Version 4.0: Explanation email when a meeting summary isn't generated · July 2026
When Spotlight.ai can't generate a meeting summary, users will now receive an email that explains why and what to do about it — instead of a generic "summary failed" message.
What's new
- If Spotlight.ai knows why a meeting couldn't be summarized, an email that includes a clear Reason and Action will be sent out to the user.
- If the cause is unknown, the email falls back to the generic "summary could not be generated" message.
Cases covered
| Case | Reason | Action |
| No participants joined | No participants joined the meeting. | No action is required. If the meeting took place outside the scheduled calendar event, please ensure future sessions are held within the calendar meeting so Notetaker can attend. |
| The meeting was too short | The meeting duration was too brief to capture sufficient discussion. | Ensure meetings include substantive discussion so a recap can be generated. |
| Notetaker was placed in the waiting room | Notetaker was placed in the waiting room and was not admitted to the meeting. | Please admit Notetaker when the meeting begins to enable recap generation. |
| Notetaker was not authorized by the organizer | The meeting organizer did not authorize Notetaker to join the session. | Ensure the meeting organizer grants permission for Notetaker to join future meetings. |
| Low audio quality (conference room setup) | Audio quality during the session was insufficient to generate an accurate transcript. | Use a clear microphone setup that captures all speakers, particularly in conference room environments. |
| Empty transcript | The transcript did not contain enough content to produce a summary. | Confirm that the audio is properly connected and that the discussion is captured during the meeting. |
If none of these cases apply, the email will fall back to the generic "summary could not be generated" notice.