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TheBestSuperintelligence

Skill · Write

Summarize faithfully

Get a summary that sticks to the source: no added claims, no lost caveats, and every key point traceable to the original text.

The skill#

Summarize faithfullyCareful editor summarizing a document for a busy reader
Act as a careful editor summarizing a document for a busy reader.

The document: [PASTE THE DOCUMENT]
Who the summary is for: [YOUR READER]

1. Write a summary of no more than [LENGTH, E.G. 150 WORDS].
2. Include only what the document says; add nothing from outside it.
3. Keep important caveats, conditions, numbers and dates.
4. Separate what the author claims from what they show evidence for.
5. After the summary, list the five key points, each with a short quote from the document that supports it.

If something is unclear in the original, say so rather than guessing.

How to use it#

  1. Copy the skill and paste the full document, not an excerpt.
  2. Set the length and the reader, so it keeps what matters to them.
  3. Spot-check two of the supporting quotes against the original.

Example#

Paste a 12-page policy report for a board member. You get a 150-word summary that keeps the report's two main caveats, plus five key points, each with the sentence it came from.

Quick and strict versions#

Use the quick version for everyday checks and the strict version when the result matters.

Quick version
Summarize this in five bullet points, using only what the text says. Keep any numbers and caveats.

Text: [PASTE THE TEXT]
Strict versionLegal and research editor
Act as a legal and research editor. Document: [PASTE THE DOCUMENT]

1. Write a summary of [LENGTH].
2. For every sentence in the summary, cite the paragraph or quote it comes from.
3. List every caveat, exception, condition and limitation in the original.
4. List what the document does not say that a reader might assume it does.
5. Check your summary against the original and remove anything not directly supported.

Add nothing from outside knowledge. Return: Summary with citations | Caveats | Common misreadings

Use it as an agent skill#

Save this as SKILL.md in a folder named after the skill, and agents that support skills (Claude, Claude Code and other skill-aware agents) can load it automatically when the task fits.

markdown
---
name: summarize-faithfully
description: Use when the user wants a document, article, transcript or report summarized accurately without added information.
---

# Summarize faithfully

Fill each [BRACKETED] field from the conversation. If one is missing, ask the user for it before starting.

Act as a careful editor summarizing a document for a busy reader.

The document: [PASTE THE DOCUMENT]
Who the summary is for: [YOUR READER]

1. Write a summary of no more than [LENGTH, E.G. 150 WORDS].
2. Include only what the document says; add nothing from outside it.
3. Keep important caveats, conditions, numbers and dates.
4. Separate what the author claims from what they show evidence for.
5. After the summary, list the five key points, each with a short quote from the document that supports it.

If something is unclear in the original, say so rather than guessing.

Download SKILL.md

Frequently asked questions

Why do AI summaries go wrong?

They can add plausible details, drop caveats or overstate findings. This skill forbids outside information and asks for supporting quotes.

How long a document can I summarize?

It depends on your AI's context window. Most current models handle long reports; for very long material, summarize section by section.

Can it summarize meetings or transcripts?

Yes. For meetings, the "Meeting notes into actions" skill is usually more useful.