---
name: summarize
description: "Summarize or transcribe URLs, YouTube/videos, podcasts, articles, transcripts, PDFs, and local files."
homepage: https://summarize.sh
metadata: { "openclaw": { "emoji": "🧾", "requires": { "bins": [ "summarize" ] }, "install": [ { "id": "brew", "kind": "brew", "formula": "steipete/tap/summarize", "bins": [ "summarize" ], "label": "Install summarize (brew)" } ] } }
title: summarize
canonical_url: https://skilld.dev/gh/steipete/clawdis/summarize
last_updated: 2026-09-27T14:50:22.000Z
---

> **Skill from skilld.dev.** Follow the instructions below for this session. You do not need to install anything.
>
> If the user asked to install this Skill, run `npx skilld install steipete/clawdis/summarize`. Install writes the Skill files into the project, so every session loads them.

# 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"
summarize "/path/to/file.pdf"
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
```

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 `auto`; config may choose the provider/model.

## Useful flags

- `--length short|medium|long|xl|xxl|<chars>`
- `--max-output-tokens <count>`
- `--extract` (print extracted content, no LLM summary)
- `--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 fallback