Automate Your Meeting Notes in Zoom and Teams with AI

Can one simple assistant free us from juggling notes and let us actually take part in the discussion?

We set the stage for a smarter way to capture key points and action items without the mental drain of constant note-taking.

The Zoom AI Companion and similar tools transcribe audio, then synthesize a clear meeting summary from the transcript. That means you can focus on ideas while an assistant highlights decisions, next steps, and essential detail.

This approach saves time at work, keeps information organized for colleagues, and raises overall productivity when meetings stack up.

We’ll walk through where these tools fit in your workflow, what you need before you start, and what realistic results look like—backed by independent testing and large surveys that show many teams already spend too much time on notes.

Key Takeaways

• AI can transcribe and generate meeting summary outputs so you stay present during discussions.
• Zoom AI Companion organizes transcripts into topics, action items, and quick recaps.
• Automated summaries help save time and boost productivity across teams.
• Setup and privacy choices matter for consistent, shareable summaries.
• Independent tests and surveys indicate improved accuracy and real-world value.

Why automating Zoom meeting notes matters for productivity and collaboration

Typing while listening steals focus; that split diminishes discussion and costs teams real time. Manual note-taking reduces participation and raises the chance you will miss important detail. After the call, cleaning and sharing notes eats even more time.

• Transcribes the audio into a searchable transcript, so information is preserved without constant typing.
• Generates concise summaries that pull out decisions, key points, and assigned action items.
• Creates a single, shareable summary that helps colleagues align quickly after a call.

Survey data shows nearly 75% of team leaders handle notes and action items several times per week, and 48% spend more time than desired taking notes. That recurring work erodes collaboration and productivity.

Bottom line: letting an assistant use the transcript to capture context and owners frees you to listen, participate, and drive outcomes faster.

How to automate meeting notes in Zoom

We walk you through a short setup so the assistant turns live audio into a usable summary without extra work from you.

Prepare your account and settings

Confirm you’re on an eligible paid plan and ask your admin to enable AI Companion and summary features in account settings. Zoom AI Companion is included with qualifying plans and may need an admin toggle.

Start the call and enable AI Companion

Begin the call, turn on the assistant, and choose transcript-only mode if you prefer not to record. The app can generate a meeting summary from the transcript without a recording, which helps balance privacy and compliance.

Capture, review, and share

As the call proceeds, the companion organizes topics, flags action items, and builds a quick recap in real time. After the call, review owners and timelines, edit details, then set automatic distribution so the summary goes to attendees via email or chat.

Templates and naming

Use built-in templates or the Custom AI Companion add-on for tailored layouts. Keep a consistent naming convention and folder path so summaries stay searchable and save you time on follow-ups.

Setup essentials: transcripts, privacy, templates, and multilingual summaries

Before a call starts, verify account eligibility and privacy choices so summaries arrive reliably and securely.

Eligibility and cost considerations

Verify plan access. AI Companion is included at no additional cost with eligible paid Zoom plans. Availability can vary by region and by industry vertical, so confirm with your admin.

Control over recording and privacy

Choose your privacy model. The assistant can generate a summary from a transcript without a recording. It also provides a clear on/off indicator and attendee notifications.

When regulations require, pair transcript capture with recording and apply retention rules.

Templates and editing for better capture

Use predefined meeting summary templates to standardize content and reduce time spent editing. Edit names, figures, and details after the call to keep information accurate.

The Custom AI Companion add-on lets you build tailored templates that match your processes and review steps.

Multilingual summaries

Global teams benefit from English plus 32 additional languages. Set default language preferences so distributed teams receive summaries in their preferred language.

• Keep transcripts and summaries centralized with versioning and edit logs.
• Train your team on the on/off controls and notification behavior.
• Periodically review templates and retention settings for compliance and workflow changes.

Bring automated notes to Microsoft Teams and Google Meet with Custom AI Companion

Bring the same automated summary workflow to Microsoft Teams and Google Meet by installing the Custom AI Companion add-on. With this add-on, our assistant can join other platforms and build a summary and action items from the transcript.

How to use Zoom’s AI Companion in third‑party meetings

Enable the Custom AI Companion in your admin console and grant permissions for the assistant to join external calls. Confirm each app’s settings so the assistant can capture audio or a live transcript.

Note: Cisco Webex support is coming soon. Availability and behavior vary by platform and account permissions, so test a few calls before full rollout.

What to expect across platforms and where limitations apply

Expect the same core value: clear meeting summaries with action items generated from the transcript. Minor differences may appear in join flow, indicator visibility, and recording policies.

• Permissions: Confirm app and admin settings for each environment.
• Delivery: Route summaries to email, chat, or your project tool on the side.
• Compliance: Decide on transcript-only or pair with recording depending on policies and retention rules.
• Fallback: Use native tools or note-taking apps when platform APIs limit features.

Track performance across calls and standardize templates so summaries look consistent across apps. This reduces context switching and keeps discussion outcomes clear for everyone who works with these tools today.

Top alternatives and complementary note‑taking tools

Teams often mix several tools, and choosing the right combination makes note capture reliable and smooth.

Krisp AI Meeting Assistant for automated summaries and collaboration

Krisp AI transcribes and creates concise summaries while removing background noise and echo. It supports real‑time collaboration so your team can assign action items and stay focused without missing important detail.

Zoom Notes for agendas and in‑meeting note creation

Use Zoom Notes to prepare an agenda and capture formatted notes during a call. This keeps documentation clean and reduces post‑call editing.

Live Transcript and recording as reference sources

Live Transcript provides a searchable verbatim log. Pair it with cloud recording when you need an authoritative reference for compliance or deep review.

Notetaking extensions and pairing with your favorite apps

Many note‑taking apps and browser extensions sit next to your app window and capture highlights without context switching. Balance a lightweight note‑taking tool with your project systems so summaries, action items, and reference information flow where teams already work.

Best practices to capture action items and generate meeting summaries that work

A dependable process for capturing items and owners protects decisions from slipping through the cracks. Start with a brief structure that guides discussion and lets the assistant mark outcomes as they happen.

Use meeting templates to organize agendas, blockers, and next steps

Templates standardize agendas, decisions, blockers, and next steps so every summary follows the same flow. Predefined and customizable templates in AI Companion make this simple.

Keep action items clear: owners, due dates, and follow‑ups

Write each action as a single line: owner, due date, and status. That transforms loose text into executable items and removes ambiguity.

Automate post‑meeting distribution to keep teams aligned

Configure the assistant to share the quick recap via email or chat immediately after the call. Use the full summary link for deeper review.

Track time saved and ROI from automated note‑taking

Measure minutes spent on manual edits and compare against automated outputs. Track closed items and cycles saved to prove productivity gains.

“Start small: one template, one facilitator, one metric. Iterate quarterly.”

Conclusion

Closing a call with a crisp recap keeps colleagues aligned and reduces follow-up churn.

We found that an assistant that can generate meeting summary content from a transcript—without a recording—lets you prioritize listening and leadership. Templates, quick recap, and multilingual support make summaries useful across regions and cut rework.

Automatic distribution puts notes and action items in front of the right people right after the call. Extend the same flow to Teams and Google Meet with the Custom AI Companion so your meetings stay consistent across apps and platforms.

Start your next zoom meeting with automation enabled and measure minutes saved. Small refinements on the side will scale into clearer information, faster work, and better outcomes for everyone.