Skip to main content
A report template is a named, editable prompt that tells the summarization model how to write your notes. Steno ships a small gallery of built-in templates, lets you edit any of them, and lets you add your own — so the same recording can produce a sales-call recap, a 1:1 summary, or a standup update, each in its own format.

Built-in templates

Steno includes a curated set of templates you can use as-is or edit:
TemplateBest for
StandardGeneral meetings — summary, key topics, key points, action items
Product DemoDemo calls — what was shown, questions raised, follow-ups
Sales CallDiscovery and sales conversations — needs, objections, next steps
1:1One-on-ones — discussion, decisions, action items
StandupTeam standups — updates, blockers, next steps

Editing a template

Every built-in template is editable. Open Settings → Templates, select a template, and edit its prompt. If you want the original back, Reset restores the shipped default. Your edits are stored locally and never leave your Mac. You can also create a custom template from scratch — give it a name and a prompt, and it appears alongside the built-ins.

Choosing the default

The default template is the one Steno uses automatically when a recording finishes and auto-summarize is on. Set it in Settings → Templates. New installs default to Standard.

Multiple reports per meeting

A single meeting can hold more than one report. From a meeting’s detail view you can generate an additional report with a different template, switch which report is shown as the active one, or delete a report you no longer need. Each report is saved alongside the meeting.
Templates live in your local config, and generated reports are saved alongside each meeting under ~/Library/Application Support/stenoai/. No meeting content is uploaded unless you have configured a cloud summarization model.
Yes. A template can pin an output language, so notes are written in that language regardless of the meeting audio. Left on auto, the notes follow your configured summarization language.