diff --git a/portal/templates/app/project.html b/portal/templates/app/project.html
index 56581fe..8a51b77 100644
--- a/portal/templates/app/project.html
+++ b/portal/templates/app/project.html
@@ -415,6 +415,22 @@
       return false;
     }
 
+    // Auto-summarize long request text for Summary View.
+    // Short text (≤8 words or ≤60 chars) is returned as-is.
+    // Longer text: extract the first complete sentence; if still long, trim to ~80 chars at a word boundary.
+    function summarize(text) {
+      if (!text) return text;
+      const wordCount = text.trim().split(/\s+/).length;
+      if (wordCount <= 8 || text.length <= 60) return text;
+      // Try to find a sentence boundary
+      const m = text.match(/^(.+?[.!?])(?:\s|$)/);
+      if (m && m[1].length <= 120) return m[1];
+      // No clean sentence — trim to ~80 chars at last word boundary
+      if (text.length <= 80) return text;
+      const cut = text.lastIndexOf(' ', 80);
+      return text.substring(0, cut > 20 ? cut : 80) + '…';
+    }
+
     function renderTree() {
       const tbody = document.getElementById('treeBody');
       let html = '';
@@ -481,19 +497,7 @@
               titleHtml += `<div style="color:var(--ds-tx3);font-size:12px;margin-top:2px;line-height:1.4">${escHtml(d.description)}</div>`;
             }
           } else {
-            // Show first complete sentence, or full title if short — no arbitrary mid-word cut-off
-            let displayTitle = title;
-            if (title.length > 120) {
-              const sentenceEnd = title.search(/[.!?]\s/);
-              if (sentenceEnd > 20 && sentenceEnd < 160) {
-                displayTitle = title.substring(0, sentenceEnd + 1);
-              } else {
-                // Break at last word boundary before 120
-                const cut = title.lastIndexOf(' ', 120);
-                displayTitle = title.substring(0, cut > 40 ? cut : 120);
-              }
-            }
-            titleHtml = `<a href="/app/requests/${eid}" style="color:var(--ds-tx);text-decoration:none;line-height:1.4" class="hover:underline">${escHtml(displayTitle)}</a>`;
+            titleHtml = `<a href="/app/requests/${eid}" style="color:var(--ds-tx);text-decoration:none;line-height:1.4" class="hover:underline">${escHtml(summarize(title))}</a>`;
           }
 
           // Priority select
@@ -552,7 +556,7 @@
       if (existing) existing.remove();
 
       const label = type === 'section' ? 'Section name' : 'Request text';
-      const placeholder = type === 'section' ? 'e.g. Legal, Financial, Operations' : 'e.g. Provide last 3 years audited financials';
+      const placeholder = type === 'section' ? 'e.g. Legal, Financial, Operations' : 'Enter the full request text — Dealspace will automatically show a concise summary in Summary View';
 
       const tr = document.createElement('tr');
       tr.id = 'inlineAddRow';