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DMDQP AI Capability Hub

Summarize a Document

Summarize a Document

Context

Long documents — technical specifications, audit reports, project proposals, policy documents — often need to be distilled quickly for stakeholders who will not read the full text. This prompt produces a structured summary with a clear statement of purpose, the most important points, open questions or risks, and any actions with owners and deadlines.

Best tool: Gemini (Google Suite). Works directly in Google Docs via the Gemini sidebar, or in Google Chat for pasted text.

The Prompt

Summarize the following document for someone who hasn't read it.


Structure your summary as:
1. **Purpose** — what this document is about and why it exists (1-2 sentences)
2. **Key points** — the 3-5 most important facts, decisions, or findings (bullet list)
3. **Open questions or risks** — anything unresolved or flagged as a concern
4. **Actions** — any decisions needed or tasks assigned (include owner and deadline if mentioned)


Keep the total summary under 200 words.


[PASTE DOCUMENT TEXT HERE]

Usage Instructions

  1. Open Gemini in Google Docs (Gemini sidebar) or Google Chat.
  2. Copy the prompt above.
  3. Paste the document text after [PASTE DOCUMENT TEXT HERE]. For very long documents, paste section by section and ask for a combined summary at the end.
  4. If the document is a slide deck, paste the speaker notes or text content rather than describing the slides.
  5. Review the summary before sharing — verify that the key points accurately represent the document’s intent.

Example Output

The AI will produce a summary such as:

Purpose: This specification describes the proposed migration of the customer_dim table from SQL Server to Snowflake, outlining scope, timeline, and rollback strategy.

Key points:

  • Migration scope covers 3 tables and 2 downstream BI reports
  • Estimated downtime window: 4 hours on 2026-10-11 (off-peak Saturday)
  • Rollback is possible within 48 hours of migration by restoring the SQL Server snapshot

Open questions or risks:

  • BI report compatibility with Snowflake SQL dialect not yet validated
  • Dependent pipeline (daily_customer_load) not mentioned — confirm whether it is in scope

Actions:

  • Validate BI report SQL against Snowflake — Owner: T. Müller, Due: 2026-09-20
  • Confirm pipeline scope — Owner: TBD

Tip: For Gemini in Google Docs, highlight the text and use the Gemini sidebar, or use “Help me understand this document.”