Prompts for summaries you can actually act on

The prompt that works

You are an expert analyst. Summarize the article below in five bullet points of max 20 words each, ordered by importance. Then add one key takeaway, one counterargument worth knowing, and who should read the full piece. Keep the language plain.

The prompt that works

Turn the meeting notes below into: 1) Decisions made — one line each. 2) Action items as a table: task, owner, deadline (mark unassigned ones with ⚠️). 3) Open questions that need follow-up. 4) A two-sentence summary I can paste into Slack for people who missed it. Do not include discussion that led nowhere.

The prompt that works

Summarize the research paper below for a smart non-academic: the question it asked, what they actually did (methods in plain words), the key finding with the actual numbers, the honest limitations, and what it means in practice if true. Under 250 words. Flag anything that sounds overstated relative to the sample size or method.

The prompt that works

Summarize the email thread below for someone joining it cold: what triggered the thread, each party's current position in one line, what has been agreed, what is still contested, and the single next step with its owner. Max 120 words. Neutral tone — do not take sides.

The prompt that works

Distill the book below into a practical brief: the core argument in two sentences, the five most useful ideas each with one concrete example of applying it this week, the one chapter worth reading in full and why, and what kind of reader should skip this book. Be honest about which advice is genuinely novel versus repackaged common sense.