What each part of the prompt does
- One-sentence main point
- Stating the point as the author would put it checks that the article was understood before it is shortened. If that sentence looks wrong to you, the rest of the summary will be too.
- Claims with their evidence
- Pairing each claim with the figure, study or example behind it shows which parts of the article are solid and which are opinion. A claim flagged as unsupported is often the most useful line in the summary.
- Gaps kept short
- Two lines on what the article leaves out is enough to stop a reader from treating it as the whole story, without turning the summary into a review.
- Reader and reason
- Naming who reads it and why it matters lets Gemini end with a relevant takeaway. The same article summarised for a finance lead and for a product team should end differently.
Variations to try
Same idea, one thing changed.
Several articles on one topic Summarise the articles below together for someone who has two minutes to read it. Article: [ARTICLE] Who the summary is for: [READER] Why they care about this article: [WHY IT MATTERS] Steps: 1. Write the main point of each article in one sentence, then one sentence on where they agree and where they disagree. 2. List the three to five claims that support it, each with the evidence the article gives (a figure, a study, an example). If a claim has no evidence in the article, say so. 3. Note anything important the article leaves out or argues weakly, in no more than two lines. 4. Write two sentences on what this means for [READER], based on [WHY IT MATTERS]. Format: - Main point, supporting claims as bullets, gaps, and what it means for the reader, in that order. - Under 200 words in total. - Quote the article directly only for numbers and names. Rules: Do not add facts from outside the article. Keep the author's view and your note on gaps clearly separate.
Five bullets for a chat message Summarise the article below for someone who has two minutes to read it. Article: [ARTICLE] Who the summary is for: [READER] Why they care about this article: [WHY IT MATTERS] Steps: 1. Write the main point of the article in one sentence, as the author would state it. 2. List the three to five claims that support it, each with the evidence the article gives (a figure, a study, an example). If a claim has no evidence in the article, say so. 3. Note anything important the article leaves out or argues weakly, in no more than two lines. 4. Write two sentences on what this means for [READER], based on [WHY IT MATTERS]. Format: - Exactly five bullets: the main point, three supporting claims, and what it means for the reader. - Under 90 words in total, ready to paste into a chat message. - Quote the article directly only for numbers and names. Rules: Do not add facts from outside the article. Keep the author's view and your note on gaps clearly separate.
If the result isn't right
- Paste the text rather than a link, so the summary is based on the version you actually read.
- For paywalled or long reports, paste the executive summary and the conclusion along with the sections you care about.
- If the summary drifts into opinion, reply "only what the article says in the first section".
- Ask for the summary in the reader's language when you forward it abroad; the evidence and gaps sections still keep the numbers exact.