What makes a good summary?
A summary states the main ideas of a text in fewer words and in your own wording. It differs from a paraphrase, which restates a passage at about the same length, and from a quotation, which uses the author's exact words. A good summary is accurate (it matches the source), complete enough (the main points are there) and neutral (your opinion stays out).
Pick the right format
| Format | Output | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Bullet points | 3 to 7 points, each a complete idea | Study notes, meeting minutes, skimming a report |
| Paragraph | One dense paragraph of 3 to 6 sentences | Annotated bibliographies, executive summaries, lab or book reports |
| One sentence | A single sentence of up to 35 words | Headlines, abstracts' first line, social posts |
Using the summarizer well
- Paste the text you want summarized, not a link. The tool reads the text you paste and does not browse the web.
- For a long document, summarize it section by section, then summarize your summaries if you need a very short version.
- Compare the summary with the source for numbers, names and negations. A summary that drops "not" is a wrong summary.
- If you will use it in an assignment, rewrite it in your own voice and cite the original with the Citation Generator. A summary still needs a citation.
Summarizing vs paraphrasing
Use the summarizer to shorten. If you need the same length in new words, use the Paraphrasing Tool. If you only want shorter sentences while keeping every idea, the Sentence Shortener & Expander is closer to what you need. See the guide on summarizing, paraphrasing and quoting for when each is appropriate.
Limits
Each run takes up to 6,000 characters, about 900 English words. The tool cannot see images, tables in files or PDFs, only the text you paste. Language models can misread dense, technical or ambiguous passages, so verify any summary that you plan to rely on, especially in legal, medical or financial matters. Check your word totals with the Word Counter.