Summarising a Long PDF with a Precise Prompt
A structured way to summarise reports and books: set the purpose, split the file into parts, and ask for evidence and caveats along with the summary.
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A summary is only useful if it serves a purpose. Tell the model why you are reading the document and what decisions it should support.
Key points
- State your purpose before pasting the text.
- Summarise section by section for long files.
- Ask for quotes or page numbers for key claims.
Try this prompt
You are a research assistant. I am reading this document to [purpose]. Summarise this section in 120 words, list the key claims with supporting quotes, and note anything that is unclear or unsupported. Text: [section]
Combine the section summaries at the end and ask for one final overview.