A 40-page report, a contract, a course or a scientific paper: get its main ideas without reading everything, as key points or a short summary, generated right on your device.
How it works
- Select the PDF.
- Choose the type and length of the summary.
- Click “Summarize” and copy or download the result.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI is used?
With a recent version of Google Chrome on desktop, the browser’s built-in AI, which runs on your device. Otherwise, the most important sentences are selected automatically.
Is my document sent to an online AI?
No, the summary is generated on your device, whether by Chrome’s AI or by selecting key sentences.
Can I summarize a PDF in Firefox, Safari or on my phone?
Yes. The built-in AI isn’t available there, but PDFRoll produces a summary by selecting the most important sentences in the document.
What’s the difference between “Key points” and “Short summary”?
“Key points” gives a list of main ideas; “Short summary” gives a few sentences in a single block. The “Length” menu then sets the level of detail.
Is the summary in the document’s language?
Yes, the goal is to summarize the document in its own language. The key-sentence method reuses sentences directly from the original text.
Why does PDFRoll say the document doesn’t contain enough text?
The PDF is probably a scan or contains only images. Run it through “OCR PDF” first to make its text readable.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Everything happens in your browser: your documents never leave your device.
Two formats and three lengths
- “Key points”: a list of the main ideas, handy for studying or preparing for a meeting.
- “Short summary”: a few sentences that capture the gist of the document.
The “Length” menu offers “Short”, “Medium” or “Detailed”. The summary is shown on screen and can be downloaded as a text file (.txt).
How is the summary written?
PDFRoll uses two methods, depending on your browser:
- With a recent version of Google Chrome on desktop, the summary is written by the browser’s built-in AI, right on your device. For a document that isn’t in English, PDFRoll also uses Chrome’s built-in translation if it is available for that language.
- Otherwise, PDFRoll automatically selects the most important sentences in the document and reuses them as is.
If Chrome’s AI isn’t installed yet, it starts downloading in the background: your first summary is made from key sentences, and the following ones can be written by the AI. The message shown after the summary always states which method was used. Either way, your document is not sent to any online service.
What is a PDF summary good for?
- Knowing in two minutes whether a long report is worth reading in full.
- Making a study sheet from a course or a chapter.
- Finding the important points of a contract, a set of rules or terms and conditions.
- Sorting through scientific papers or meeting minutes.
A summary is no substitute for reading a document that binds you: for a contract, always check the important clauses in the full text.
Limitations and alternatives
- The tool needs real text: a scanned document must first go through “OCR PDF”.
- To read the document in another language, use “Translate a PDF”.
- To give the full text to another AI or put it in your notes, “PDF to Markdown” or “PDF to text” are better suited.