Add

Learning & Research

Analyze a Long Document With Citations

Answers your specific questions about a long document with quoted evidence and section references, and says what the document does not cover.

Designed for general-purpose AI assistantsPublished November 2026

Customize

Fill in the fields and the prompt updates. What you type stays in this page and is never saved or sent.

Preview

I am going to give you a long document. Answer my questions from the document only, and show your evidence.

Document type: {{document type}}
Why I am reading it: {{purpose}}
My questions:
{{questions}}

Terms or sections I already know I care about: none

Document:
{{document}}

How to answer:
1. Start by telling me how the document is organized, in a few lines, using its own section headings. If the document seems incomplete or cut off, say so.
2. Answer each question separately. For every answer give: a direct answer in one or two sentences, the exact supporting quote (short, in quotation marks), and where it is (section, heading or page if visible).
3. If a question is only partly answered, say what part is missing. If the document does not address it, write "Not addressed in this document" and do not fill the gap from general knowledge.
4. If different parts of the document disagree, quote both and explain the conflict instead of choosing one.
5. Separate what the document states from what you infer. Mark inferences as [inference] and explain the step.
6. After the answers, list anything important in the document that none of my questions covered, such as deadlines, exceptions, obligations, definitions or unusual terms, with a quote and location for each.
7. End with the three questions I should ask next, or the people I should ask, to resolve what the document leaves open.

Do not quote anything you cannot find in the text. If you cannot find a supporting quote, say so. If this is a legal, medical or financial document, remind me that your reading is not professional advice.

4 required fields are empty and will stay as a {{placeholder}} in the copied text.

How to use it

  1. Write specific questions instead of 'summarize this'. Questions force the assistant to look for evidence, and its answers are easier to check.
  2. Open the document and verify at least the most important quotes. Assistants occasionally misquote or attribute text to the wrong section.
  3. For a document too long for one message, split it by section and analyze each part with the same questions, then combine the answers.
  4. Check that the document fits the assistant's context window first, since anything cut off will not be read and may not be flagged.

Example output

Illustrative only. Real answers depend on your input and the assistant you use.

Organization: Sections 1 to 9: Definitions, Services, Fees, Term and Termination, Liability, Data, Confidentiality, General, Schedule A.

Question 1: Can the customer cancel before the end of the term?
Answer: Only for cause, or with 90 days' notice and payment of the remaining fees.
Evidence: "Either party may terminate for convenience on ninety (90) days' written notice, in which case Customer shall pay all fees due through the end of the then-current term." (Section 4.2)

Question 2: Is there a cap on liability?
Answer: Yes, limited to fees paid in the previous 12 months, with exceptions.
Evidence: "...shall not exceed the fees paid in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim." (Section 5.1) Exceptions are listed in Section 5.3 [inference: this includes data breach claims; the text says "breach of Section 6"].

Not covered by your questions: an automatic renewal for 12 months unless cancelled 60 days in advance (Section 4.1).

Ask next: Does the 90-day notice clause apply during the first year? Who at the vendor can confirm?

This reading is not legal advice.

Tips

The "not addressed" answer is a feature. A system that always produces an answer will sometimes produce one that the document does not support.

Use the section-by-section approach for very long files, and keep a running list of findings in the same conversation so the final pass sees everything.

If your assistant allows file uploads, an uploaded file may be processed differently from pasted text. Check that the quotes it gives you actually appear in the file.

Before pasting a very long document, check that it fits: the AI Token Counter estimates its size, and the AI Model Directory lists context window sizes so you can pick a model that can hold it.

Back to the Prompt Library

Related prompts

  • Learning & Research

    Summarize a Research Paper Critically

    Summarizes a paper's question, method, findings and limits, and flags what the evidence does and does not support.

    Customizable fields
    4 fields

  • Writing & Editing

    Write an Executive Summary

    Condenses a long report or proposal into a one-page executive summary that leads with the decision needed and the evidence for it.

    Customizable fields
    6 fields

  • Learning & Research

    Compare Options in a Decision Matrix

    Builds a weighted decision matrix from your options and criteria, shows how sensitive the result is to your weights and flags missing facts.

    Customizable fields
    5 fields