Otter.ai
The bot that joins your meeting and delivers the transcript before you hang up.
By Thiago Lourenço Martins
An invisible secretary that sits in your meeting
Otter.ai is a tool that joins your video calls as a participant, transcribes everything in real time, identifies who is speaking, and automatically generates a summary at the end. Think of it as a digital stenographer: while you focus on the conversation, it notes every word — and afterwards you can search any excerpt by text, without listening to the entire recording. It works with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, and has a free plan to get started.
The interview that used to take 2 hours to transcribe
A journalist who records a 40-minute interview used to spend between 1 and 2 hours typing it out word by word. With Otter.ai, the transcript appears while the conversation is still happening.
That is how long Otter takes to process and deliver a complete transcript of a 40-minute interview — with speakers already separated by name and a summary generated automatically.
Who uses it and how
Records the interview via Zoom with the bot active and receives the transcript with speakers already identified. Searches the text field to find a specific quote without listening to the entire audio. Saves hours of typing per story.
Turns on the bot before the daily standup. By the time the call ends, Otter has already delivered the summary with decisions and responsible parties. Share the link — whoever missed it gets up to speed in 2 minutes.
Imports the recording of a client meeting and uses "Ask Otter" to find the moment when the scope was defined. Documents agreements without relying on memory or notes.
From zero to your first transcript
- Create your account at otter.ai
Click "Sign Up" in the upper right corner. You can sign in with a Google account or create one with email. The Basic plan is free, no credit card required.
- Connect your calendar
In the left sidebar, look for "Apps" or "Integrations". Authorize Google Calendar or Outlook so Otter automatically sends the bot to every scheduled meeting.
done once — works for all future meetings - Add Otter to an ongoing meeting
From the home screen, click the button that launches the Otter Meeting Agent and paste the call link (Zoom, Meet, or Teams). The bot joins as a participant and starts recording and transcribing.
- Record directly through Otter (optional)
For in-person interviews or phone calls, use the mobile app (iOS and Android): tap the record button and Otter transcribes microphone audio in real time.
useful for journalists in the field or consultants in face-to-face meetings - Follow the live transcript
Text appears on screen as people speak, with each speaker's name automatically identified when possible.
- Access everything in "My Conversations"
After the meeting, open the "My Conversations" section in the left panel. The full transcript is there — use the "Ask Otter" field to ask questions about the content or search for a specific quote by keyword.
A ready-made prompt for "Ask Otter"
Paste this into the "Ask Otter" field right after a transcribed meeting:
List the 5 most important decisions made in this conversation, in order of relevance. For each one, indicate who said it and at what timestamp. At the end, list all action items mentioned and who is responsible for each one.
Otter AI Chat responds in English. You can follow up with "translate your answer to Portuguese" (or your preferred language) and it will translate the entire summary.
What works and what has limits
Best practices
- Connect the calendar before you need it — the bot joins all scheduled meetings automatically, without you having to remember.
- Use "Ask Otter" to find a specific quote by keyword — much faster than re-reading the entire transcript.
- Share the transcript via link with people who missed the meeting — it works in the browser, no Otter account needed.
Real limitations
- The free plan cuts off after 30 minutes per meeting — on long calls, the transcript stops mid-conversation without warning.
- Audio file imports are limited to only 3 files (lifetime) on the free plan — after that, an upgrade is required.
- Otter does not officially support Portuguese transcription — expect errors with proper nouns, technical terms, and non-English accents.
A complete tutorial in Portuguese
* Independent suggestion, chosen for content quality. We have no relationship or sponsorship with this channel.
Put the bot in your next meeting
In your next work call — whether it is 15 minutes or more —, add Otter.ai as a participant and let it run. Afterwards, open "My Conversations" and read the automatic summary.
You succeeded if Otter correctly identified at least one speaker's name and you found an important decision in the summary without re-reading the entire transcript.
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