GuideGemini or Claude 4 Oct 2026 · 5 min

How to use AI to summarise a long PDF in two minutes

Upload the PDF to Gemini or Claude, paste our prompt, and the AI gives you what the document is, the five most important points, every number and date, and what you are asked to do. Then ask which page each point comes from and check those pages yourself. It takes about five minutes, and you can paste the text instead if upload is not available on your plan.

Open Loop NewsAI-assisted guide: every step checked against the official help pages, every prompt tested before we publish.

What you need

App	Gemini or Claude, on a computer (any AI app works if you paste the text instead)
Cost	Check your plan, because limits depend on it. Gemini lists up to 10 files and 100 MB each, Claude up to 20 files per chat
Time	About 5 minutes
You need	One PDF or document you are allowed to share with an AI app, such as a report, a school handout or a long newsletter

Step by step

Step 1: Pick the document and remove private details
Choose a report, handout or long article you are allowed to share with an AI app. Leave out pages with ID numbers, bank details or other people's private information. Try to select a word in the PDF with your cursor: if you cannot, it is probably a scan, and AI may read it badly, so use a typed copy if you have one.
Step 2: Add the file to your AI app
In Gemini, go to gemini.google.com, click Add files, then choose to upload from your device. In Claude, click the + button in the lower left corner of the chat box and select Add files or photos. Claude's help page lists PDFs up to 1,000 pages, and Gemini lists up to 100 MB per file.
Tip: No upload option? Copy the text from the PDF and paste it into the chat after the prompt in step 3.

Step 3: Paste this prompt and send it

Change the words in [brackets] first. The prompt tells the AI to use only the document, which cuts down on made-up details.

Prompt to copy

Summarise the attached document for [a busy parent]. Use only what is in the document.

Give me:
1. What it is and who wrote it, in one sentence.
2. The 5 most important points, as short bullets.
3. Every number, date and deadline, exactly as written.
4. What the reader is asked to do, if anything.

If something is not in the document, say "not stated". Do not guess.

Step 4: Ask where each point comes from
A summary can sound sure and still be wrong. Ask for the page or section behind each point, then open the document and check the two points that matter most to you.
Prompt to copy
```
For each of the 5 points and each number, tell me the page or section where it appears, and quote the exact words in 10 words or fewer. If you cannot find it, say so.
```
Step 5: Ask follow-up questions
Now use the AI like a reading partner. Ask it to explain a hard part in plain words, and to list what you should ask the author.
Prompt to copy
```
Explain [the section on fees] in plain words, as if to a 12-year-old. Then list 3 questions I should ask [the author or my manager] before I decide anything.
```

What you get

1. What it is: a 38-page annual report from the fictional Riverside Community Centre, written by its board, for local residents. 2. Main points: Visits rose from 41,000 to 52,000. A new youth room opened in March. Swimming lessons moved to weekends. The centre ran a deficit of 18,000 dollars. Volunteers are needed for the 2027 summer programme. 3. Numbers and dates: visits 41,000 to 52,000; youth room opened March; deficit 18,000 dollars; volunteer sign-up closes 30 November. 4. Asked of you: sign up as a volunteer by 30 November, or give feedback on the new timetable.

Example answer from Claude on 4 Oct 2026, for a made-up 38-page community centre report typed in as text. Shortened. Yours will be worded differently.

Common mistakes

Trusting the summary without checking it. Use step 4 and read the pages behind the points that matter.
Uploading private documents. Leave out ID numbers, bank details and other people's information.
Using it for contracts, medical papers or legal letters and treating the summary as advice. It helps you read; for decisions, ask a qualified person.
Asking for a summary with no reader or length. Say who it is for and how many points you want.

Questions people ask

Does this work with a PDF of a few hundred pages?

Claude's help page lists PDFs up to 1,000 pages, and says it reads text and visuals in PDFs of 100 pages or fewer and text only in longer ones. Gemini lists up to 100 MB per file. For a very long document, ask for a summary of one chapter at a time.

What if I cannot upload the file?

Copy the text from the PDF and paste it into the chat after the prompt. Any AI app can then summarise it.

Can the AI get things wrong?

Yes. It can miss a point or misread a number, which is why step 4 asks for page references. Check anything you will act on.

Which apps work?

We checked the upload steps in Gemini and Claude. Other AI apps work too if you paste the text, but check their own help pages for upload buttons.

Checked against

AI apps change their buttons often. If a step no longer matches what you see, email hello@openloopnews.com and we will update this guide.

How to use AI to summarise a long PDF in two minutes

What you need

Step by step

Step 1: Pick the document and remove private details

Step 2: Add the file to your AI app

Step 3: Paste this prompt and send it

Step 4: Ask where each point comes from

Step 5: Ask follow-up questions