A Comprehensive Guide to Prompt Engineering for Transcriptions

Meetings are the backbone of business operations, but extracting actionable insights from them can be a tedious process. That’s where AI-driven solutions like prompt engineering come in to simplify meeting summaries and help generate action items efficiently. Here at UniWise.ai, we've developed a powerful AI workflow for meeting transcriptions, and today, I’m going to guide you through it.

The key to success is in the prompt engineering, which involves carefully structuring the instructions that guide AI to deliver accurate and actionable results. Below, I’ll break down the prompt we use, explain each section, and show why it’s essential for turning lengthy meeting transcripts into useful summaries.

1. Main Summary: Capturing Key Insights

## Main Summary:
Summarize the core discussion points, decisions made, and important topics from the meeting in a clear bullet-point format. Use the following structure:
* **Key decisions**: Summarize the main decisions (e.g., project approvals, changes to timelines, budget updates).
* **Project updates**: Highlight any updates regarding ongoing projects.
* **Challenges or concerns**: Capture any concerns raised or challenges that need resolution.
* **Pending discussions**: List any topics that require follow-up or further discussion.

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Explanation:

This section ensures that the core elements of the meeting are captured at a glance. The AI is instructed to summarize the conversation into key themes, decisions, and action points. By asking for decisions, project updates, and challenges, we make sure that no significant part of the discussion is left out. This also makes it easier for teams to refer back to the summary later without having to read through the full transcript.

• Why It Matters: Providing a concise, well-organized summary saves time and helps the team quickly focus on the meeting’s core takeaways. Bold formatting of key decisions ensures clarity and emphasizes important points.

2. Action Items: Making Tasks Clear and Assigning Responsibility

## Action Items:
Generate a bullet-point list of action items and follow-up tasks. For each task, include:
* **Who is responsible** for completing the task.
* **Specific deadlines** or timeframes for each task (if provided).
* Any **dependencies or blockers** (e.g., waiting for approval).

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Example:

* **John Smith** to finalize marketing materials by **March 15**.
* **Jane Doe** to schedule a follow-up meeting with the vendor by **next Monday**.

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Explanation:

Action items are the real currency of meetings. This section asks the AI to convert conversations into clear, actionable tasks, assigning specific responsibilities and deadlines. By listing out dependencies and blockers, we ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.

• Why It Matters: Clear action items help teams stay organized and accountable, turning abstract discussions into concrete next steps. Having assigned deadlines also ensures that progress is tracked, and expectations are set clearly.

3. Q&A Format: Reinforcing Key Decisions with a Question-Answer Structure

## Q&A Format:
Convert important sections of the meeting into a Q&A format to capture decisions, next steps, and clarification points. Organize the questions based on key themes of the meeting:
* **Q**: What were the main decisions about [specific topic]?  
  **A**: Summarize the decisions made.
* **Q**: What are the next steps for [project/task]?  
  **A**: List next steps, including any deadlines.

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Explanation:

The Q&A format reinforces key points by framing them as questions and answers. This is particularly helpful when someone missed the meeting and needs a quick overview of the main decisions and next steps. It’s also a great way to ensure that complex decisions are clearly articulated.

• Why It Matters: This format makes it easy to revisit important decisions and follow-up actions, particularly in larger teams where not everyone might have attended the meeting. It serves as a quick reference guide, making the process of reviewing meetings much more efficient.

4. Additional Observations or Notes (Optional): Capturing Extra Context

## Additional Observations or Notes (Optional):
Provide any additional observations or insights from the meeting, including context that may help in follow-up meetings. These could include:
* Any important **quotes or remarks**.
* Observations on **tone or attitude** that may influence future discussions (e.g., concerns expressed by a key stakeholder).

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Explanation:

This section allows the AI to capture nuanced details that might not be covered by the structured prompts. These could include the tone of the conversation, important remarks, or concerns that were raised. While optional, this section adds extra context that can be valuable in future discussions.

• Why It Matters: Meetings often contain valuable insights or subtle concerns that may not be actionable but are still worth noting. Including these observations ensures that these insights are documented and can be revisited later.

5. Error Checking and Consistency: Ensuring Accuracy

## Error Checking and Consistency:
Review the output for logical consistency and coherence. Ensure:
* **Action items** align with the decisions made in the meeting.
* **Deadlines and responsibilities** are correct based on the transcription.
* The **summary reflects the most important and relevant points accurately**.

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Explanation:

AI isn’t perfect, and sometimes there can be discrepancies between the transcription and the summary. This section prompts the AI to check its own work for accuracy and logical consistency, ensuring that the final output reflects what was actually discussed.

• Why It Matters: Consistency is key. This built-in error-checking step minimizes mistakes and ensures that the summary and action items are aligned with the meeting’s true content. This keeps teams on the same page and reduces the risk of misunderstandings.

6. Markdown Format: Formatting for Easy Sharing

## Markdown Format:
Please format the output using **Markdown** for clean and structured formatting, suitable for copying to tools like Notion, Slack, or email. Use **headings**, **lists**, and appropriate **bullet points** to ensure readability.

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Explanation:

Formatting the output in Markdown ensures that the final summary can be easily shared and adapted across different platforms, whether you’re using Slack, Notion, or email. This adds an extra layer of convenience, allowing teams to seamlessly integrate the output into their workflows.

• Why It Matters: Having a consistent, clean format means the summary can be quickly adapted for whatever platform you use, whether it’s internal communications or project management tools. It also makes the summary more readable and easier to reference.

Why Prompt Engineering is Critical for AI Meeting Summaries

By breaking down the meeting summary process into clear, structured prompts, we enable AI to produce actionable, organized, and accurate outputs. Each section plays a vital role in capturing and distilling the conversation into insights that can drive real progress.

At UniWise.ai, we believe in the power of prompt engineering to revolutionize how teams manage meetings. By integrating AI into your workflow, you’re not just saving time—you’re creating a system where key decisions are clear, action items are assigned, and your team stays accountable.

Ready to try it for yourself? Implement these prompt engineering techniques in your own meeting processes and see how AI can transform your business operations.

Full Prompt

# Prompt for Meeting Notes

**Task**: Please review the attached PDF of meeting transcriptions and follow these structured instructions to provide a comprehensive summary, action items, and Q&A format.

## 1. Main Summary:
Summarize the core discussion points, decisions made, and important topics from the meeting in a clear bullet-point format. Use the following structure:
* **Key decisions**: Summarize the main decisions (e.g., project approvals, changes to timelines, budget updates).
* **Project updates**: Highlight any updates regarding ongoing projects.
* **Challenges or concerns**: Capture any concerns raised or challenges that need resolution.
* **Pending discussions**: List any topics that require follow-up or further discussion.

**Formatting Notes**:
* **Bold key actions or decisions** for emphasis.
* Group the summary by topic if multiple themes were covered.

## 2. Action Items:
Generate a bullet-point list of action items and follow-up tasks. For each task, include:
* **Who is responsible** for completing the task.
* **Specific deadlines** or timeframes for each task (if provided).
* Any **dependencies or blockers** (e.g., waiting for approval).

**Example**:
* **John Smith** to finalize marketing materials by **March 15**.
* **Jane Doe** to schedule a follow-up meeting with the vendor by **next Monday**.

## 3. Q&A Format:
Convert important sections of the meeting into a Q&A format to capture decisions, next steps, and clarification points. Organize the questions based on key themes of the meeting:
* **Q**: What were the main decisions about [specific topic]?  
  **A**: Summarize the decisions made.
* **Q**: What are the next steps for [project/task]?  
  **A**: List next steps, including any deadlines.

**Formatting Notes**:
* Use **bold formatting** for the Q&A headers.
* Ensure the questions cover **all major topics** discussed in the meeting.

## 4. Additional Observations or Notes (Optional):
Provide any additional observations or insights from the meeting, including context that may help in follow-up meetings. These could include:
* Any important **quotes or remarks**.
* Observations on **tone or attitude** that may influence future discussions (e.g., concerns expressed by a key stakeholder).

## 5. Error Checking and Consistency:
Review the output for logical consistency and coherence. Ensure:
* **Action items** align with the decisions made in the meeting.
* **Deadlines and responsibilities** are correct based on the transcription.
* The **summary reflects the most important and relevant points accurately**.

## 6. Markdown Format:
Please format the output using **Markdown** for clean and structured formatting, suitable for copying to tools like Notion, Slack, or email. Use **headings**, **lists**, and appropriate **bullet points** to ensure readability.

---

### Example Output:

## Meeting Summary

**Attendees:**
* John Smith
* Mary Johnson
* Bill Williams

### Key Discussion Points:
* **Project X Timeline**: The team decided to move forward with Project X by the end of Q2.
* **Hiring Plan**: Two new team members will be recruited to support Project X.
* **Budget Review**: The current budget is on track, no additional funding is required.

### Challenges:
* **Project Y Delays**: The team encountered issues with research, delaying progress.

---

## Action Items:
* **John Smith** to finalize job descriptions for new roles by **Friday**.
* **Mary Johnson** to send budget forecast to the team by **Monday**.
* **Bill Williams** to schedule a project update meeting for next week.

---

## Q&A Format:

**Q**: What were the key decisions made in the meeting?  
**A**: The team decided to prioritize Project X and delay Project Y due to research delays.

**Q**: What are the next steps for Project X?  
**A**: Finalize the project plan by **March 15**, begin recruiting new team members, and initiate vendor outreach.

---

## Additional Notes (Optional):
* John expressed concerns about vendor delays for Project Y.
* There was consensus to explore an alternative supplier if issues persist.