If you’re running meetings all week and your notes are a mess, you’re not alone. Even the best transcript tool can leave you lost in a sea of text. That’s where custom keywords in Notta come in—flagging what actually matters, so you can stop digging for action items or follow-ups later.
This guide is for anyone who’s tired of scrolling through transcripts, whether you’re in sales, project management, or just trying to keep your team on track. We’ll cut through the fluff and show you how to set up and use custom keywords in Notta—what works, what doesn’t, and a few traps to avoid.
Why bother with custom keywords?
Here’s the deal: Notta is solid at turning your meetings into transcripts. But the raw transcript is just that—raw. If you want to pull out the good stuff (like decisions, tasks, or blockers), custom keywords let you tell Notta what to watch for.
Benefits: - Find info faster: Instantly jump to key moments in meetings. - Cut the noise: Ignore the chit-chat and focus on what matters. - Automate follow-ups: Make it easier to track commitments, deadlines, or issues.
Reality check: Custom keywords aren’t magic. They won’t organize your life for you. But if you set them up right, they save real time.
Step 1: Figure out what you actually want to track
Don’t skip this. Most people add too many keywords and end up with highlights everywhere—literally defeating the point.
Start with what you need: - Are you tracking action items? (e.g., “next steps,” “to-do,” “assign”) - Want to flag decisions? (e.g., “decided,” “agreement,” “approved”) - Chasing deadlines? (e.g., “due by,” “ETA,” “deadline”) - Need to catch blockers or risks? (e.g., “issue,” “problem,” “risk”)
Pro tip:
If you’re not sure, skim a few past transcripts and look for the patterns. What do you always search for after a meeting? That’s your starter list.
Step 2: Add your custom keywords in Notta
Setting up keywords in Notta is straightforward, but it’s easy to overcomplicate.
- Open your Notta dashboard.
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Log in and head to your workspace. Make sure you’re in the right workspace if you’re juggling multiple teams.
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Go to Settings or Preferences.
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Look for a section labeled “Custom Keywords,” “Highlight Words,” or something similar. (Notta moves things around now and then—if you don’t see it, check their help docs or the sidebar menu.)
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Add your keywords.
- Type each keyword or phrase you want Notta to flag. Usually, you just hit Enter or a plus sign to add each one.
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Be specific but not too narrow. “Action” is too broad; “action item” is better. Phrases work, not just single words.
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Save your changes.
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Some versions save automatically, others need you to hit “Save.” Double-check.
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Test with a short transcript.
- Run a quick recording or upload a past meeting. See if Notta highlights the right stuff.
What works: - Use unique phrases your team actually says. If everyone says “let’s circle back,” add that. - Consider common misspellings or variants if your team is casual.
What doesn’t: - Don’t add every buzzword. If everything is a keyword, nothing is. - Avoid single words like “the” or “project”—they’ll light up your whole transcript.
Step 3: Review and refine your keywords
The first pass is rarely perfect. Be ruthless about what’s helpful.
- After a week or two, check your transcripts. Are you getting too many hits? Too few?
- Remove anything that’s not helping. If you never click on a keyword, it’s just clutter.
- Add new ones as your needs change. Projects shift, so your keywords should too.
Pro tip:
Ask your team what’s useful. Someone else might spot a phrase you miss. But don’t let it become a committee—keep it lean.
Step 4: Use highlights to take real action
Now that Notta is flagging the right stuff, use it. Don’t just admire the pretty highlights.
- Jump to keywords in your transcript. Notta usually lets you filter or jump straight to keywords. Use it to prep follow-up emails, update your project board, or remind someone about their action items.
- Export or share the highlights. If you’re responsible for notes, copy out the keyword sections for your summary. People actually read short lists.
- Set up automations (with caution). Notta and other tools let you pipe highlights into other apps (like Trello, Notion, or Slack). This is handy, but only if you really need it. Otherwise, it’s just another place for things to get lost.
What works: - Keep your post-meeting workflow simple. Open transcript, check keywords, write summary. - Use highlights to jog your memory for tasks, not as a final to-do list.
What doesn’t: - Don’t trust keywords to catch everything. People don’t always use the same words. Still listen in meetings (sorry).
Step 5: Avoid common traps
Let’s be honest—most folks try custom keywords, get excited, then drop it after a month. Here’s how to make it stick.
- Don’t over-engineer. Three to five keywords is plenty to start. More isn’t better.
- Update as you go. If a keyword stops being useful, ditch it. If a new project starts, add what fits.
- Don’t expect perfect accuracy. Natural language is messy. Notta’s pretty good, but it misses stuff or occasionally highlights junk.
- Stay skeptical of “AI” promises. Notta’s AI does help, but it’s not reading your mind. Manual review still matters.
Real talk:
Custom keywords are a tool, not a cure-all. If your meetings are a mess, start by running tighter meetings—then use Notta to track them.
Step 6: Keep it simple and revisit often
Don’t set and forget. Once a month, glance at your keywords and ask: - Am I actually using these? - Are there false positives wasting my time? - Are new patterns showing up in meetings?
Cut what’s not working, add what is. That’s it.
Final thoughts
Custom keywords in Notta make meeting tracking way less painful—if you keep it focused and practical. Start with a few keywords, see what actually helps, and don’t be afraid to prune. The goal isn’t to automate your entire workflow; it’s to make follow-ups and decisions easier to find. Keep it simple, tweak as you go, and your future self will thank you.