One use case of large language models (LLMs) that has been a game changer in my personal life is their ability to summarize large amounts of texts.
And ChatGPT, being the OG of LLMs, is particularly good at doing that.
In fact, most of the online tools selling PDF and other summarization utilize one of the many GPT APIs powered by OpenAI.
The following is a list of the 30 best prompts I use to summarize large swaths of text for different use cases.
ChatGPT Summary Limitations
Before we get started with the prompts, we need to set the table in terms of what ChatGPT is capable of.
First of all, you want to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus to be able to a) insert larger amounts of texts and b) upload different text files (such as PDFs or Word documents).
The basic and free version utilizes the GPT 3.5 model, which boasts a context length of 4,096 tokens – equal to around 3,500 words.
Meanwhile, GPT 4, available to those subscribed to Plus, has a context window of 32k tokens, so about 24k words.
This consequently opens up the ability to analyze substantially bigger documents such as textbooks.
The other huge perk is the ability to upload text-based files.
It can be extremely cumbersome to copy and paste a PDF into the ChatGPT interface as you need to ensure proper formatting.
This can, depending on the document, save you multiple hours.
Furthermore, always be sure to factcheck ChatGPT’s (and any other LLM’s) output.
LLMs are prone to hallucinating, which means they can potentially return factually incorrect information.
Lastly, the quality and conciseness of the prompt will greatly influence the output.
So, let’s equip you with some of the best ones I’ve been using to summarize text.
Prompts To Summarize Articles
Here are 10 original prompts designed to effectively leverage ChatGPT’s capabilities for summarizing shorter articles (e.g., blog posts or news).
Could you distill the essence of this article into a succinct summary, emphasizing the main arguments and conclusions? Please ensure the summary is no more than [xyz] words.
Identify and list the key points presented in this article, providing a bullet-point summary that captures the core insights and takeaways.
Create an executive summary for the following article, focusing on its most significant findings, recommendations, and the potential impact to [xyz].
Extract the argumentative essence of this article, summarizing the author's stance, the supporting evidence, and the implications of their argument.
Identify and summarize the most impactful insights from this article, explaining how these insights contribute to advancing our understanding of the topic
List the top 5 takeaways from this blog post, making each point clear and concise for readers skimming for information.
Turn this article into a list of bulleted points, covering key facts, figures, and quotes, making it perfect for readers looking for quick insights.
Prepare a visual summary of this article, suggesting main points that could be transformed into an infographic for visual learners.
Rewrite this article as a brief, reader-friendly summary, focusing on simplifying complex ideas for a general audience. Use conversational language.
Try summarizing this article with a touch of humor, making sure the main points are covered but with a light-hearted tone to keep it fun.
Prompts To Summarize Books
Here are 5 prompts designed to guide ChatGPT in creating summaries for such extensive works such as books or screenplays:
Summarize the core narrative of this book/screenplay, focusing on the main plot, key conflicts, and resolutions, all while maintaining the original tone and style.
Provide an overview of the main character's arc, highlighting their development, key relationships, and how these elements drive the narrative forward.
Explore and summarize the major themes of this work, discussing how they are developed through plot events, character actions, and dialogues.
Break down the key scenes that define this book/screenplay, summarizing each scene's role in advancing the plot or deepening character development.
Discuss the narrative voice and style used in this work, summarizing how they affect the storytelling and reader/viewer's experience.
Prompts To Summarize Academic Papers
Summarizing academic papers requires a focus on accuracy, precision, and the ability to distill complex information into digestible insights.
Here are 8 prompts designed to guide ChatGPT in summarizing academic works while minimizing the risk of hallucination and maximizing factual accuracy:
Summarize the objective and methodology of this academic paper, focusing solely on the information presented within the text to ensure accuracy.
Highlight the key findings of the study, directly quoting statistical results and conclusions to maintain the integrity of the original research.
Synthesize the discussion and implications section of the paper, summarizing the authors' interpretations of the results and their significance to the field.
Condense the literature review, listing the main works cited and the gaps the current study aims to fill, as explicitly stated by the authors.
Summarize the data analysis techniques and outcomes, focusing on the methodologies used and the key data points reported, without extrapolation.
Recap any ethical considerations or limitations noted in the paper, emphasizing the authors' disclosure of potential biases or constraints.
Report on the statistical significance of the findings as presented, including p-values, confidence intervals, and other relevant statistical measures directly cited by the authors.
Summarize the recommendations or practical applications the authors propose, based on their findings, including any specific guidelines or frameworks mentioned.
Prompts To Summarize For Business Context
For summarizing content in a business context, it’s crucial to extract actionable insights, key data points, and strategic recommendations efficiently.
Here are 10 example prompts designed to guide ChatGPT in summarizing business-related materials, from reports and market analyses to case studies and strategy documents:
Draft an executive summary of this business report, focusing on the main objectives, key findings, and strategic recommendations, ensuring it's concise and suitable for C-level executives.
Condense the market analysis provided, highlighting the major trends, customer behaviors, and competitive landscape, and what they imply for our strategy.
Provide an overview of the financial performance outlined in the document, including revenue growth, profit margins, and significant expenditures, ensuring accuracy in the figures quoted.
Extract the key insights from this case study, focusing on the challenges faced, solutions implemented, and the outcomes achieved, and what lessons can be drawn for our business.
Highlight the main elements of the strategic plan, including the vision, goals, key strategies, and action items, making it easy to grasp the plan's essence.
Compile and summarize the customer feedback from various sources, identifying common themes, areas of praise, and concerns, to inform product/service improvements.
Identify and summarize potential opportunities for innovation and growth mentioned in the document, focusing on how they align with our capabilities and market needs.
Summarize suggestions for improving operational efficiency from the report, detailing the proposed changes, expected benefits, and any risks involved.
Recap the key messages from the latest leadership communication, including strategic priorities, organizational changes, and calls to action for employees.
Summarize the key decisions made during the meeting, including the rationale behind each decision and the stakeholders responsible for implementing them.
Summarizing Prompts For Journalists
In a journalistic context, summarizing needs to capture the essence of news stories, reports, or articles concisely while highlighting the factual backbone and maintaining neutrality.
Here are 7 prompts designed to guide ChatGPT in summarizing journalistic content effectively:
Identify and summarize the top three highlights from this event coverage for inclusion in our weekly newsletter, aiming to capture the essence and energy of the event.
Quickly condense this breaking news into a 100-word summary, ensuring it covers all critical facts (who, what, when, where, why) for an immediate news alert.
List the major takeaways from this interview, including any surprising or impactful statements, to guide the creation of follow-up content and analysis pieces.
Summarize the central issue and key viewpoints from this report for our columnists to develop opinion pieces, ensuring a balanced representation of perspectives.
Summarize this sports game, focusing on pivotal moments and performances, to create a script for a highlight reel that captures the game's excitement.
Condense the features, advancements, and potential impact of this technology product launch into a summary for our weekly tech digest, targeting tech enthusiasts.
Analyze and summarize the key arguments and standout moments from this political debate for use in a commentary piece by one of our leading opinion writers.