This blog post explains why an automated assistant might respond with a request for the original text when given an image-only link. It offers practical guidance on how to share content so summaries or analyses can be produced efficiently.
Drawing on decades of experience with text processing and accessibility, I’ll outline the technical reasons behind that response. I’ll also share best practices for submitting material and quick solutions you can use right away.
Why an assistant can’t summarize an image-only link
When you send a link that contains only an image, many automated systems — including text-focused summarizers and search engines — cannot extract readable content directly from that image. This is because images do not inherently contain selectable text unless they include a hidden text layer or have been run through optical character recognition (OCR).
In plain terms: an image is pixels; a summary is words. Without converting those pixels into text, the assistant cannot reliably identify sentences, quotes, or structure to summarize.
Common scenarios that cause the problem
Here are typical situations that lead to the assistant’s reply asking you to paste the text:
- Scanned documents or screenshots: These are images of text that haven’t been OCR-processed.
- Infographics or photos of articles: Visual content may include text but not in a machine-readable form.
- Image-only pages: Some web pages deliberately embed content as images for layout or copyright reasons.
Example of the assistant’s reply: “I wasn’t able to extract any article text from that link — it only contained an image and no readable content. Could you please provide the actual text you’d like me to summarize? You can paste it here, and I’ll create a clear 10‑sentence summary for you.”
Best practices for sharing content that you want summarized
To get fast, accurate summaries or analyses, prepare your content in one of the following formats. These recommendations minimize extra processing time and reduce the chance of transcription errors.
Practical submission tips
Consider the following steps before sending material to an assistant:
- Paste the plain text directly into the message whenever possible — this is the most reliable option.
- If you must use a file, attach a PDF with an embedded text layer or a .doc/.docx file rather than a scanned image.
- Run OCR on scanned pages using any basic tool (e.g., Adobe Acrobat, free OCR services) and paste the recognized text.
- When sharing images, include a short excerpt or key sentences in the message to provide context.
- Specify the desired output format (for example, “Please summarize in 10 sentences” or “Give me three key takeaways”).
If privacy or copyright is a concern, you can paste only the sections you need summarized or provide a concise paraphrase of the article. The assistant can still deliver a high-quality summary from partial text or clear instructions.
Quick troubleshooting and tools
If you encounter an image-only link and can’t convert it immediately, use these quick options:
Tools and workflows to extract text
Free and commercial OCR tools can convert images to editable text within minutes.
Many smartphones also include built-in text-capture features.
Once you have the text, paste it in and request the summary format you prefer.
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