The fastest general method is a side-panel assistant: open the thread, press a shortcut and tap “Summarize this email”. Gmail’s own Gemini summaries are convenient if your account has them. Copy-pasting into a chatbot works anywhere but is slow.
Method 1: Gmail’s built-in Gemini summary
If your Google account and plan include Gemini in Gmail, long threads show a summary option at the top. Pros: nothing to install. Cons: availability depends on account type, plan, language and region; it does not work in other mail services.
Method 2: A side-panel assistant (Hark)
- Add Hark to Chrome.
- Open the thread in Gmail.
- Press Alt+Shift+H and tap Summarize this email.
- Ask follow-ups: “What do I need to do, and by when?”
- Optional: tap Draft a reply — the draft is inserted into Gmail’s reply box.
Pros: works with any Gmail account and with Outlook on the web; summary plus next steps; no mailbox permission. Cons: an extension to install; the free plan allows 1 request a day.
Method 3: Copy and paste into a chatbot
Select the thread, copy it into any AI chat and ask for a summary. Pros: works everywhere. Cons: slow, breaks formatting, and you have to carry the answer back yourself.
Prompts that give better summaries
- “Summarize this thread in three bullets, then list what I need to do.”
- “Who is waiting for a reply from me?”
- “What was decided, and what is still open?”
- “Summarize for someone who has not read any of it.”
A note on privacy
Whichever method you choose, the email text is processed by an AI service. Check your employer’s rules for work mail. Hark reads only the open email, only when you ask, and does not store it; see the Privacy Policy.