How do I get ChatGPT to summarise a PDF?

Upload the file or paste the text, then ask for a specific number of bullets and say what to focus on. "Summarise in 3 bullets, focus on costs and deadlines" gets a usable answer; "summarise this" gets a paragraph.

How long should an AI summary be?

As short as still answers your question. One sentence to decide whether to read; three bullets to tell someone; one bullet per section to replace the document for daily use. Start short and lengthen only if something you need is missing.

Can I trust figures in an AI summary?

Check them. Compression is where numbers get rounded and conditions get dropped. Find each figure in the original before you repeat it — asking for section numbers makes that a ten-second job.

Summarise to a length you choose — AI With PDFs

An unconstrained "summarise this" gives you a paragraph that is 60 percent as long as the original and mentions everything equally. A summary is a set of choices, and if you do not say what to choose, the model chooses for a generic reader. Two words fix it: a number and a focus.

The same document, three lengths. Each is right for a different moment.
You ask for	You get	Use it when
One sentence	"Terms for hiring a community hall: hourly rates, a $200 deposit, and a sliding cancellation policy."	Deciding whether to read it at all
Three bullets	Rates and minimum; deposit and its conditions; cancellation windows	Telling someone else what it says
Ten bullets, one per section	Every rule, in order, one line each	Replacing the document for daily use

Your turn

Your reusable summary prompt

How many bullets?What to focus onThe document text

Summarise the document below in [NUMBER] bullet points. Each bullet under 20 words. Focus on [WHAT MATTERS MOST]. Use only what the document says.

Document:
[PASTE THE DOCUMENT]

Hint: Fewer bullets force the model to prioritise. If a three-bullet summary misses the thing you care about, the fix is the focus slot, not more bullets.

Try it

Three bullets, focused on money and deadlines

Summarise the document below in exactly 3 bullet points. Each bullet under 20 words. Focus on anything that costs money or has a deadline. Use only what the document says.

Document:
Riverside Community Hall — Hire Terms (revised March 2026)

1. Bookings. The hall may be booked by residents and local groups for private and community events. A booking is confirmed only once the deposit has been received. A booking made fewer than 14 days before the event requires full payment at the time of booking.

2. Fees. The standard rate is $45 per hour for residents and $70 per hour for non-residents, with a minimum booking of three hours. Registered charities and school groups pay the resident rate. The kitchen may be hired for an additional flat fee of $60 per event.

3. Deposit. A refundable deposit of $200 is required for all bookings. The deposit is returned within ten working days after the event, provided the hall has been left clean, no damage has occurred and the keys have been returned.

4. Cancellation. Bookings cancelled more than 28 days before the event receive a full refund of any hire fees paid. Cancellations between 7 and 28 days before the event receive a 50 percent refund. Cancellations fewer than 7 days before the event receive no refund. The deposit is always returned in full on cancellation.

5. Hours and noise. Events must finish by 11 pm on Friday and Saturday and by 10 pm on other days. Amplified music must stop 30 minutes before the finish time. Hirers are responsible for the conduct of their guests.

6. Capacity. The main hall holds a maximum of 120 people standing or 80 seated. The committee room holds 20. These limits are set by the fire service and cannot be exceeded.

7. Cleaning and keys. Hirers must remove all rubbish, sweep the floors and wipe the kitchen surfaces. Keys are collected from the caretaker on the day of the event and must be returned by 10 am the following morning. A lost-key fee of $90 applies.

8. Contact. Booking enquiries: bookings@riversidehall.example. Caretaker: 0400 000 000, weekdays 9 am to 5 pm.

Three free runs a day on the site key. Add your own key for unlimited runs.

Did it work? Three bullets, and every one of them mentions a dollar figure or a deadline. If a bullet is about capacity or noise, the focus was ignored — say it again, more bluntly: *"Ignore anything that is not about money or dates."*
Now change one thing. Run it again with the focus set to *"anything a first-time hirer could get wrong."* Same document, different summary. That is the point: the document did not change, your question did.

Knowledge check

Your three-bullet summary of a 40-page report misses the one recommendation you needed. What is the best fix?

Summarise to a length you choose

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