---
title: What tl;dr is
description: Overview of the tl;dr Chrome extension and web app.
canonical: https://tl-dr.cc/llms-product.md
---

# What tl;dr is

tl;dr is a free Chrome extension and web app that turns long content into short AI summaries.

## How it works

1. Install the [Chrome extension](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/tldr/acgbmlopjnfendnddifojknockhijpoe).
2. On any article, YouTube video, PDF, or newsletter, click the tl;dr icon.
3. In a few seconds you get a concise bulleted summary in the side panel.
4. From there you can chat with the summary (ask follow-up questions), copy it, share it as a public page at `tl-dr.cc/s/{slug}`, or save it to history.

## What it summarizes

- **Articles** — news, blog posts, long-form essays, research write-ups.
- **Videos** — YouTube videos (reads the transcript).
- **PDFs** — arbitrary PDF documents opened in the browser.
- **Newsletters** — Substack, Beehiiv, email newsletters rendered in the browser.

## Web app

The web app at [tl-dr.cc](https://tl-dr.cc) hosts:

- Individual shareable summary pages at `/s/{slug}`.
- Trending hubs at `/trending/{today,week,month}` showing the most-summarized articles across all topics.
- Per-topic trending pages at `/trending/topic/{category}/{period}`.
- Account, history, and billing for users who upgrade to Pro.

## Pricing

- **Free**: generous daily/monthly summary allowance, all content types supported.
- **Pro**: higher rate limits, priority processing. Upgrade from the extension or [billing page](https://tl-dr.cc/billing).

## Who makes it

Built by Alex Shartsis. See [tl-dr.cc](https://tl-dr.cc) for company info.