How to Use ChatGPT to Analyze PDFs for Free

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Do you have a lengthy PDF to go through? Here's how to use an AI assistant to read, summarize, outline, and more, saving you valuable time.

Whether it's contracts or research papers, most essential documents come in extensive PDFs. You will inevitably encounter these in your lifetime, often filled with verbose language. AI can assist in understanding the content better and quicker.

Read: How to Connect ChatGPT to Google Drive for AI-Assisted File Management

ChatGPT can serve as your assistant by processing PDFs and being available for any needs. It can answer questions, provide summaries, and even generate content from the text, such as outlines, emails, and more. The best part is that this feature is completely free.

The Game-Changing Upgrade

In May 2024, nearly a year after ChatGPT's launch, OpenAI enhanced the free version of the chatbot with several GPT-4o features typically reserved for paying customers. These include the ability to upload screenshots, photos, and documents. Getting started with this tool is straightforward, and it will save you significant time and effort in the long run.

Here's How to Begin

1. Log into ChatGPT

Although OpenAI allows access to ChatGPT without logging in, you need to sign in to use GPT-4o and its advanced features, including Browse, Vision, data analysis, file uploads, and GPTs.

If you haven't created a ChatGPT account, you can easily do so from the sign-in page or log in with your existing Google or Microsoft account. I prefer the latter option to avoid memorizing another username and password.

Read: Apple Integrates ChatGPT into iPhones: A New AI Era

2. Upload Your PDF

Once signed in, you'll be taken to the ChatGPT interface. Next to the textbox where you typically enter text to start chatting, there’s a paperclip icon. Clicking it gives you several options: Connect to Google Drive, Connect to Microsoft OneDrive, or Upload from a computer.

3. Add Your Question

After uploading the PDF, accompany it with a text query indicating what you want ChatGPT to do. These prompts can be as simple or complex as you like. I kept it straightforward by asking for a summary: "Can you summarize what this article is about?"

The Game-Changing Upgrade

ChatGPT will quickly provide a summary or perform the task you requested. For example, you can ask for a summary and ChatGPT will do that for you but remember to check for accuracy compared to the original documents. You can also ask for more complex tasks, like formatting action items into an email.

For more complex tasks, you could ask the chatbot to "Extract the action items, place them in bullet points, and format them into an email addressed to my boss."

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ChatGPT is a game-changer for parsing through dense PDFs. With its ability to summarize, outline, and generate content, you'll save time and effort. Just remember to verify ChatGPT's work for accuracy. Start using ChatGPT today and revolutionize your workflow!