Summarizing text effectively isn’t just a technical task—, t’s a strategic necessity in today’s fast-paced, information-driven world. Whether you’re exploring the top PDF summarizers or optimizing business documents, mastering the art of creating effective prompts is key. From clarity and context to the level of detail, this guide delves into actionable strategies that will help you craft prompts that deliver precise, impactful summaries.
Whether you’re a business professional crafting executive summaries, an educator distilling research findings, or a journalist creating engaging headlines, this guide offers insights to elevate your summaries to a professional level.
Clarity and specificity prompts
Imagine briefing a colleague on a task, you’d aim for clarity and precision to avoid misunderstandings. The same principle applies when crafting prompts for AI. Clearly defining the AI’s role and the expected output ensures that your summary is tailored to your needs.What works
Rather than saying: “Summarize this text.” Be specific and purposeful: “You are an expert student with superb comprehension and communication skills. The following text is from my 7th-grade IT class about building websites. Summarize the main ideas, steps, and vocabulary in bullet points.” By framing the AI as a knowledgeable assistant, you guide it toward crafting summaries that are structured and contextually relevant.You can use the Wiseone extension to interact directly with PDFs and web pages. Additionally, with the ‘Ask Anything’ feature, you can customize your prompts on the PDF or internet page.
Why this matters
Clarity prevents the AI from veering into vague or irrelevant territory, saving time and ensuring your summaries are actionable.Context and focus
Providing context is like setting the stage for a play, it helps the AI understand what’s important. Without it, your summaries risk being too broad or missing the mark.What works
Instead of asking: “Summarize this meeting transcript.” Provide context and focus: “Provide a concise summary of the key decisions made during the Ethnicity and Diversity HR meeting transcript provided below. Focus on action items and recommendations.”Pro tip
Consider who will read the summary. Tailoring the focus ensures that decision-makers, team members, or clients can immediately grasp what’s relevant to them.Level of detail
Not all summaries are created equal. Sometimes, a high-level overview suffices; other times, you need detailed breakdowns. Define this clearly in your prompt.What works
High-level: “Summarize the highlights of the quarterly sales review meeting.” Detailed: “Summarize the quarterly sales review meeting in detail, focusing on revenue figures, performance by region, and recommendations for improvement.”Why this matters
A mismatch between the desired detail and the summary provided can lead to frustration and extra work. A clear prompt aligns expectations.Format and style
The format and style of your summary should match its purpose. Whether you need bullet points for quick reference or a persuasive narrative for stakeholders, let the AI know.What works
- “Summarize the presentation in a persuasive tone suitable for stakeholders, emphasizing benefits and ROI.”
- “Provide a bulleted list of the key decisions and action items from the meeting.”
Human touch
AI responds better when given context about tone and audience. Use conversational language in your prompts to humanize the request, making the AI output more natural.Extractive vs. abstractive summarization
Understanding the difference between extractive and abstractive summarization helps you choose the right approach for your content.- Extractive summarization: Directly pulls key sentences from the original text. Example: “Identify the most important sentences from this research paper and combine them into a summary.”
- Abstractive summarization: Rewrites content in its own words to convey the essence of the text. Example: “Generate an abstractive summary of the provided article, rephrasing the content in three concise sentences.”
Pro tip by Wiseone
Use extractive for reports or technical documents where precise wording is critical. Opt for abstractive when narrative flow and creativity are needed.With the Wiseone application, you can also specify in your prompt the pages of your PDF. This is a useful tip when you want to summarize specific pages
Character limit with your prompt
In today’s digital world, space often comes at a premium. When summaries are intended for tweets, metadata, or short emails, specify the character limit.What works
“Summarize this press release in 200 characters or less. Text: {Insert Text}”Human insight
Brevity doesn’t have to mean compromise. Well-crafted prompts help AI distill essential points without losing impact.Interactive role
AI excels when it’s part of a two-way conversation. By giving it the freedom to ask clarifying questions, you can create a summary that evolves to meet your exact needs.What works
“If the summary lacks clarity, ask for more context. Additionally, flag parts of the text that might need a deeper explanation.”Tailoring prompts for different contexts
Every industry and use case demands a unique approach. Customize your prompts to reflect the specific context of your work.Examples by industry
- Research: “Summarize the methodologies and key findings of the research paper on renewable energy.”
- Business: “Highlight the action points from the marketing strategy meeting, focusing on timelines and KPIs.”
- Journalism: “Create a compelling headline and subheading for this article on AI advancements.”