Rewrite text
Rewriting keeps what a passage says and changes how it says it. It is the mode to reach for when the substance is right and the writing is not.
The tool is the paragraph assistant; see Write and revise a paragraph in the visual editor for the dialog itself.
Setting it up
- Put the passage you want rewritten in the editor.
- Select Write with AI.
- Choose Rewrite current content with other words.
- Set Word Count near the length of the existing passage.
- Write a prompt that names the problem.
- Estimate, confirm, review.
The result replaces the editor content. Copy the original somewhere safe first if it matters.
The prompt is where the value is
An empty prompt with rewrite mode produces a paraphrase — different words, same quality. That is rarely what you want. Name the defect:
| The problem | Prompt |
|---|---|
| Reads like a brochure | Remove the marketing language and state plainly what this does |
| Too abstract | Replace the abstractions with concrete specifics; keep every fact |
| Buries the point | Lead with the conclusion, then the supporting detail |
| Too many long sentences | Break the long sentences up; vary the rhythm |
| Passive and vague | Use active voice and name who does what |
| Jargon-heavy | Remove the industry jargon; a new customer should understand it |
| Repetitive | Remove the repetition; say each thing once |
Combining two of these in one prompt works well. Combining five produces a rewrite that does none of them properly.
Keeping the facts
The single risk in rewriting is that details drift: a number changes, a qualifier disappears, a hedge becomes a promise.
Two defences:
Say so in the prompt. Keep every figure, date and product name exactly as written measurably reduces drift.
Check afterwards. Compare numbers, names, dates and any conditional wording against the original. Read the qualifiers especially — "usually", "up to", "from" — because losing one turns an accurate statement into a claim you cannot support.
Rewriting for length
Rewrite mode with a different word count changes length as well as phrasing. If length is the actual goal, the dedicated guides are clearer:
Use rewrite when the length is roughly right.
Rewriting for tone
Rewrite mode also handles tone changes, but tone deserves its own approach. See Change the tone of a passage.
Rewrite versus replace
They are different modes and they behave differently:
- Rewrite current content with other words starts from your text and restates it.
- Write new content that replaces current content ignores your text as a source and writes something new in its place.
If you want the same points said better, rewrite. If you want a different take on the topic, replace. Choosing replace when you meant rewrite is how facts vanish.
When rewriting is the wrong tool
- The passage is wrong, not badly written. Fix the facts yourself first; a rewrite of a wrong statement is a well-written wrong statement.
- You do not know what you dislike about it. Rewriting without a named defect produces an equally unsatisfying alternative. Work out the problem first.
- It is a legal, regulatory or safety statement. Do not rewrite approved wording. Rephrasing a warranty, a disclaimer or a compliance notice changes its meaning.
- The passage is very long. Cost scales with the input, and a long input produces a diffuse rewrite. Work paragraph by paragraph.
A working loop
Rewriting is iterative and each round is cheap on a short passage:
- Rewrite with one named defect.
- Read the result against the original.
- If it fixed that defect but introduced another, rewrite again naming the new one.
- Stop when you are editing preferences rather than problems.
Two or three rounds on a paragraph is normal. If you are on the fifth, the source material is the problem, not the phrasing.