# summarize

Summarize (URL, File, and YouTube Briefs)

Overview
This skill turns long content into decision-ready summaries for a one-person company. Use it to cut reading time, extract action items, and publish clearer insights faster.

The core use case is not "make text shorter." It is "make better decisions with less time."

Pair with [content-research](./content-research.md), [newsletter-digest](./newsletter-digest.md), and [search-intent-mapping](./search-intent-mapping.md).

When to Use This Skill
- You need to scan multiple sources before writing or deciding.
- You receive long PDFs, docs, and links from clients or partners.
- You want a weekly market/research digest in a repeatable format.
- You need machine-readable output for automation workflows.

Quick Start
```bash
summarize "https://example.com" --model google/gemini-3-flash-preview
summarize "/path/to/file.pdf" --model google/gemini-3-flash-preview
summarize "https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID" --youtube auto
```

Useful Flags
- `--length short|medium|long|xl|xxl|<chars>`: controls output depth.
- `--max-output-tokens <count>`: hard output limit.
- `--extract-only`: return extracted source text only (URLs).
- `--json`: output structured JSON.
- `--firecrawl auto|off|always`: robust web extraction fallback.
- `--youtube auto`: YouTube transcript fallback.

Configuration
Optional file:
`~/.summarize/config.json`

```json
{ "model": "openai/gpt-5.2" }
```

Operational Playbooks

## Playbook 1: Competitive Monitoring (15 Minutes)
1. Pick 3-5 competitor URLs.
2. Run `summarize` with `--length medium --json`.
3. Extract:
- product changes,
- pricing/messaging changes,
- new offers/positioning.
4. Save into a weekly tracker.

Output: a concise market movement snapshot.

## Playbook 2: Client/Partner Doc Intake (10 Minutes)
1. Summarize each PDF/doc to `short`.
2. Re-run high-priority docs at `long`.
3. Generate a one-page decision memo:
- key facts,
- open questions,
- required actions.

Output: faster handoff and fewer missed details.

## Playbook 3: Content Research Pipeline (20 Minutes)
1. Summarize 5-10 source links for a topic cluster.
2. Merge recurring themes and contradictions.
3. Build a post outline from repeated high-signal points.
4. Link to related internal skills for readers.

Output: evidence-backed draft structure in one pass.

Quality Control Checklist
- Summary preserves key numbers, constraints, and dates.
- Claims are attributed to source links.
- Open questions are explicitly listed.
- Output format matches downstream use (`text` vs `json`).

Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using `short` summaries for high-risk decisions.
- Skipping source attribution when reusing claims.
- Mixing extraction and interpretation without labels.
- Failing to standardize output schema for automation.

Definition of Done
A summary task is complete when:
- Core findings are captured in a reusable format.
- Next actions are explicitly listed.
- Source links remain traceable.
- The output can be used directly in your workflow (brief, draft, or automation).