---
name: tldr-this
description: Produce a short TL;DR summary of a document or block of text. Use this whenever the user asks to "tldr this", "summarize this", "give me the gist", "what does this say", "boil this down", or pastes a long block of text, article, or points at a file and wants the short version instead of the whole thing. Make sure to use this any time the deliverable is a compact summary rather than analysis, critique, opinions, or a rewrite — even if the user doesn't say the word "summary."
---

# TLDR This skill

## Purpose

Turn a document or block of text into a short, faithful summary — compression,
not commentary. The output should let someone skip reading the source
entirely and still walk away with the point.

## How to run this skill

### Step 1 — Get the source

- **Pasted text** — use it as-is.
- **A file path** — read it in full. For binary formats (`.docx`, `.pdf`,
  `.pptx`, etc.) use the matching skill or tool to extract the text first;
  don't guess at content from a filename.
- **A URL** — fetch it.
- **Multiple documents at once** — summarize each separately (one TLDR block
  per document) unless the user asked for a single combined takeaway.

### Step 2 — Write the summary

- Lead with one bolded sentence: the single most important takeaway — the
  thing someone would need to know if they read nothing else.
- Follow with a few short bullets for supporting detail — key facts, numbers,
  decisions, or action items — but only if the source is substantial enough
  that the one-liner alone would lose something worth keeping. A short input
  (an email, a paragraph) often needs just the one-liner and nothing else.
- Match length to source length. Don't stretch a two-paragraph memo into a
  six-bullet report, and don't compress a 40-page document into one line
  without at least noting what's being left out.
- Stick to what the source actually says. Don't add analysis, opinions, or
  inferences it doesn't support — if the user wants that, it's a different
  request than a TLDR.
- If the source is ambiguous or missing context needed to summarize it
  accurately (e.g., a code diff with no description of intent), say what's
  unclear rather than guessing at the missing part.

## Output format

```markdown
**[One-sentence takeaway.]**
- [supporting point]
- [supporting point]
```

Omit the bullets entirely for inputs short enough that the one-liner already
says everything.

## Edge cases

- **Empty or near-empty input** — say so; don't fabricate a summary.
- **Very long or multi-section input** — group bullets by section if that's
  clearer, but keep the total short. A "TLDR" as long as the source has
  failed at its one job.
- **Source is already short/is itself a summary** — say that directly rather
  than padding out a summary-of-a-summary.