In 2025, using AI tools to summarize pieces of content has become super popular. But how can you make ChatGPT whip up an effective summary? If you’re new to this, check out our step-by-step guide on how to get ChatGPT to summarize an article. As you scroll further, you can also find some other ways to help you master this field. Get ready with us!
Here’s a quick guide that you can follow right away!
Step 1: Log in and choose GPT-3.5 or GPT-4
Start by logging into your OpenAI account or a platform that integrates ChatGPT. We recommend using GPT-4 if available (it generally provides more accurate and coherent summaries, especially for long or complex content).
Step 2: Use precise prompts (length, format, focus)
Example of Using ChatGPT to Summarize an Article
The quality of your summary depends a lot on the prompts you use. Using the best ChatGPT prompts for summarizing articles helps get clear and useful results. Examples include
So, o ensure the summary sounds natural and engaging, try adding instructions on tone and style. Learning how to make ChatGPT write like a human involves guiding it to use conversational or formal language as needed.
Step 3: Iterate and refine the summary
If the initial summary isn’t quite right, no problem! Knowing how to ask ChatGPT to rewrite something effectively can make a big difference. Try giving it clearer or more specific prompts like:
Step 4: Review for context and accuracy
Finally, it’s important to verify the summary’s accuracy. Since AI can sometimes generate extra or incorrect information, knowing how to tell if something was written by ChatGPT can help you spot potential ‘hallucinations’ or inconsistencies. Always cross-check facts against the original article to ensure reliability
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While ChatGPT is a great choice for this task, there are still some drawbacks that you need to consider before using it:
Every GPT model has a token limit (about 8,000 for GPT-4). If your article is long, it might cut off part of your input. So, when dealing with lengthy articles, it’s best to break them into smaller sections while ensuring that each section remains coherent and contextually accurate.
In fields like medicine or law, ChatGPT may struggle to provide the precise understanding necessary for accurate summaries. That’s why it’s important to check it with a subject-matter expert!
ChatGPT may sometimes generate content that isn’t directly in the article, a phenomenon often referred to as ‘hallucination.’ It’s important to fact-check all AI-generated summaries to avoid inaccuracies.
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Everything has its pros and cons. So, just put ChatGPT to the test to see how it performs. In case you’re not satisfied, here are some alternatives to help you with your task.
PDF.ai to Summarize Documents
How about chatting directly with your PDFs? With PDF.ai, it’s possible! This smart tool allows you to ask questions about your documents, get quick summaries, and even dig up specific information. Plus, it works in multiple languages and lets you add chatbots to your PDFs.
So, instead of spending hours sifting through lengthy research papers or complex legal texts, PDF.ai helps you find exactly what you need in no time. It’s super simple to use. Even better? There’s a free plan to get you started, and paid plans kick off at just $17/month!
Paperpal – Ideal for Summarizing Academic Articles
The next name is Paperpal, considered one of the best AI tools for academic writing, which supports drafting research papers, polishing essays, preparing grant proposals, and more.
One of its standout features is the Paperpal Chat PDF. This tool changes how you interact with academic papers. Just upload a PDF and engage in a conversation. You can ask it to summarize tricky papers, clarify complex concepts, or highlight key findings. It can save you hours of reading!
But that’s not all! After uploading your document, Paperpal suggests smart questions to ask, ensuring you get the insights you need. You can also easily reference original excerpts and cite them correctly. Plus, multilingual support checked!
QuillBot – User-friendly Tool for Summarization
QuillBot is best known for its paraphrasing capabilities, but its Summarizer feature ranks among the best AI tools to summarize articles efficiently. Using the QuillBot Summarizer, lengthy texts are transformed into concise summaries that emphasize key points. You can select the “Key Sentences” option for bullet-point highlights or the “Paragraph” mode for a more fluid summary. Additionally, you have control over the summary length to suit your specific needs.
The interface is super user-friendly – just paste or upload your text and choose your preferences. There’s a free version available (with some word limits), and premium plans offer more features and higher limits.
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Otio.AI – Great ChatGPT Alternative in Summarizing
What sets Otio.ai apart as one of the best AI summarize tools is its support for multiple formats, including PDFs, Word documents, YouTube videos, and even web links. A standout feature is its interactive chat, allowing you to ask precise questions about your documents and receive accurate responses. Additionally, Otio’s AI-powered text editor helps refine summaries to make them clear and coherent.
Otio’s interface is as friendly as ChatGPT’s. All you need to do is type in what you want, like “Summarize my research paper”, or choose from a range of options, such as summarizing YouTube videos or meeting notes. It’s -4 Mini will generate high-quality summaries that are both accurate and accessible!
Sharly AI Tool to Summarize Articles
Another ChatGPT’s alternative in summarizing articles is Sharly AI – an intelligent assistant that can condense long documents in a variety of formats, including PDFs, Word documents, text files, and even multimedia files like MP3s and MP4s. Sharly allows you to adjust the length and focus of your summaries based on your needs, which is super helpful for academic or professional situations.
Moreover, Sharly can integrate with popular workplace tools and automatically include citations and page numbers. So, if you’re looking for a tool to truly boost your productivity and comprehension, this is it.
Learning how to get ChatGPT to summarize an article is not just about pasting text. It’s about guiding the AI, reviewing its outputs, and knowing when to explore other options. We hope this article helps you with your basic needs and saves you time to explore and experiment.
Of course, other tools like PDF.ai or Paperpal might be more suitable depending on your needs, so feel free to pick what works best for you and your audience.
Absolutely! ChatGPT can generate summaries as long as you provide the full text or a link (if supported). Just use clear instructions for the best results!
Start by pasting or uploading your document, then use detailed prompts specifying the length, tone, and focus you want. For longer documents, consider breaking them into sections to get better outputs.
Yes, it’s great for personal productivity or research assistance! Just remember to double-check and cite the original source if you’re using it for academic or journalistic work.
