Step-by-Step Guide

How to Use Otter.ai for Meeting Transcription (2026 Guide)

Transcribe, summarize, and search meetings automatically with Otter.ai — works live or from recorded audio.

⏱ PT5M 📊 Beginner 📅 Updated May 2026
What you'll need
1
Connect your calendar

Go to Settings → Calendar and connect Google or Outlook. Otter.ai automatically joins scheduled video meetings as a bot participant.

💡 Tip: Notify meeting participants that Otter.ai is recording — required by law in many jurisdictions and good practice everywhere.
2
Start live transcription

For in-person conversations, open the Otter.ai app and tap 'Record'. For video calls, Otter joins automatically if calendar-connected, or paste the meeting link manually.

3
Use Live Summary during long meetings

The Live Summary panel (right sidebar) updates in real-time with the most important points discussed so far. Useful for late joiners or for staying on track.

4
Review and correct the transcript

After the meeting, click 'Edit Transcript'. Otter highlights low-confidence words. Click to hear the audio at that point and correct as needed.

💡 Tip: Training speaker identification by labeling speakers consistently improves accuracy 20–30% over time.
5
Extract action items with AI Summary

Click 'AI Summary' to get: a written summary, outline, action items, and key takeaways — automatically extracted from the transcript.

6
Search across all meetings

Use the search bar to find any phrase across all your transcripts — great for recalling what was decided in a meeting 3 months ago.

7
Share and export

Share the transcript link with participants, or export as PDF, DOCX, or SRT subtitles. Integrate with Notion, Slack, or email via Zapier.

Pro Tips
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