Updated: 4 November 2026

Shorten text without losing the point

This prompt shortens your text to a target length. You list the points that must stay, and it removes filler, repeated ideas and weak adverbs while keeping your voice, then lists what it removed.

text-shorten-text — chatgpt — 39 words

Shorten this text to [NUMBER] words.

Text: [PASTE]
Must keep: [KEY POINTS]

Remove filler, repeated ideas and weak adverbs. Keep my voice. Give the short version, then a list of what you cut so I can add anything back.

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

Ask for two versions: one at 50% and one at 25% of the original.

Get a better result

What you will get

A shorter version at your word count that keeps the key points and your own voice, followed by a list of everything that was cut, so you can put back anything you miss.

Common mistake

The result is 130 words when you asked for 100.

Fix: AI tools are poor at counting words. Ask for “at most 100 words”, paste the result into a word counter and, if it is over, reply “cut 15 more words”.

Also watch for

A point you listed under “must keep” is missing. Reply “for each must-keep point, quote the sentence in the short version that carries it”. Anything it cannot quote has been dropped.
The shortened text sounds like a corporate memo, not like you. Paste two or three sentences of your own writing and say “match this voice”. Voice is easier to copy from a sample than from a description.

Try a variation: headline and summary

After the shortening, add “also give a headline under eight words and a one-sentence summary”. You get a title, a standfirst and a body from a single paste.

Still not right? Reply with this

Put back the second key point and the example, then cut elsewhere so the total stays within the limit. Quote the sentence that carries each key point.

FAQ

About this prompt

Can ChatGPT shorten my text to an exact word count?

Not reliably. It usually lands close, so ask for “at most” a number and check the result in a word counter. If it is still over, ask it to cut a specific number of words rather than starting again.