A Prompt to Summarize a Long Document

A long document can contain valuable information, but finding its purpose, decisions, risks, and open questions can take time.

A common first attempt is simply to ask AI, “Summarize this document.” That may produce a useful result, but the instruction leaves an important question unanswered: useful to whom, and for what purpose?

A better prompt tells AI what to preserve, how to organize the answer, and where uncertainty must remain visible.

Sample Prompt

Read the attached document and prepare a concise summary for [audience].

Include:

• The document’s purpose
• Its major conclusions or findings
• Decisions that have already been made
• Significant risks or issues
• Action items, owners, and dates stated in the document
• Unresolved questions or decisions still needed

Separate facts stated in the document from any inferences you make. Do not add information that is not supported by the document. If something is unclear or missing, say so. When possible, identify the page or section that supports each major point.

Limit the summary to [desired length] and use clear headings and bullets.

Why This Prompt Works

• It identifies the audience, which helps determine vocabulary and level of detail.
• It defines the information that should survive the compression.
• It separates documented facts from AI inferences.
• It asks AI to expose missing or unclear information instead of quietly filling gaps.
• It requests source locations so important statements are easier to verify.

Before You Use the Summary

• Confirm that the document is appropriate to submit in the AI environment you are using.
• Compare important conclusions, decisions, names, amounts, and dates with the original document.
• Check whether the summary omitted an exception, qualification, or unresolved issue that matters to the reader.

AI can shorten the reading process, but it does not remove the need to read the source when the decision matters.

Example Prompt

<prompt>
Read the attached document and prepare a concise summary for an executive leadership team.
The readers need to understand the document well enough to discuss its implications and determine whether any decisions or follow-up actions are required. Use business language and explain technical terms only when they are necessary to understand the conclusions.
Include:
- The document's purpose
- Its major conclusions or findings
- Decisions that have already been made
- Significant risks, concerns, or dependencies
- Action items, including any owners and dates stated in the document
- Unresolved questions or decisions still needed
Separate your response into the following sections:
1. Executive Summary
2. Major Conclusions
3. Decisions Already Made
4. Risks and Concerns
5. Action Items
6. Unresolved Questions
Separate facts stated in the document from any inferences you make. Label each inference clearly.
Do not add information that is not supported by the document. If information is missing, contradictory, or unclear, identify the issue instead of attempting to fill the gap.
When possible, provide the page number or section heading that supports each major conclusion, decision, risk, and action item.
Limit the response to approximately one page. Use concise language, clear headings, and bullets where appropriate.
Before completing the response, verify that names, dates, amounts, decisions, and assigned responsibilities agree with the source document.
</prompt>

Next in This Series

A Prompt to Rewrite Technical Content for a Business Audience

Reference Basis

The prompt structure reflects OpenAI guidance to provide clear instructions, relevant context, and visible boundaries between instructions and source material.

OpenAI — Prompt Engineering

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