summarize
Summarize or extract text/transcripts from URLs, podcasts, and local files (great fallback for “transcribe this YouTube/video”).
Best use case
summarize is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Summarize or extract text/transcripts from URLs, podcasts, and local files (great fallback for “transcribe this YouTube/video”).
Teams using summarize should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/summarize/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How summarize Compares
| Feature / Agent | summarize | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Summarize or extract text/transcripts from URLs, podcasts, and local files (great fallback for “transcribe this YouTube/video”).
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# Summarize
Fast CLI to summarize URLs, local files, and YouTube links.
## When to use (trigger phrases)
Use this skill immediately when the user asks any of:
- “use summarize.sh”
- “what’s this link/video about?”
- “summarize this URL/article”
- “transcribe this YouTube/video” (best-effort transcript extraction; no `yt-dlp` needed)
## 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/dQw4w9WgXcQ" --youtube auto
```
## YouTube: summary vs transcript
Best-effort transcript (URLs only):
```bash
summarize "https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ" --youtube auto --extract-only
```
If the user asked for a transcript but it’s huge, return a tight summary first, then ask which section/time range to expand.
## Model + keys
Set the API key for your chosen provider:
- OpenAI: `OPENAI_API_KEY`
- Anthropic: `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`
- xAI: `XAI_API_KEY`
- Google: `GEMINI_API_KEY` (aliases: `GOOGLE_GENERATIVE_AI_API_KEY`, `GOOGLE_API_KEY`)
Default model is `google/gemini-3-flash-preview` if none is set.
## Useful flags
- `--length short|medium|long|xl|xxl|<chars>`
- `--max-output-tokens <count>`
- `--extract-only` (URLs only)
- `--json` (machine readable)
- `--firecrawl auto|off|always` (fallback extraction)
- `--youtube auto` (Apify fallback if `APIFY_API_TOKEN` set)
## Config
Optional config file: `~/.summarize/config.json`
```json
{ "model": "openai/gpt-5.2" }
```
Optional services:
- `FIRECRAWL_API_KEY` for blocked sites
- `APIFY_API_TOKEN` for YouTube fallbackRelated Skills
xurl
A CLI tool for making authenticated requests to the X (Twitter) API. Use this skill when you need to post tweets, reply, quote, search, read posts, manage followers, send DMs, upload media, or interact with any X API v2 endpoint.
weather
Get current weather and forecasts via wttr.in or Open-Meteo. Use when: user asks about weather, temperature, or forecasts for any location. NOT for: historical weather data, severe weather alerts, or detailed meteorological analysis. No API key needed.
wacli
Send WhatsApp messages to other people or search/sync WhatsApp history via the wacli CLI (not for normal user chats).
voice-call
Start voice calls via the OpenAEON voice-call plugin.
video-frames
Extract frames or short clips from videos using ffmpeg.
trello
Manage Trello boards, lists, and cards via the Trello REST API.
tmux
Remote-control tmux sessions for interactive CLIs by sending keystrokes and scraping pane output.
things-mac
Manage Things 3 via the `things` CLI on macOS (add/update projects+todos via URL scheme; read/search/list from the local Things database). Use when a user asks OpenAEON to add a task to Things, list inbox/today/upcoming, search tasks, or inspect projects/areas/tags.
spotify-player
Terminal Spotify playback/search via spogo (preferred) or spotify_player.
sonoscli
Control Sonos speakers (discover/status/play/volume/group).
songsee
Generate spectrograms and feature-panel visualizations from audio with the songsee CLI.
slack
Use when you need to control Slack from OpenAEON via the slack tool, including reacting to messages or pinning/unpinning items in Slack channels or DMs.