations/Conclusions**: What actions or decisions are suggested?
4. **Bottom Line**: One sentence a busy executive needs to remember

Write in professional business language suitable for C-level readers.

Summarize this document as a bullet-point list.

Requirements:
- Use clear, concise bullet points
- Organize by main topic or section
- Include specific numbers, dates, or facts where relevant
- Aim for 15-20 bullet points total
- Use sub-bullets for related details

Format for easy scanning.

Create a one-page summary (approximately 500 words) of this document.

Include:
- Brief introduction (2-3 sentences)
- Main sections with key points (bulk of the summary)
- Important data or statistics
- Conclusion or takeaways

Use headers to organize the content and make it scannable.

Summarize this document section by section.

For each major section:
1. **Section Title**: [Original title or your description]
2. **Summary**: 2-3 sentences capturing the main idea
3. **Key Points**: 2-3 bullet points with specifics
4. **Notable Quotes/Data**: Any important quotes or statistics

Maintain the original document's structure.

Extract the key takeaways from this document.

Provide:
1. **Main Thesis/Argument**: What is the central point? (1-2 sentences)
2. **Top 5 Takeaways**: The most important things to remember
3. **Supporting Evidence**: Key data or examples for each takeaway
4. **Action Items**: What should the reader do with this information?
5. **Questions Raised**: Any unanswered questions or areas for further exploration

Focus on practical, actionable insights.

Summarize this document in simple, plain language that anyone could understand.

- Avoid jargon and technical terms (or explain them simply if unavoidable)
- Use everyday analogies where helpful
- Keep sentences short and clear
- Aim for an 8th-grade reading level
- Length: 200-300 words

Imagine explaining this to someone with no background in this subject.

Summarize this business report focusing on:

1. **Performance Metrics**: Key numbers and KPIs
2. **Trends**: What's improving or declining?
3. **Challenges**: Problems identified
4. **Opportunities**: Growth areas mentioned
5. **Recommendations**: Suggested next steps
6. **Financial Impact**: Revenue, costs, or budget implications

Highlight anything that requires immediate attention.

Summarize this research paper:

1. **Research Question**: What question does this study address?
2. **Methodology**: How was the research conducted? (2-3 sentences)
3. **Key Findings**: What did they discover? (bullet points)
4. **Significance**: Why do these findings matter?
5. **Limitations**: What caveats do the authors mention?
6. **Implications**: What are the practical applications?

Keep the summary accessible to someone outside this specific field.

Summarize this contract in plain language:

1. **Parties**: Who is involved?
2. **Purpose**: What is this agreement for?
3. **Key Terms**: Main obligations of each party
4. **Payment Terms**: Financial arrangements
5. **Duration**: How long does this last?
6. **Termination**: How can either party exit?
7. **Important Clauses**: Any notable provisions (liability, confidentiality, etc.)
8. **Red Flags**: Anything unusual I should be aware of

Use everyday language, not legal jargon.

Summarize these meeting notes:

1. **Meeting Purpose**: What was this meeting about?
2. **Attendees**: Who was present (if mentioned)?
3. **Key Discussions**: Main topics covered (bullet points)
4. **Decisions Made**: Any conclusions reached
5. **Action Items**: Tasks assigned, with owners if specified
6. **Next Steps**: Follow-up meetings or deadlines
7. **Open Questions**: Unresolved issues

Format as a structured meeting summary I could share with stakeholders.

Summarize this book/document chapter by chapter:

For each chapter:
- **Chapter Title**: [Title]
- **Main Idea**: Central theme in 1-2 sentences
- **Key Concepts**: 3-4 important ideas introduced
- **Notable Examples**: Any stories or case studies used
- **Takeaway**: What should readers remember?

After all chapters, provide an overall summary connecting the themes.

Step 1: High-Level Overview

Give me a 3-sentence overview of what this entire document is about.

Step 2: Section Summaries

Now summarize each major section in 2-3 sentences each.

Step 3: Deep Dive

Expand on section [X]. Give me all the important details.

Compare these two documents and summarize:

1. **Common Ground**: What do both documents agree on?
2. **Key Differences**: Where do they diverge?
3. **Unique Insights**: What does each document offer that the other doesn't?
4. **Combined Takeaways**: What conclusions can we draw from both?

Create three versions of a summary for this document:

1. **For Executives**: Focus on business impact and decisions (100 words)
2. **For Technical Team**: Focus on implementation details (150 words)
3. **For Sales/Marketing**: Focus on customer benefits and messaging (100 words)

Summarize this document and include page/section references for each point.

Format:
- [Key point] (Page X, Section Y)
- [Key point] (Page X, Section Y)

This helps me locate the original content later.

Include specific:
- Dates and deadlines
- Dollar amounts and percentages
- Names of people and organizations
- Technical specifications