Turn a long document into key points you can check

Don't just ask AI to "summarise this". Read with a question in mind, find the key figures, then go back to the original to confirm them.

2 min read · Updated 8 Oct 2026

You'll get

A list of key points with references to where each one comes from, plus the questions you still need to check.

You need

A PDF or document you're allowed to use and whose text can be copied. For your first try, pick a few pages rather than a whole book.

Cost

Try the tools and free plans you already have first; limits, features and availability vary — check the provider.

Which tool? See suggestions and limits

Which tool

Suggestions by task, not a tested ranking. If a tool you already have can do the job, keep using it.

Tool	When to use it	Watch out for
Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)	You want to ask question after question about a set of sources and click a citation to jump back to the original.	Citations help you find the passage; they don't guarantee the conclusion is right. Still read the passage being cited.
ChatGPT	You already have an account and want to upload a file, then keep going: explain concepts, build a table or rewrite parts.	Whether charts and images inside a file get read depends on the file type and current features. Don't assume every image was read.
Claude	You already have an account and want to discuss a document, then turn the discussion into clearly structured text.	Very long files and files full of charts have processing limits. Split them by chapter, or upload key charts separately.

How to do it the first time

Decide what question you need answered. Replace “read this for me” with something like “I need to decide whether to sign up for this event; focus on the dates, cost and conditions.” The more specific the question, the easier it is to tell whether the answer is any use.
Upload the document, then check what it actually read. Ask for the file’s title, table of contents and what the first paragraph says. If the answer doesn’t match the file, fix the scan or upload problem first instead of asking for a full summary.
Ask for conclusions and evidence together. Every key point should come with a page number or section and a short quote from the original. In Notebook you can click the citation; page numbers and quotes from a chat assistant you have to check yourself.
Take the most important conclusions back to the original. Check three key figures or conditions, then ask what was left out and what exceptions apply. Keep the facts from the document separate from the advice the AI gives you.

Prompts to copy

Replace the parts in square brackets with your own situation, then attach your material.

The task

I've uploaded a document. My goal is: [the decision or judgement you need to make].
Using only this document:
1. Say in one sentence what the document is about.
2. List the 5 pieces of information most relevant to my goal.
3. For each, give the page number or section and a short quote that supports it. If you can't locate it, say so.
4. Separately, list the questions the document doesn't answer that I still need to check.
Don't fill gaps in the document with general knowledge.

Example

An illustrative example written by our editors to show the shape of a good result; not a recorded output from a specific tool.

What you give it

Sample material: an event notice says "18 October, 14:00–17:00. Registration fee 80 yuan, fully refundable before 15 October. Fee does not include travel." Question: what should I check before I go?

A good result looks like

Time: 18 October, 14:00–17:00 (first sentence of the notice). Cost: 80 yuan, travel not included (second and last sentences). Refunds: full refund before 15 October. Not answered: where the event is held, and whether refunds are possible after the 15th. Ask the organisers.

Check and adjust

The quotes really are in the original, and aren’t taken out of context.
Times, units, costs and conditions have all been kept.
Things the document doesn’t say haven’t been turned into confident statements.

If the result is off, you can follow up like this:

Check and fix

List the original text behind each of the points you just gave me. Check whether any exceptions or conditions were left out. Delete any point you can't find support for; don't guess.

Next steps

Once you’re comfortable, try comparing two documents: set out what to compare them on, and ask for evidence from each document separately.

Try it yourself

An example is filled in. Change the goal, input, output and constraints to your own; the prompt updates as you type. Copy it into your AI app. Nothing leaves this page.

Your prompt draft

Goal: Decide whether to attend an event
Input: An event PDF; focus on dates, costs and refunds
Output: Key points with page references and short quotes; list unknowns separately
Constraints: Use only the attachment; references and quotes must be checkable
Ask if information is missing; do not invent it. Explain what I need to verify.

Copy into your usual AI, then attach your source material.