Meetings are supposed to get things done, but more often, they just generate a mountain of “to-dos” that quietly disappear. If you’ve ever stared at a Fathom transcript wondering how to actually get tasks out of it—and into your workflow—this guide is for you. No fluff, just straight talk on how to automate the boring parts and actually get follow-ups done.
Who This Is For
If you: - Use Fathom to record and transcribe meetings, - Are tired of copy-pasting action items into your task manager, - Want to actually follow up on stuff after meetings (with less effort), - Or you just want to see what’s possible (and what’s hype),
Keep reading.
Step 1: Get Your Fathom Transcripts Where You Need Them
First things first—Fathom automatically records and transcribes your meetings, but the transcript itself isn’t magic. You have a few options for getting the raw material (action items, decisions, etc.) into a workflow you can automate.
Ways to get transcripts out: - Email: Fathom can send you a summary and transcript by email after each meeting. - Export: Download the transcript as a text, doc, or markdown file. - Integrations: Fathom offers direct integrations with apps like Notion, Google Docs, and a few CRMs. - API/Zapier (Advanced): If you want to really automate, you can use Zapier or Fathom’s API (if available—check their docs, as this changes).
Pro tip: Set Fathom to auto-share transcripts to a single “inbox” app (like a meeting notes folder in Notion or a Slack channel). Centralized notes = less chaos.
Step 2: Find the Follow-Ups in the Transcript
Here’s the catch: Fathom does a great job capturing what was said, but pulling out actual follow-up tasks still takes some work.
What Fathom Does Well
- Highlighting: During the call, you can “highlight” moments. Fathom will tag these in the transcript. If you’re good about hitting the highlight button when someone says, “I’ll handle X,” you’re already halfway there.
- Auto-Summary: Fathom’s summaries often pull out “action items,” but they aren’t perfect—sometimes they miss things, or include stuff that isn’t really a task.
What to Ignore
- Expecting AI to be perfect: Don’t trust any tool to catch every single follow-up. Fathom’s AI is good, but not psychic.
- Transcripts as tasks: Dumping the whole transcript into your task list just creates noise. Don’t do it.
What Actually Works
- Manual review + highlights: Quickly scan the transcript or Fathom’s “action items” section. Use highlights during the meeting as much as possible. The more intentional you are during the call, the less work later.
Step 3: Automate Task Creation (Without Losing Your Mind)
Now for the real automation magic: turning those identified follow-ups into actual tasks.
Option 1: Use Fathom’s Built-In Integrations
Fathom can push highlights or summaries directly to: - Notion: Great if you keep meeting notes + tasks in Notion. Set up a database for “Meeting Tasks.” - Google Docs: Not ideal for tasks, but works for reference. - CRM (e.g., HubSpot): If you’re in sales, this can log follow-ups to contacts.
Set it up: In Fathom, go to Integrations, pick your tool, and map highlights or summaries to the right place.
Limitations: These integrations often just dump text. You’ll still need to turn them into actual tasks (Notion is better here since you can set up templates or databases).
Option 2: Use Zapier to Automate the Flow
If you want tasks in Trello, Asana, Todoist, ClickUp, or somewhere else, Zapier is your friend.
How it works: 1. Trigger: New Fathom highlight or summary (or new transcript in a folder). 2. Action: Create a new task in your tool of choice, with the relevant text.
Basic Zapier workflow: - Trigger: “New Highlight in Fathom” (or new file in a folder if you’re exporting). - Action: “Create Task” in your task manager, using the text of the highlight.
Pro tip: Use filters or formatting steps in Zapier to clean up the task text. For example, only create tasks if the highlight contains “I will” or “Next steps.”
Honest take: Zapier is reliable, but it’s not always worth setting up unless you have a high volume of meetings or a real pain point. For most, Notion + manual review is faster.
Option 3: AI Extraction (If You’re Brave)
Some folks try to use GPT or other AI tools to scan the transcript and “auto-extract” tasks.
How: Send the transcript to a tool like ChatGPT, ask it to list action items, then have an automation (Zapier, Make.com, whatever) create tasks.
Reality check: - AI will miss things. Sometimes it invents tasks that weren’t agreed on. - You’ll spend more time double-checking than just skimming the transcript yourself.
Verdict: Fun to play with, but not reliable for high-stakes stuff. Use it as a helper, not a replacement for your brain.
Step 4: Review and Refine Your Workflow
Automation is only worth it if it actually saves you time. Here’s how to keep your process sane:
- Test with low-stakes meetings first. Don’t automate the board meeting follow-ups until you know what comes out the other side.
- Check the first few automations. Did the right tasks show up? Are you missing anything? Tweak as needed.
- Keep it simple. More moving parts = more things to break.
- Adjust over time. If you notice you’re still missing follow-ups, tweak your process: maybe more highlights during meetings, or a better summary template.
What’s Worth Your Time (And What Isn’t)
Worth it: - Using highlights during meetings. This is the single biggest time-saver. - Auto-sending summaries or highlights to Notion, Slack, or your task manager. - Setting up a simple Zap (if you’re drowning in meetings).
Not worth it: - Overengineering with AI when a quick scan works just as well. - Trying to automate away all human review. You’ll miss context.
Ignore: - Any “magical” solution that claims to do it all. There’s no silver bullet. Most “AI-powered” tools just organize your chaos, not eliminate it.
Quick Example: The Practical Setup
Let’s say you use Notion for meeting notes and Todoist for tasks.
- During the meeting: Use Fathom’s highlight feature whenever an action item is called out.
- After the meeting: Fathom sends highlights to a Notion database.
- Once a day (or week): You review the Notion database, turn any real tasks into Todoist tasks (manually, or use Zapier if you’re fancy).
- Done. No endless copy-paste. No missed follow-ups.
Keep It Simple, Iterate As You Go
The best automation is the one you actually use. Start with the basics: highlights and summaries, sent somewhere central. Only add more automation if you really need it. Don’t chase perfection—a process that’s 80% automated and reliable beats a “magic” workflow you never actually trust.
Meetings aren’t going away, but with a little setup, neither will your follow-up.