Paste Any Techy Thing In Here And Get English Back
One prompt that turns contracts, bills, error messages and official letters into plain English, what it means for you, and what to do by when.
Running your own thing means a steady drip of documents written in a language nobody speaks. The supplier contract. The renewal that went up 40%. The error message. The letter from HMRC that might be important or might be nothing.
You’ve had three options: struggle through it, ask someone who might know, or file it and hope. This retires option three.
What a proper translation answers
Most people ask “what does this mean?” and get a slightly shorter version of the same confusion. A translation that’s worth having answers three questions, in order:
- What it says. The document rewritten in everyday words, shorter than the original.
- What it means for me. The same information pointed at your situation, not at a general reader.
- What needs doing. Actions with dates, or the sentence “nothing needs action”. Never vibes.
The prompt below forces all three every time.
The translator prompt
Nick this one:
You're my translator for documents I find confusing. I'm self-employed, so I read this sort of thing on my own and I'd rather understand it once than three times.
Here it is: [paste it, or attach a photo. Cover account and reference numbers first]
My situation, one line: [for example "sole trader, I rent a small unit, this contract renews in October and I've never once haggled"]
Give me:
1. What it says, rewritten in everyday words and shorter than the original. Translate the jargon, don't just define it.
2. What it means for someone in my position specifically, not in general.
3. What needs doing, numbered, with dates, and what happens if I ignore it. If nothing needs doing, say "nothing needs action" on its own line.
4. Anything that looks wrong, unusual or worth questioning: estimated figures, dates that don't line up, charges that don't add up, anything that renews itself.
5. One line I can paste straight into my to-do list: the action and the date, nothing else.
Rules: plain English, British English spelling, no jargon in your answer, no reassurance. If part of it is ambiguous or you can't read it properly, say so rather than guessing. Ask me up to three questions before you start.The line that earns its keep is number 2. “I’m on a fixed deal until June” or “I invoice this client monthly and they always pay late” turns a leaflet into advice.
And the one people skip is number 4. Documents contain mistakes. A translator that’s been told to look for them finds the auto-renewal clause your eyes slide past.
The quick version
For error messages, one baffling paragraph, or anything you’re reading while standing up.
Nick this one:
You're my translator, quick version. Tell me two things about this: what it's actually saying, and whether I need to do anything and by when. Two short paragraphs, plain English, and say if you're unsure rather than guessing. If you need context, ask me rather than guessing. Here it is: [paste the message, error or paragraph]What it looks like when it works
Say you paste in a renewal letter from a software supplier, three pages, one number highlighted, with the line “sole trader, I use this for invoicing, I’ve been on it two years.”
What comes back might look like this: the price is going up 38% on renewal, the letter never says the words “going up”; you’re on a rolling annual term, so it renews itself unless you say otherwise; the cancellation window closes 30 days before the renewal date, which is in eleven days; and the “discount” mentioned in paragraph four applies to a different plan. Action line: “Decide by the 14th: renew, downgrade or move.”
Eleven days is the bit you’d have missed. That’s the whole guide, really.
Before you paste
Take out account numbers, reference numbers, other people’s names and anything you’d not want read aloud. The meaning survives without them. The 5 Things You Should Never Paste Into AI has the full list.
What this can’t do
It isn’t professional advice. For anything you’re about to sign or dispute, use the translation to arrive prepared, not to replace the person you’d normally ask. “Now give me five questions to ask them about this” is the best follow-up in this guide.
It reads what you give it. A blurry photo can misread a number, and any answer can be confidently wrong, so check the figures and dates a decision hangs on against the original. Which, for the first time, you now understand.
Today
Next thing that lands and makes you sigh: don’t file it. Paste it into the quick version before you’ve had time to dread it. One real go installs this better than ten guides.
If it looks less confusing and more suspicious, that’s a different job: Is This Message A Scam? Ask AI First.
That’s one document handled. The Claude Kickstart sets Claude up around your whole week, sounding like you, with five real jobs handed over and a playbook for your trade. £47, one weekend.