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Summarize a meeting transcript with ChatGPT

Step-by-step guide7 slidesChatGPT

By Robert Breen · Published · From the free lesson Summarize a Meeting Transcript with ChatGPT

A meeting transcript is useful for about five minutes, and then nobody reads it again.

  1. ChatGPT + Google Docs. A meeting transcript in, a clear recap out. Stepthrough, free at learn.ynteractive.com.
    Slide 1 of 7
  2. Copy the whole transcript. Harbor Street Bakery's Monday meeting: pumpkin rolls, pie pre-orders, a catering request, a clicking oven and a van lease. Stepthrough, free at learn.ynteractive.com.
    Slide 2 of 7
  3. Ask for named sections. A three-sentence summary, the decisions, an action items table with owner and due date, and open questions. Not "summarize this.". Stepthrough, free at learn.ynteractive.com.
    Slide 3 of 7
  4. Add the Not stated rule. Only use what's in the transcript. If an owner or date isn't said, write Not stated. Gaps show up instead of guesses. Stepthrough, free at learn.ynteractive.com.
    Slide 4 of 7
  5. Ask for the recap email. In the same chat. Read it, check owners and dates, then send it from your own email. Stepthrough, free at learn.ynteractive.com.
    Slide 5 of 7
  6. Next time, upload the file. Skip copy and paste: upload the transcript file straight into ChatGPT with the same request. Stepthrough, free at learn.ynteractive.com.
    Slide 6 of 7
  7. Turn your next meeting into a recap, step by step. Stepthrough, free at learn.ynteractive.com.
    Slide 7 of 7

Swipe or scroll sideways for all 7 slides. The whole guide is written out below.

The guide in text

Decisions, an action items table and a recap email.

Step by step

  1. Copy the whole transcript

    Harbor Street Bakery's Monday meeting: pumpkin rolls, pie pre-orders, a catering request, a clicking oven and a van lease.

  2. Ask for named sections

    A three-sentence summary, the decisions, an action items table with owner and due date, and open questions. Not "summarize this."

  3. Add the Not stated rule

    Only use what's in the transcript. If an owner or date isn't said, write Not stated. Gaps show up instead of guesses.

  4. Ask for the recap email

    In the same chat. Read it, check owners and dates, then send it from your own email.

  5. Next time, upload the file

    Skip copy and paste: upload the transcript file straight into ChatGPT with the same request.

Businesses and people in the examples are made up. The steps, screens and wording come from the free lesson and the Stepthrough glossary and prompt library.

Do it yourself, free

Summarize a Meeting Transcript with ChatGPT. Paste a long meeting transcript into ChatGPT and get the decisions, an action items table with owners and due dates, and a follow-up email ready to send. You do every step yourself in a practice copy of ChatGPT, it checks your work as you go, and “Do it for me” finishes any step you get stuck on. Free, and nothing touches your real accounts.

Start the free lesson

Or read the full step-by-step guide

Plain-English definitions, each with an example from a free lesson.

Action itemsAI note-takerAI summarizationContext windowExecutive summaryFile upload (in an AI chat)Kickoff meetingMarkdown

The full AI glossary

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