Summarise a 20-page PDF policy document into 5 bullet points with Cohere’s free web tool

Open Cohere’s free summariser page

Go to https://cohere.com/summarize in your browser. You’ll see a clean page with a big text box and a short instruction line underneath. The page loads quickly and shows a small example prompt (“Summarise this article…”) to show you what to do next. You’ll know it worked when you see the empty text box ready for your PDF or text.

Upload or paste your PDF

Look for a button or link that says “Upload file” or “Choose file” near the text box. Tap it and pick your 20-page policy PDF from your device. If the button isn’t obvious, look for a small cloud icon with an up arrow. After you select the file, the page usually shows the filename and a small preview line. You’ll know it worked when the filename appears under the box and the summariser starts processing.

Set the length to “short”

Below the text box you’ll see a small dropdown or slider labelled “Length” or “Summary length”. Choose the shortest option, usually called “Short” or “Bullet points”. This tells the tool to keep the summary tight and focused. If you don’t see a dropdown, look for a small gear or settings icon nearby. You’ll know it worked when the label changes to “Short” and the preview box shrinks.

Click “Summarise” and wait

Find the blue or green button labelled “Summarise”, “Generate”, or “Create summary” under the box. Tap it once. The page will show a spinning circle or progress bar while the AI reads your PDF and extracts the key points. On the free plan this usually takes 10–30 seconds for a 20-page document. You’ll know it worked when the spinning circle stops and a new box appears with your bullet points.

Copy the five bullet points

The new box will display a numbered list of short sentences or bullet points. Each point is usually one sentence long and covers a main idea from the policy. If the list has more than five points, you can manually pick the five most important ones for your meeting. If the points look too long, look for a small “Copy” button or highlight the text and press Ctrl+C (Cmd+C on Mac). You’ll know it worked when you have five clear sentences on your clipboard ready to paste.

2. Roles and responsibilities assigned
3. Compliance requirements listed
4. Reporting procedures outlined
5. Review cycle set to annual

Paste into your notes or slide

Open your meeting notes, slide deck, or document where you need the summary. Click in the text area and press Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on Mac) to paste the five bullet points. If your tool doesn’t accept plain text, paste into a simple text editor first, then copy again to remove any hidden formatting. You’ll know it worked when you see the five clean bullet points in your document.