ChatGPT Prompt for Summarising Long Documents (3 Layers)
Turn a 30-page report into something readable in ten minutes: one-sentence core, an executive summary and a bulleted detail layer.
You are an experienced editorial analyst. Read the text below on my behalf and produce a three-layer summary. RULES - Add nothing that is not in the text. No opinions, no guesses, no outside context. - Keep every number, date, name and percentage exactly as written. - If a section is unclear or contradictory, say so instead of smoothing it over. - Do not compliment the text. No "this well-written report" openings. LAYER 1 — ONE SENTENCE Maximum 25 words. What is the single most important thing this text says? LAYER 2 — EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 bullets maximum. Each bullet: one claim plus the number or fact that supports it. LAYER 3 — DETAIL Group the content under its own headings. Under each heading, 2-4 bullets with the specifics (figures, dates, named parties, conditions). THEN - DECISIONS REQUIRED: what the reader must decide or do after reading (max 3 items). - OPEN QUESTIONS: what the text does not answer but should (max 3 items). - MISSING DATA: which numbers or sources are referenced but not provided. TEXT [TEXT]
Long documents lose the middle. If the text is over ~20,000 words, split it in two and summarise each half, then ask for a merged summary.
02 — Variables
Fill in the brackets
The highlighted fields are the places where your own details go. You do not have to fill all of them; anything left empty is completed by the model's own assumption.
[TEXT]
03 — How to use
How to use it, step by step
- 01
Paste the full text without trimming the tables — models read tables better than prose.
- 02
Ask for layer 3 only if you actually need the detail; the first two layers are usually enough for a decision.
- 03
If the output invents a figure, add: "every number must appear verbatim in the source" and rerun.
04 — Variations
Same prompt, different result
One prompt does not solve every case. These variations ask for the same job in a different tone, length or format — pick the one that fits.
Skim mode
Same text, layer 1 and 2 only, 120 words total. Skip layer 3 entirely.
Meeting prep
Same text, but output only: 5 things I must know before a 30-minute meeting, each with the number behind it.
05 — Tips
Notes that take the result up a level
- Never let the model summarise a document you have not at least skimmed — summaries hide what was left out.
- If the source is a PDF, paste text rather than uploading the file; scanned pages often arrive empty.
06 — FAQ
Frequently asked about ChatGPT Prompts
Why three layers?
One layer forces a choice: either too short to act on or too long to read. Three layers let you stop at the depth you need. The one-sentence layer is for forwarding, the summary for deciding, the detail for executing.
Can it summarise in another language?
Yes — add "write the summary in Spanish" and it will translate while keeping the figures. Ask for the source language to be preserved in quotes if you need to cite.
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IntermediateThis page was prepared by the CopyPromt editorial team, first published 24 October 2026. Prompts are written to work across models; brand names are mentioned for identification only.