Updated: 4 November 2026

Understand a contract in plain English

This prompt explains a document such as a rental agreement, offer letter or terms of service in plain English, with a five-line summary. It is not legal advice, so ask a professional about anything important.

text-legal-document-plain-english — chatgpt — 71 words

Explain this document in plain English. I am not a lawyer.

Type: [e.g. rental agreement / offer letter / terms of service]
Text: [PASTE]

Give: a 5-line summary, what I must do and by when, what I am agreeing to give up, clauses that look unusual or one-sided and questions to ask before signing. This is for understanding only, not legal advice, so tell me when I should ask a lawyer.

Edit in the builder Copy & open ChatGPT ↗Copy & open Gemini ↗Copy & open Claude ↗

Remove personal details before you paste. Always have a professional check important contracts.

Get a better result

What you will get

A five-line summary of the document, a list of what you must do and by when, what you are giving up, any clauses that look unusual or one-sided, questions to ask before you sign, and a note on when to see a lawyer.

Common mistake

Your name, address and account numbers are pasted in.

Fix: Replace them with [ME], [ADDRESS] and [ACCOUNT] before you paste. The explanation does not need them.

Also watch for

A local law is explained as if it applied everywhere. Name your country and, where it matters, your state. Notice periods and deposit rules differ by place, and the AI may assume the wrong one.
Only part of the document is pasted. Paste the whole thing, including the schedules and small print at the end. One-sided clauses often hide in the appendices.

Try a variation: compare two versions

Paste the old and new version of the same agreement and ask only for what changed and whether each change helps or hurts you.

Still not right? Reply with this

Turn the open questions into a short, polite message I can send to the other party in writing, numbered so they can answer each one.