This post explains what to do when an AI assistant cannot retrieve an article from a link and asks you to paste the article text directly. It covers practical steps, privacy and copyright considerations, and best practices for supplying text so the assistant can summarize it effectively — for example, into “10 clear and concise sentences” when requested.
Why the assistant might say “I wasn’t able to retrieve the article text”
When an AI replies that it cannot retrieve an article from a link, it typically means the assistant has no direct access to the web page you provided. This can occur for several technical and legal reasons: the page is behind a paywall, the URL is blocked, the site uses dynamic content that the model cannot load, or the tool’s web-browsing capability is disabled.
Understanding these limitations helps you know what to do next. It also speeds up the summarization workflow.
Quick steps to resolve link retrieval failures
Below are practical, expert-recommended steps to prepare article text for the assistant. These reduce back-and-forth and ensure accurate summarization.
Best practices for pasting text and context
As a scientist with decades of experience communicating complex information, I recommend providing context with the text you paste. Briefly note whether you want a technical summary, a plain-language version for the public, or a list of key findings.
Context influences tone, length, and focus. Also consider the assistant’s input limits: extremely long books or institutional reports may exceed token limits.
In those cases, paste key sections or request a multi-step summary. For example, you can ask to summarize each section separately.
Privacy and copyright—what to keep in mind
Privacy and legal considerations are essential. Never paste personally identifiable information (PII) or confidential data unless you understand how that data will be handled.
For copyrighted journal articles, consider pasting the abstract or paraphrasing key points rather than reproducing the full text.
Example request that works well
Here’s a model you can copy when the assistant can’t fetch a link: “I pasted the article text below. Please summarize it into 10 clear and concise sentences, highlight the three most important findings, and suggest two potential follow-up experiments.”
Including a clear deliverable yields better, faster outputs.
Final tips
Keep it concise and explicit. If the assistant asks for the article text, paste it and add context.
Specify your desired output format and identify any sections to prioritize. This minimizes ambiguity and leverages the assistant’s strengths for rapid, accurate summaries.
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