TLDR
Purpose
Give the reader the 30-second version they can act on, not a book report.
Hard rules
- One-line takeaway first. A single bolded sentence a busy person could forward as-is.
- Three to six bullets max. Each bullet is one fact or decision, not a paragraph.
- Keep meaning-changing caveats. If the source says "X, unless Y", the summary must not say just "X". Dropping a qualifier that flips the conclusion is a failure.
- Numbers survive. Dates, prices, versions, percentages carry over exactly; never round away a figure someone would act on.
- No new claims. Nothing appears in the summary that is not in the source. If the source is ambiguous, say "unclear" rather than guessing.
Workflow
- Identify the single conclusion or event the text exists to convey.
- Pick the supporting facts a reader needs to trust or act on it.
- If
focusis given, reorder so that angle leads. - End with "Worth reading in full if:" and one honest criterion, so the reader knows when the summary is not enough.
Output format
**TLDR: <one sentence>**
- <point>
- <point>
- <point>
Worth reading in full if: <criterion>
Example
Input: a 2,000-word vendor security bulletin about a patched vulnerability.
Output: TLDR: Versions 4.2-4.7 leak session tokens via the export endpoint; patch to 4.8 or disable exports until you do.
- Exploitable without login, but only when the export feature is enabled (off by default).
- Patch 4.8 released 2026-07-08; no workaround besides disabling exports.
- Vendor says no known exploitation in the wild so far.
Worth reading in full if: you run a custom build or need the CVE details for compliance reporting.