GenaiHow-ToBeginner · 3 min read

How to Use Prompts for Text Summarization Effectively

To use prompts for text summarization, provide a clear instruction like "Summarize the following text:" followed by the text you want to shorten. This guides the AI model to generate a concise summary based on your input.

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Syntax

When creating a prompt for text summarization, use a clear instruction followed by the text. For example:

Summarize the following text: - tells the AI what to do.
[Your text here] - the content to summarize.

This simple structure helps the AI understand the task and produce a summary.

python

prompt = "Summarize the following text:\n" + text_to_summarize

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Example

This example shows how to create a prompt and get a summary using OpenAI's GPT model with Python. It demonstrates building the prompt and printing the summary result.

python

import openai

openai.api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"

text_to_summarize = (
    "Machine learning is a method of data analysis that automates analytical model building. "
    "It is a branch of artificial intelligence based on the idea that systems can learn from data, identify patterns, and make decisions with minimal human intervention."
)

prompt = f"Summarize the following text:\n{text_to_summarize}"

response = openai.Completion.create(
    engine="text-davinci-003",
    prompt=prompt,
    max_tokens=50,
    temperature=0.5
)

summary = response.choices[0].text.strip()
print(summary)

Output

Machine learning automates data analysis by enabling systems to learn from data, recognize patterns, and make decisions with little human help.

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Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when using prompts for summarization include:

Not clearly instructing the model what to do, leading to irrelevant or incomplete summaries.
Providing too much or too little context, which can confuse the model.
Using vague prompts like "Explain this" instead of "Summarize this text."
Ignoring token limits, causing the model to cut off important parts.

Always be clear, concise, and check the length of your input.

python

wrong_prompt = "Explain this text:\n" + text_to_summarize
right_prompt = "Summarize the following text:\n" + text_to_summarize

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Quick Reference

Prompt Element	Purpose	Example
Instruction	Tells the AI what to do	"Summarize the following text:"
Text	Content to summarize	"Machine learning is a method..."
Parameters	Control output length and style	"max_tokens=50, temperature=0.5"

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Key Takeaways

Use clear instructions like 'Summarize the following text:' to guide the AI.

Include the full text you want summarized right after the instruction.

Avoid vague prompts to get accurate and relevant summaries.

Check input length to stay within model token limits.

Adjust parameters like max_tokens and temperature to control summary length and creativity.