Understand a work document with AI
Use your own document in Claude or ChatGPT. Get a plain-language summary, answers to your questions, and the passages worth checking.
By At a glance
Bring a document you need to understand and tell Claude or ChatGPT what you need from it. Ask for the main points, implications for your task, and questions that remain open. You can paste a relevant passage or attach a supported file. Use the original to check important conclusions before acting on them.
- A plain-language summary focused on what you need to understand or do next.
- Use your own material; the example is optional.
- Refine the first answer, then check the details before using it.
What to bring
- Where to use it
- A Claude or ChatGPT conversation with pasted text or an available file upload
- A document or relevant passage you are allowed to share.
- The question you need answered or the task you are preparing for.
Choose your document and purpose
Start with a document already on your desk: a project brief, a process note, a report, or a long email. Tell the assistant why you are reading it.
Paste the relevant text, or attach a supported document if uploads are available in your account. You can start with an excerpt when the whole file is unnecessary.[4][3]
Paste text or attach your document
A purpose such as preparing for a meeting gives the summary a useful focus. Ask follow-up questions when the first answer is too broad.[2][1]
Ask for a focused summary
- Paste your text or attach the document, then add your purpose to the prompt.
- Read the summary and ask about a point you need explained or applied to your task.
- Check important conclusions against the passages identified in the original.
Use this prompt
Use this reusable prompt
Help me understand the document I provide. I am reading it to [explain your purpose]. Summarize the main points in plain language, explain what matters for that purpose, and list actions or questions I should consider. Point me to the relevant sections or quote short supporting passages for important conclusions. Separate what the document states from your interpretation. Say when the document does not answer a question. [Paste your text here or attach the document]
Ask questions about the document
A summary is a starting point for questions. Ask about the part that affects your work, rather than requesting another general summary of the same document.
Use this prompt
Explain a difficult passage
Explain [the term or passage] in everyday language. Give a simple example, and identify which parts of that explanation come from the document.
Use this prompt
Check an important conclusion
Show the passage supporting [the conclusion]. Explain what it establishes and what remains uncertain. Revise your answer if the passage does not support it.
Check important conclusions
Optional document summary example
This optional illustration uses an invented process note. Imagine it says a manager approves a request before Purchasing places an order.
Example result
Example (illustrative, not data)
Illustrative example
Main point: get manager approval before asking Purchasing to place the order. What to check: the note does not say who covers an absent manager. Question to ask: who can approve the request when the usual manager is away?
What to notice
- The summary focuses on a practical next step.
- The missing approval route becomes a question for a person who knows the process.
Use the summary in your work
Keep useful follow-up questions with your working notes. If the document is preparation for a discussion, turn it into a meeting brief.
Use only information your organization allows you to share with your AI tool. Keep the original material available when checking important details.
Find another useful prompt in Claude at work or ChatGPT at work.
Sources & approach
Guidance draws on the official product documentation linked here. Example inputs and outputs are illustrations. The prompts are starting points to adapt and review with your own work.
- Prompt engineering best practices for ChatGPTOpenAI · Accessed November 2, 2026
- Prompting best practicesAnthropic · Accessed November 2, 2026
- Uploading files and audio to ChatGPTOpenAI · Accessed November 2, 2026
- Upload files to ClaudeAnthropic · Accessed November 2, 2026
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