Summarizing Content
We're all overwhelmed with information - articles, reports, emails, documents. ChatGPT can help you quickly understand the key points without reading everything word by word.
Why Summarizing is So Useful
- Save time - Get the gist of long content in seconds
- Better comprehension - Understand complex material more easily
- Quick decisions - Know if something is worth reading in full
- Note taking - Extract key points from meetings or lectures
The Basic Approach
To summarize something, paste the content and ask ChatGPT to summarize it:
Summarize this article:
[paste the article text here]
Or be more specific about what you want:
Summarize this article in 3 bullet points:
[paste the article text here]
Types of Summaries
Quick Summary (Key Takeaways)
When you just want the main points:
Executive Summary
For professional or business content:
ELI5 (Explain Like I'm 5)
For complex content you want to understand simply:
Specific Focus Summary
When you only care about certain aspects:
Summarizing Different Content Types
Articles and Blog Posts
Long Emails
Meeting Notes
Reports and Documents
Controlling Summary Length
You can specify how long you want the summary:
| Request | Result |
|---|---|
| "In one sentence" | Ultra-brief overview |
| "In 3 bullet points" | Key points only |
| "In one paragraph" | Short summary |
| "In 200 words" | Moderate detail |
| "In one page" | Comprehensive summary |
Examples:
Ultra-brief:
Summarize this article in one sentence.
Detailed:
Write a comprehensive summary of this article in about 300 words, including all major points and examples.
Summarizing for Different Audiences
You can ask ChatGPT to tailor the summary for specific readers:
For Your Boss
For Your Team
For Non-Experts
Beyond Text: Summarizing Other Content
YouTube Videos (Using Transcripts)
If you have a video transcript:
Summarize this YouTube video transcript. What are the main topics covered?
[Paste transcript here]
Podcasts
Here's a transcript of a podcast episode. Give me the key insights and any actionable advice:
[Paste transcript here]
Book Chapters
Summarize this book chapter. What is the author's main argument and what evidence do they provide?
[Paste chapter text here]
Asking Follow-Up Questions
After getting a summary, you can dive deeper:
You summarized an article about climate change. Can you explain more about the third point you mentioned?
What are the practical implications of what this article describes?
What's missing from this article that would be important to know?
Practical Exercise: Summarize Something Real
Find something you actually need to read - an article, email, or document - and practice summarizing it.
Tips for Better Summaries
Tip 1: Tell ChatGPT Your Goal
Why do you need this summary?
Summarize this article. I need to decide whether to share it with my team.
Tip 2: Specify What to Include/Exclude
Summarize this research paper. Focus on the methodology and results, skip the literature review.
Tip 3: Ask for Structure
Summarize this document with clear headers for each main topic.
Tip 4: Request Action Items
Summarize this email and list any action items for me.
Quick Reference: Summary Prompts
| Situation | Prompt |
|---|---|
| Quick overview | "Summarize in 3 bullet points" |
| Detailed summary | "Provide a comprehensive summary" |
| For a specific audience | "Summarize for [audience]" |
| Focus on action | "What are the key takeaways and action items?" |
| Simple language | "Summarize in plain, simple language" |
Key Takeaways
- ChatGPT can quickly summarize articles, emails, reports, and more
- Specify the length and format you want
- Tailor summaries for different audiences
- Ask follow-up questions to dig deeper into specific points
- Tell ChatGPT why you need the summary for better results
Next, let's explore how ChatGPT can help you brainstorm and generate ideas!