Simplify text
Paste anything dense, like a contract clause, a technical explanation or a policy, and get a plain-language version that keeps the meaning.
This is the Simplify snippet. In Snippetbar, select any paragraph in a PDF, doc or email and simplify it with one shortcut.
Simplified text examples
Legal
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| The Licensee shall not, without the prior written consent of the Licensor, sublicense, assign, or otherwise transfer any of its rights hereunder. | You can't pass your rights under this agreement to anyone else unless we agree in writing first. |
Technical
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Our API implements rate limiting via a token bucket algorithm; requests exceeding the bucket capacity receive a 429 response until tokens replenish. | If you send too many requests too quickly, the API will temporarily reject them with a 429 error. Wait a moment and they'll go through again. |
HR / policy
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Employees are entitled to remuneration for overtime hours worked in excess of the statutory maximum, subject to prior managerial authorization. | You get paid for overtime beyond the legal limit, as long as your manager approved it beforehand. |
Product / release notes
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| We've refactored the synchronization layer to leverage incremental delta updates, reducing payload size and improving latency. | Syncing is now faster because we only send what changed. |
Medical-style information
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Take one tablet twice daily with food. Do not exceed the stated dose. Discontinue use and consult a physician if adverse reactions occur. | Take one tablet in the morning and one in the evening, with food. Don't take more than that. If you feel unwell, stop and talk to a doctor. |
How to write in plain language
Short sentences, one idea each
Most dense text is several sentences glued together. Split them apart.
Everyday words
“Use” instead of “leverage”, “pay” instead of “remuneration”, “before” instead of “prior to”. Say the word you'd use out loud.
Talk to the reader
“You can't…” is clearer than “The Licensee shall not…”. Second person makes it obvious who has to do what.
Active voice
“Your manager must approve it” beats “subject to prior managerial authorization”, because it names who acts.
Keep what matters and drop what doesn't
Conditions, deadlines, numbers and exceptions stay. Jargon, repetition and legal padding can go.
Simplify, don't change
A plain version that loses a condition is wrong, not simpler. For contracts and medical text, treat the simple version as a guide and the original as the source of truth.
The snippet
This is the exact prompt the tool above runs. Save it as a snippet in Snippetbar and it works on any text you select.
Rewrite the text below in plain language. Level: {plain English | for a new teammate | explain like I'm 12}.
Rules:
- Keep every fact, condition, number, deadline, and exception. Never drop or soften an obligation or warning.
- Short sentences, everyday words, active voice, second person where it fits.
- Remove jargon; if a technical term is essential, keep it and explain it in a few words.
- Same language as the input.
- Roughly the same length or shorter.
Return the simplified text. Then one line starting "Kept:" listing any condition or number that was easy to miss.Use it where you work
Reading contracts and policies
Select a clause in Preview or a PDF, simplify it, and read the plain version alongside the original.
Writing docs and help articles
Run your draft through the snippet before publishing, so support gets fewer “what does this mean” tickets.
Explaining to non-experts
Turn an engineering update into something sales or leadership can follow, straight from Slack.
More snippets
All snippets →Rewrite this for me
Paste a sentence, paragraph or message. Pick how you want it to sound, and get a rewrite that keeps your meaning.
Corporate speak translator
Paste a jargon-heavy email or memo to find out what it actually says. Or go the other way and turn your honest message into something you can send to leadership.
FAQ generator
Paste a product page, pricing details, a policy or a batch of support tickets, and get an FAQ with the questions people actually ask, answered in plain language.
Questions
Run it in any app
Select the text, pick Simplify text from the menubar or press its shortcut, and the result replaces it in place.
Understand anything you read, in any app.
Snippetbar runs your snippets on anything you copy, in any Mac app. $29, one-time purchase.