> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.stenoai.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Summaries and notes

> After transcription, Steno generates structured meeting notes: a summary paragraph, key topics, and action items -- all from a local language model.

After each recording is transcribed, Steno generates structured notes using a local language model running via [Ollama](https://ollama.com). Notes are saved as Markdown files on your device.

## What Steno generates

Each note includes:

* **Summary** -- a short paragraph covering the main points of the meeting
* **Key topics** -- a bulleted list of the subjects discussed
* **Action items** -- tasks or commitments identified in the transcript

The quality and detail of notes depends on the model you are using. Larger models produce more accurate and detailed output. See [Summarization models](/models/summarization-models).

## In-recording notes

You can type notes during a recording using the notes panel. These notes are folded into the AI summary when summarization runs -- Steno treats them as additional context alongside the transcript.

## Output format

Summaries are saved as Markdown files in `~/Library/Application Support/stenoai/output/`. They are plain text and work with any Markdown editor, note-taking app, or sync service.

## Regenerating a summary

You can regenerate the summary for any existing recording:

1. Open the recording
2. Click the options menu
3. Select **Re-summarize**
4. Optionally switch to a different model before running

## Asking questions about a note

Use the [ask bar](/features/ask-your-meetings) at the bottom of any note to query the meeting content in plain English.

***

<Accordion title="Can I customize the summary format?">
  Not yet via the UI. The prompt used for summarization is configurable in the source code for users who build from source.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Where are summaries saved?">
  In `~/Library/Application Support/stenoai/output/` as `.md` files named after the recording.
</Accordion>