Get Meeting Notes Automatically with Otter

Taking notes during a meeting is one of those tasks that pulls your attention away from the actual conversation. Otter.ai solves this completely — it joins your meeting, listens, and automatically produces a full transcript plus a summary with action items. This tutorial walks you through getting set up and using it for your very first meeting.

Who this is for: Anyone who attends video meetings and wants an automatic record of what was said and what was decided.

What you'll walk away with: A working Otter.ai setup that automatically transcribes your meetings and delivers a summary you can act on.

What You Need

• A web browser and a free account at otter.ai
• A calendar app (Google Calendar or Outlook) connected to your Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams account
• An upcoming meeting to test with

What Is Otter.ai? (Quick Explanation)

Otter.ai is a transcription service — it converts spoken words from your meetings into written text automatically. Think of it as a note-taker that never misses a word, never gets distracted, and delivers a clean summary the moment your meeting ends.

Step 1: Create a Free Otter Account

Go to otter.ai in your browser. Click Sign up free. You can sign up with Google, Microsoft, or email. No credit card is needed for the free tier.

Once you're in, you'll see your Otter dashboard — a clean screen that shows your past recordings (empty for now) and options to connect your calendar and meeting apps.

✅ You're done with Step 1 when: You're logged in and can see the Otter dashboard.

Step 2: Connect Your Calendar (So Otter Can Auto-Join Meetings)

This is the most important setup step. When Otter is connected to your calendar, it can automatically join your scheduled Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams calls — no manual action needed.

1. In the Otter dashboard, look for "Settings" (usually top-right or left sidebar).
2. Find "Calendar" or "Meeting Assistant" settings.
3. Click "Connect Calendar" and choose Google Calendar or Outlook.
4. Follow the sign-in steps to grant Otter permission to read your calendar.

Once connected, Otter will detect upcoming video meetings on your calendar and automatically send its bot to join them. You'll get a notification before each meeting that Otter will be attending.

✅ You're done with Step 2 when: Your calendar shows as connected in Otter settings, and you can see upcoming meetings listed.

Step 3: Start Your Meeting (Otter Does the Rest)

If your calendar is connected, Otter's bot will join automatically. You'll usually see a message in the meeting chat saying something like "Otter.ai has joined to take notes."

If you need to start manually:

1. Open Otter on your phone or browser.
2. Click the big red "Record" button on the home screen.
3. Hold your phone near the speaker, or make sure your computer microphone is active.

Otter runs quietly in the background. You don't need to do anything else during the meeting.

✅ You're done with Step 3 when: You can see a red recording indicator showing that Otter is actively listening.

Step 4: Review Your Transcript and Summary After the Meeting

Once the meeting ends, Otter processes the recording (usually within a few minutes — sometimes instantly for shorter calls).

Open Otter and find the recording. You'll see two views:

• Full Transcript — Every word spoken, organized by speaker (if Otter can identify them) and timestamped. You can search for any word or phrase.
• Summary — Otter's AI-generated summary of key points, decisions, and action items. This is the quick overview most people use day-to-day.

Read through the summary. Look for the "Action Items" section — these are the tasks that were assigned or mentioned during the meeting.

✅ You're done with Step 4 when: You've read the summary and identified the action items from the meeting.

Step 5: Use the Notes in Your Workflow

Now put those notes to work:

• Copy action items into your to-do app (Notion, Todoist, your email, a physical notebook — whatever you use).
• Share the transcript with meeting attendees by clicking "Share" inside Otter. They'll get a link to read the transcript and summary.
• Search the transcript if you need to find something specific that was said — click the search icon and type any keyword.

Tips for Best Results

• Tell your attendees the meeting is being recorded. Otter's bot appearing in the call is usually a visible signal, but giving people a heads-up is good practice — and in some places, legally required.
• Use a good microphone. Otter transcribes more accurately when the audio is clear. Built-in laptop mics are fine for most calls; a headset or USB mic improves accuracy noticeably.
• Edit obvious errors. Otter might mishear a name or technical term. Click on any word in the transcript to correct it. Your corrections help it learn over time.
• Free tier limits: The free plan includes 300 transcription minutes per month — enough for several meetings a week. If you're in many calls, consider the Pro plan.

Troubleshooting

"Otter didn't join my meeting automatically" → Check that your calendar is connected in Settings. Also make sure the meeting link was included in your calendar invite.

"The transcript is hard to read — all one block of text" → Look for the "Speakers" view, which separates the transcript by person. You can also click "Identify Speakers" to label who said what.

"I can't find the action items" → Scroll to the bottom of the summary section. If Otter didn't detect clear action items, look for "Follow-up" or review the full summary manually.

"I hit my 300 minutes for the month" → You'll need to wait until the next month resets, or upgrade to a paid plan if you rely on it heavily.