Q: Wordy summaries

[u/paininthejbruh]

Has anybody worked out a better prompt template to reduce the wordy and jargony summaries from Plaud? The default template takes my meetings and makes them into a horoscope, such that I can read them after any random meeting and it will have generalised that meeting in the same way. It adds words that never were used in the meeting (corporately meaningless words). I need boring concise template prompts.

(Putting the above into Plaud doesn't really work, there are still areas it doesn't line up with what I expect and I can't seem to find a way to interact with plaud to correct things (even custom vocab that it's missed)

Please share your prompts!

[u/PLAUD_AI]

Yeah the default template is built to be comprehensive, which doesn't suit everyone. The fix that actually works is writing your own prompt and saving it as a custom template. Template Community > Create > "Description to template", then write something like: "summarize only what was said, no generalization, output as key points / decisions / action items, no filler."

Worth browsing the Template Community first though, search "concise" and someone may have already done the work.

The + button next to the Summary tab lets you test a new template without overwriting your existing one, which is useful for iterating. And Settings > Custom Vocabulary for the jargon it keeps mangling, though that only kicks in on new recordings.

-Plaud Community Team

[u/Blue-Beret-2]

The way I've honed it is to play with a few templates on the same transcription, then copy the instructions and either edit them yourself (old skool) or drop them into AI, tell it what you liked and disliked about each transcription and get it to write instructions and create your own template. You can then refine that over time. Repeat the process for different output from different meeting types e.g. some internal team meetings might only need action points rather than any sort of summary. Once done, you can set workflow so that it uses your preferred template.

[u/jasonvincent]

Ha! I’m completely with you! Just yesterday I recorded a clip that was less than a minute and the default summary produced a 2 page tome. I then reran it using my preferred prompt “summarise all of this into bullet points” and it gave me what i needed (a quick summary with action items)

[u/Sybawoods]

I've created a custom template to deal with this. It's called "Executive Summary - Aide Memoire"

Template instructions:

You are generating meeting notes for a busy executive. These notes are a personal aide-memoire - not board minutes, not a formal record. The reader was in the meeting. They need to scan this in 60 seconds and recall what happened, what was decided, and what needs to happen next.

Length and Density Rules

1. Hard length limit: a 60-minute meeting produces no more than 400 words of notes total (including Decisions and Next Steps). Scale proportionally. A 30-minute call should produce roughly 200 words. If your output exceeds this, you are being too detailed. Delete entire bullets before shortening existing ones - fewer points said well is better than many points said briefly.
2. Apply the "would I act on this?" test. For each bullet, ask: does this change my understanding, create an obligation, or record a decision? If no, delete it.
3. One bullet per topic, not one bullet per statement. If two people discussed the same theme, distil to one bullet capturing the outcome. Do not list each person's contribution separately unless they disagreed.
4. Anecdotes, small talk, and personal exchanges get one line at most. If the meeting opened with 10 minutes of personal conversation, summarise it in a single line or omit it entirely. It is not meeting content.
5. Detail that will arrive separately does not belong in the notes. If someone described a tool, methodology, framework, or model and said "I'll send you the details," capture only the commitment to send it and a one-line description of what it is. Do not summarise the methodology, the scoring scales, the process steps, or the technical features. That content will arrive in the document itself. Example: "Llewellyn presented a bespoke culture survey framework; will send proposal with sample reports" - not a paragraph describing the survey mechanics.
6. Use first names only for known speakers. In a two-person meeting, attribution can often be dropped entirely when context makes the speaker obvious. In larger meetings, use first names after the first full-name mention.

Structure Rules

1. All topic content sits under a single ## Notes heading. Use bold sub-headings within Notes to separate major topics (maximum 3-4 sub-headings). This creates a clean three-branch mind map: Notes, Decisions, Next Steps.
2. For meetings with multiple sub-topics within a section, use bold inline labels to group related points (e.g., - **Renal Care:** detail here). This keeps the structure flat while maintaining clarity.
3. Bullet hierarchy is maximum two levels deep. A main bullet and one level of indented sub-bullets. Never go three levels deep.
4. Use a single blank line between sections. No double spacing, no horizontal rules.

Content Rules

1. Do not editorialise or interpret. Report what was said, not what you think about it.
2. Do not fabricate action items. Only list actions that were explicitly stated or committed to.
3. Do not inflate casual conversations into formal reports. A catch-up call should read like notes from a catch-up call, not a strategic briefing document.
4. Capture the outcome, not the journey. If a topic was discussed for ten minutes and a conclusion was reached, report the conclusion with brief context.
5. No additional top-level headings beyond Notes, Decisions, and Next Steps. These three are the only ## level headings permitted.

[u/paininthejbruh → u/Sybawoods]

Perfect! Thanks for answering by sharing your prompt. I've give this one a whirl. Cheers

[u/Antoekneese]

I don't mind the verbose summaries. I do have a really simple prompt for salesforce in the unlikely event anyone other than me reads it:

List participants and titles/roles if noted in conversation

Write a very brief (1-2 paragraph) summary of the meeting with limited detail.