Use Zoom AI to Automate Meeting Summaries

What This Does

Zoom automatically generates a structured meeting summary, including key topics discussed, decisions made, and action items. after every Zoom call, saving you the 30-60 minutes of manual note cleanup you currently spend after every client meeting.

Before You Start

• You have a Zoom paid account (meeting summary is included with eligible paid Zoom Workplace plans, including Pro, Business, and Enterprise)
• Meeting summary is enabled by your Zoom account admin (if on a business account)
• You're the host or co-host of the call (starting a summary typically requires host permissions)

Steps

1. Find and turn on meeting summaries

Sign in at zoom.us and open Settings. Look for the meeting summary controls in the AI section and turn on automatic meeting summaries. This is a one-time setup, once enabled, it's available for all future meetings you host. Zoom used to sell these features under the name "AI Companion" and dropped that brand in 2026, so older help articles and colleagues may still call it that.

2. Start the AI summary during a call

When you're hosting a Zoom call, hover over the AI icon in the meeting toolbar at the bottom of your screen. Tick the Meeting summary checkbox, then click Start Zoom AI. A banner will appear notifying participants that AI is summarizing the meeting, this is disclosed to all participants automatically.

3. Retrieve and send the summary

When the call ends, Zoom emails you the meeting summary within a few minutes. It includes: a brief overview, topics covered, and action items identified from the conversation. Go to your Zoom portal → Meetings → Previous Meetings to view all past summaries. Copy the action items into your post-meeting email to the client, editing as needed.

Real Example

Scenario: You just finished a 45-minute campaign review call with your retail client. You had the Zoom meeting summary running.

What you do: After hanging up, check your email, the summary arrives within 5 minutes.

What you get:

• Overview: Campaign Q1 performance review. Key discussion: social media CPL is 12% above target; attribution question raised for OTT spend.
• Action Items: [You] Share revised Q2 media plan by March 27. [Client/Sarah] Confirm Q2 budget approval by March 25. [You] Pull additional OTT attribution data from DV360 and send separately.

Tips

• Review the action items carefully. Zoom AI assigns ownership based on who says what, but it occasionally misattributes; always verify before sending to clients
• You can edit the summary before forwarding; treat it as a first draft, not a finished document
• For calls where you're a participant (not host), ask your manager or the call host to start the meeting summary. you can be designated co-host before the call starts

Tool interfaces change, if a button has moved, look for similar AI/magic/smart options in the same menu area.